MEDIA RELEASE 22 October 2008
Death pips public speaking as our greatest fear - but only just
Public speaking is feared almost as much as death according to a new survey for
Reasontospeak.com conducted by Newspoll.
The research shows that 23 per cent of Australians fear public speaking more
than death, compared to 27 per cent who ranked death as their number one fear.
The study was conducted online in October 2008 among 1,206 adults aged 18 to 64
across Australia. It is reminiscent of a famous study made in the United States
in the 1970s which showed that most respondents feared public speaking more than
death.
According to public speaking expert Paul Griffiths, the founder of
Reasontospeak.com, public speaking can be a huge problem for many people.
Our survey confirms that close to a quarter of Australian men and women is more
concerned about the idea of speaking in front of an audience than dying, said
Griffiths.
Interestingly, our study also revealed no gender differences for fear of public
speaking, he added.
Reasontospeak.com is a video-based online learning program for people who have
to speak in public and want to increase their confidence and motivational
ability. It was created by journalist and educator Paul Griffiths who realised
that the best way to share his 40 years of experience and extensive knowledge on
public speaking to a wide audience was through an online course - available to
anyone, anywhere, anytime - online.
What the Reasontospeak.com program is doing is helping people conquer their fear
of public speaking so that they can become more confident individuals and best
perform in their role - especially in business, Griffiths said.
Money doesn't help when it comes to public speaking. Our survey points out that
households with a higher income ($70K+) fear public speaking just as much as the
national average of 23 per cent.
But the level of education does make a difference. Of those whose highest level
of education completed was high school, 28 per cent indicated public speaking as
their worse fear, whereas only 15 per cent of university degree holders
harboured this as their number one fear.
Most company executives spend, on average, 85 per cent of their time speaking
and listening as opposed to writing. So good presentation skills become crucial
to effectively communicate with anyone, as well as being a vital component in
career advancement, he added.
According to the Reasontospeak.com study, 25 per cent of the 35 to 64 age group
fears public speaking more than death, compared to only 18 per cent of the 18 to
34 age group.
Interestingly, people in regional areas are just as likely to fear public
speaking (25 per cent) as death (24 per cent), while their city-dwelling cousins
are less likely to fear public speaking (21 per cent) than death (29 per cent).
One of the philosophies behind the development of the web-delivered program is
that it should be an online course, making it accessible to anyone including
regional Australians, Griffiths explained.
Griffiths' passion for presentation training and public speaking came about when
he was 11 years old and was taken by his father to a local Rotary club to
deliver a 15-word thank you speech. When Paul's turn came to speak, he was
overcome by his debilitating fear of public speaking - and froze. Very
understanding and supportive, Paul's father told him 'it doesn't need to be like
this' and helped him overcome his fear.
Griffiths began his career as a television journalist and has gone on to become
one of Australia's foremost educators teaching business people media skills as
well as academic programs at a number of institutions. Griffiths has also acted
as a professional Master of Ceremonies at over 300 conferences around the world.
The Reasontospeak.com program can cover topics such as management of nerves,
basics of planning, selling concepts, moving information to motivation, future
orientation, optimal thinking, motivational concepts and so on.
The participant answers 15 qualifying questions before starting the program.
Based on those answers, the program then automatically selects about 60 video
topics - each one being three minutes long - from a library of more than 200.
So, the program is custom-designed to suit every level and all needs, for
anybody, anywhere, at anytime - online.
The course is designed to assist beginners and more practised presenters with
two options available: Presentation Update Program (PUP), followed by the
Executive Suite.
For more information, visit
www.reasontospeak.com or call (02) 9144 3975.
Released for Reasontospeak.com by Dennis Rutzou Public Relations (www.drpr.com.au)
For further information please call Kim Larochelle or Nicola Rutzou on (02) 9413
4244.
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