By Lauren Bottner

As far as fears go, public speaking trumps death every time, leading to the old joke that you’re better off in the casket than giving the eulogy. Irrational? Sure. 

But glossophobia — the fear of public speaking — is believed to be the single most common phobia, which some polls suggest affects as much as 75% of the population. So, for the majority of people, the thought of standing in front of a microphone is an event to be avoided at all costs.  

Inevitably, everyone seems to have to do some form of public speaking eventually, even if it’s simply advocating one’s strengths at a job interview, teaching a class, leading a board meeting, etc. Knowing that sweaty palms and nervous stuttering don’t make for a good first impression, Toastmasters emerged as a secret weapon. Born of humble beginnings in 1924 at a Santa Ana YMCA, Toastmasters International has grown to become a world leader in helping people become more competent and comfortable in front of an audience.

The nonprofit organization now claims nearly 260,000 members and offers a forum in which to practice and hone communication and leadership skills. Hour-long meetings are scattered across most every city and are composed of about 20 participants who take turns giving prepared speeches and impromptu talks, while offering critiques as well. In other words: Encouraging the conquering of fears by diving in head first.

One Culver City member described her stage fright as the motivating force to get her to open the door and walk into her first Toastmasters meeting. “Even though I’ve been a Toastmasters member for only a few months, it has already helped me conquer performance anxiety,” she asserted.

Joined by engineers, military officers, interior decorators, hairdressers and a variety of others, her group has become a place to face new challenges, find friendship amid a shared fear and develop a community of support.

There are plenty of tips and tricks aimed at decreasing public speaking fears. One familiar technique is to picture audience members in their underwear. Others include taking deep breaths, finding a single person in the crowd upon whom to focus and wearing extra deodorant. Experts advise to practice ad nauseam and know your material as well as your audience. 

But the beauty of Toastmasters lies in the community of members who have transcended their own fears and now wait to guide the next scared speaker on a journey of discovery. There is a calmness found among shared fears, and support, rather than judgment, is the tone of the room. It still takes courage to stand in front of a couple dozen people and talk, but it’s made a little easier with the knowledge that everyone else has done it too, and that they’re rooting for you. 

That old cliché which advises us to face our fears and do it anyway strikes right at the heart of Toastmasters, which offers not only the chance to take the mic, but also the opportunity to sit back down to the melody of applause. For the many who suffer from the potentially debilitating fear of public speaking, the organization provides the courage to opt for the podium rather than the casket.