Conquer Your Fear Of Public Speaking

According to The People's Almanac, most folks would rather die (7th greatest fear) than speak in front of an audience (1st). Gloria Goforth, a nationally known management trainer, takes a group of five adult students through a training program, after which they all realize that public speaking is a piece of cake (well, not really, but they've definitely come a long way). Each of the five is a regular guy or gal who, more often than not, were laughed at during a speech they gave in junior high, or maybe they froze up during their first effort and never tried again. What's clear is that they're unhappy with their fear and they're ready to do something about it. Enter Mrs. G. She prods, coddles, encourages, corrects, exhorts, and praises her students. She's never harsh, but she also won't let anybody be a weenie. Goforth teaches the students to analyze their strengths (and work on their weaknesses), learn to remember names, the art of smiling, how to emphasize key words, proper breathing techniques, how and when to use the "pause," using cue cards, and how to handle a question from an angry audience member (the correct response is not the traditional retort: "your mama"). Over the course of the 70 minutes, the audience gets to watch (and squirm) as the students put in the work and do, indeed, reach a point where they are able to deliver a public speech without falling apart. And viewers will easily sympathize with the speakers (heck, I was sweatin' bullets and wringing my hands during their final speeches, myself). An excellent tape. Highly recommended. (Available from: Mark G. Willem Productions, 12335 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 333, Los Angeles, CA 90025; (310) 826-6525.)