The Shyness & Social Anxiety Workbook
226experience. However, increasing the frequency of your dates will also provide opportu -
nities to improve your dating skills and increase the likelihood of developing a positive 
relationship in the future.
PRESENTATIONS AND PUBLIC SPEAKING SKILLS
This section provides a basic primer on public speaking and giving presentations. In 
particular, it includes suggestions for preparing for presentations or talks and describes 
ways to improve the quality of your presentations.
For a more detailed treatment of this topic, we suggest that you check out the rec -
ommended readings on public speaking at the end of this book. Although the emphasis 
in most of these books is on business presentations, many of the skills suggested apply 
to other types of presentations as well, such as giving a speech at a wedding or party. In 
addition to providing suggestions for how to organize and deliver presentations, most of 
these recommended books also provide ideas for managing anxiety during presentations. 
One that provides an excellent mix of information on presentation skills and managing 
anxiety is The Conﬁdent Speaker: Beat Your Nerves and Communicate at Your Best in Any Situation  
(Monarth and Kase 2007).
Preparing for Presentations
Preparing for presentations involves seven important steps: (1) identifying the 
purpose of the presentation, (2) determining the nature of the audience, (3) deciding 
upon the subject matter, (4) organizing the presentation, (5) making your talk interesting 
and compiling supporting materials, (6) rehearsing the presentation, and (7) managing 
your anxiety. 
STEP 1: DETERMINING THE PURPOSE OF THE PRESENTATION 
Before preparing a lecture or speech, you must ﬁrst be clear about the purpose 
of the presentation. Essentially, presentations can have one or more of the following