Build your public speaking immunity

It's cold and flu season again. How are you holding up?

Did you know that, once you become infected with a particular strain of a virus, it won't ever make you sick again?

There are estimated to be 150-200 different cold viruses out there; you won't catch the same virus twice because once you've suffered through it, your body has built immunity to that particular strain.

When you get sick (or get a flu shot), your body actually gets stronger, protecting you against more and more viruses each year.

It's the same with public speaking!

The more often you speak, the more often you expose yourself to different venues, audiences and circumstances, the stronger you become as a speaker.

You learn how to deal with any size group, any challenge, any unexpected questions, any unforeseen mishaps.

Unfortunately, unlike the common cold, you may experience the same setback twice.

For example, you may find that you face a hostile audience member once a year, or once a week, depending on your topic!

But increasing your public speaking exposure allows you to get better over time at how you handle confrontations. So eventually, the hostile audience member feels more like a sniffle than a full-blown cold.

The first few times you speak, you might want to crawl into bed with a cup of tea and an aspirin, but the more experience you get, the stronger you become.

The only way to build your public speaking immunity is to get out there and do it!