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We all have certain situations that we feel more comfortable and confident in than others. And they usually varies from person to person. Some of us feel most confident when addressing a room of people, others feel most confident when surrounded by people we know well, like family and friends for example.

But how does the rest of the country feel?

Public speaking experts Speakers Corner recently commissioned a survey to dive a little deeper into how the UK feels about public speaking and how confident we really feel in certain situations. The survey uncovered some surprising results. For example, more men (32%) feel nervous about public speaking than women (28%).

Interestingly however, women exhibit more symptoms of nervousness than men:

  • Butterflies – Men 26% / Women 41%
  • Sweating – Men 26% / Women 38%
  • Fidgeting – Men 24% / Women 31%
  • Stuttering – Men 20% / Women 25%
  • Nervous Laughter – Men 13% / Women 21%
  • Nausea – Men 9% / Women 22%

Women find themselves feeling more nervous in certain situations than men:
External event or conference – Men 30% / Female 32%

Internal work presentation – Men 13% / Female 18%

Client meetings to unknown parties – Men 10% / Female 17%

However, more men are nervous to speak at family events (e.g. weddings) than women:

19% of men as opposed to 12% of women

Overall, men (40%) rank themselves as more confident against women (24%), even in the bedroom! Men (11%) feel more confident in the bedroom than women do (8%).

If you are looking for a lot of confidence, Manchester is the place to head to! The North Western city finished top when rating their confidence, with Belfast coming in last stating they feel they have low or no confidence.

Londoners (14%) were top of the table as the most confident in the bedroom, and Belfast (23%) felt their most confident after a few drinks.

Speakers Corner have created a great guide to public speaking, offering tips and advice from the experts and professionals as well as some personal stories of people overcoming their confidence, nerves and fears. You can view the piece here.