David (38) Fear of Public Speaking

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VIP Client Case Histories

Mary (28) Fear of FlyingDavid (38) Fear of Public SpeakingMark (50) Fear of Presentations & Giving Speeches

David, Company Director, 38: Fear of Public Speaking

“Today was a serious day of three meetings with SIX executives, and I came through with flying colors.  It was an excellent day today.  No heart racing.”

Summary.

David had lost his ability to speak in front of others with ease. His career depended upon him making presentations. But due to a series of unsuccessful past presentations he had lost his confidence and personal power. David experienced many physical reactions leading up to presentations that were all triggered by his memories of past failures.

Through this program he removed the negative emotional charges and limiting beliefs from the past memories he was experiencing. David is now able to successfully make his presentations with confidence.

Background.

David came to CTRN to address this intense fear of presentations & speeches. He told us (this is very common) that his colleagues would be shocked if they knew he had these fears. In fact they saw him as a brilliant presenter. He was once a strong presenter. But over the last decade the once extroverted executive became more introverted. His future success was dependent on delivering powerful presentations.

Diagnosis.

David knew he had this problem as he would continually go through negative scenarios of conference calls and presentations in his mind. This would stop his progress dead. While he tried to visualise what he wanted – but at the same time run movies in his mind of past presentations that did not go so well and of the symptoms that followed.

He would ask himself “what if once again I lose my breath, my heart races, and i can’t talk.” He would do this leading up to and just before a presentation and feel just terrible. He would even do this in very important meetings. However, he was ok when he was with friends, his wife, sport, or anything that effectively distracted him. Then he felt safe.

Having had the problem for almost a decade David had sought help from books, visualisation, hypnotherapy, medications, and various therapies, all to no avail.

This once indestructible star was asked to present his plan to a client on the spot and was caught off guard. With no supporting information at that point – he was lost. He had no idea where he was going and felt himself getting red. He was losing his breath whilst everyone looked on. He was about to pass out. His team members had to pick up where he lost it. He team noticed and he was so embarrassed. He didn’t know what had happened and they were embarrassed for him. He just panicked.

This type of reaction happened again and again with David asking himself “What if i can’t breathe again?” and thinking “If this happens again everything would unravel in the eyes of my peers!”

It seemed that in all meetings his heart would beat extra fast. His fear was actually that he would not be able to speak, lose his breath, and be embarrassed. Not reaching his goals in life. He once was a trainer of presentation skills yet had this overwhelming fear.

His father had had high expectations of him and at times was disappointed in him. Moody, and never happy, his father was always distant. Parents should be the foundation of anyone’s self-worth, so his father had a significant impact on David’s self confidence.

We concluded that – unconsciously – the purpose and reason for having the fear of public speaking was in fact to protect him, keep him safe from failing and embarrassment, it would hold him back to keep him from “screwing up” and perhaps incurring his fathers wrath.

David chose to take on this fear back at that time when he was asked to present his plan on the spot and up until that point had never recovered from that fall from grace.

He needed to know that the panic symptoms would never come back and that he could control himself. He needed to erase the original scene in his memory and replace it with confidence, poise, and power.

He would know that it had disappeared when he could stand up in control and speak competently. When he could present to people calmly, confidently, poised, controlled, yet with excitement for the opportunity, and embrace it.

Strategy for Change.

After working though the CTRN VIP program we taught him about how the mind works and how the way we think directly inpacts our performance when presenting.

Along with many exercises and tools to help David to be in a resourceful balanced state, we also assisted him to remove the unresolved negative emotional charges attached to his memories of past events that were negatively influencing his present performance and life.

And we helped him let go of limiting beliefs that they had also accumulated such as “I cannot control my breathing and heart rate which causes me to panic.” And “What if i can’t say anything – what will these guys think?” Then we had David remove doubt and uncertainty about future presentations. Along with removing concern and anxiety about future presentations. Finally we took David through a powerful process to build a compelling desire to present.

Results.

Within the first 21 days we received this email regarding his presentation which simply read:

“Today was a serious day of three meetings with SIX executives, and I came through with flying colors.  It was an excellent day today.  No heart racing.”



Mary (28) Fear of FlyingDavid (38) Fear of Public SpeakingMark (50) Fear of Presentations & Giving Speeches

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