Face your fear and find your public voice

Fear of public speaking is a common cause of anxiety, and one that Dr. Erin Elliott experienced.

In 2014, the Post Falls dentist was asked to join the lecture circuit for a dental association, giving talks to other dentists interested in continuing education. Elliott was excited about the opportunity, but hesitated to accept.

“The problem was that my fear of public speaking was greater than death,” Elliott said. “I would rather be in the casket than give the eulogy.”

Elliott had noticed that an acquaintance from the Post Falls Chamber of Commerce was an accomplished public speaker. When she asked Dani Zibell Wolfe for tips, Wolfe invited her to join the Post Falls Toastmasters Club No. 7562.

Elliott found a supportive group to help her hone her public speaking skills. Practicing in front of a group of 10 to 15 people at Toastmasters gave her the confidence to speak in front of larger audiences.

Elliott now teaches a two-day continuing education class to several hundred dentists. In 2017, she gave a 15-minute Ted Talk-style speech to an audience of 7,000 in Las Vegas at Dentsply Sirona World, a dental education conference. The skills she learned at Toastmasters also helped Elliott communicate more effectively with the patients in her office.

If you’re interested in improving your professional communication skills, consider joining a Toastmasters club, said Alan Wolfe, vice president of membership for the Post Falls club.

Toastmasters was begun more than 100 years ago by Ralph C. Smedley in Bloomington, Illinois. He was working for the YMCA and saw the need for community members to improve their speaking skills, learn how to conduct meetings, and work on committees.

In addition to prepared speeches, Toastmasters gives people the opportunity to practice extemporaneous speaking and leading meetings while receiving constructive feedback, Wolfe said.

“You do see people start out nervous, but it doesn’t take them that long to get over that,” he said.

Within six months to a year, people typically gain the confidence to speak in front of an audience, Wolfe said.

There are no “gotcha” moments at the Post Falls Toastmasters, Elliott said. “It’s a supportive, friendly, welcoming group. They only want you to get better.”

The Post Falls Toastmasters Club No. 7562 meets at 6:45 a.m. every Thursday at the Red Lion Hotel Templin’s On the River, 414 E. First St., Post Falls. Guests are welcome.