Is fear of speaking up for yourself limiting your income?

Are you getting paid what you are worth?

© Abby Eagle 2010

Psychologists tell us that fear of public speaking ranks higher than any other type of fear. Fear of speaking to a group of peers is probably the biggest. Some of us handle the fear by choosing occupations that limit the necessity of talking to a group but sometimes it becomes unavoidable. And even some of those people who choose an occupation which requires public speaking still suffer with anxiety and panic attacks. I remember hearing an interview with Warren Mitchell, from the Till Death Do Us Part series, who described how professional stage actors would often experience the terrors before a show. I won't go into the details but his descriptions were not pleasant, and yet once on stage the actors were able to give an exemplary performance.

Is the solution to plan your talk?

If you are in a position where you are able to plan your talk then it does help to write out a session plan. Writing down what you are going to say, rehearsing it before hand, and backing up your talk with suitable slides and hand-outs goes a long way to creating a professional presentation, yet as I have illustrated above even seasoned stage actors can suffer from anxiety and panic attacks. In addition you would think that as someone moves up the corporate ladder that they would become more confident in themselves and yet that is not necessarily the case. A shy office worker promoted to a managerial position may find themselves unsuited to the extroversion required to communicate to groups of people.

Are you getting paid what you are worth?

Sometimes it is the most aggressive and outspoken people who get the promotion. Promotion is not always by merit. If you feel hard done by in life it could relate back to how well you have been able to stand up for your self. And I don't mean physically, I am talking about self concept.

Is it possible that you could be blocking your own success?