
While that's uncomfortable, it's not unfixable. That's because, to my mind, public speaking is a learned or acquired skill, not a native one. Your interests and profession may help you appreciate it more or require more of the skills involved. You may have stronger introverted preferences, or be more of an extrovert. But none of that, in the end, beats practice and training.
On the other hand, practice and training can help almost anyone improve (a willingness to learn is essential, however). And, as reader Sarah Milstein noted in our recent roundup of reader's tips, "Ironically, the practice will help you seem spontaneous."
So don't let that "I should be a natural-born speaker" barrier get in your way. If you are in a profession where speaking is considered an essential skill, you've got a built-in argument for making speaker training part of your professional development.
Don't forget: There's just over a week to enter the "Step Up Your Speaking" contest to win a Flip Mino HD camcorder and 15 weeks of free online coaching! Details at http://bit.ly/15weeks.
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