If you have a heartbeat, chances are you harbor a fear of speaking in public that outranks death.
In the last 25 years, I’ve spoken to groups that could fit comfortably in a Mini Cooper and ones barely contained by the side of a mountain. Those experiences have taught me some valuable lessons about how to present in an honest and engaging way, and brought some humbling professional successes into my life.
This week, I have the privilege of sharing some of those lessons with you. They will help you form a positive and productive connection with virtually any group, anytime.
But before we go any further, my friend, I need to ask you one favor:
Stop stripping the audience.
It should be a federal offense to tell a nervous speaker to “imagine they’re all naked, and you’ll be fine.” This advice is bad with a capital BAD. It doesn’t help.
All it does is put some images in your head that you can’t unsee, all the while trying to make it through your presentation without some anxiety-induced gastric event bursting forth upon the naked assembly. I don’t know who created it but please – do your part in killing it.
Moving on…
It’s OK – you’ve got this.
I’ve known too many speaking coaches who try to turn their client into someone they’re not. They teach them exactly how to move and gesture, show them hours of clips of successful speakers, and make the sometimes-subtle case that success lies in mimicking another’s techniques and talents.
This coaching premise plays on the same three myths bolstered by speech classes around the world:
- Your natural method of verbal communication is inadequate and ineffective,
- You must be given a complete makeover in order to be worthy of a room’s attention, and
- Presenting to a group requires a fundamentally different set of skills than those you already use when talking informally to a group of friends around a dinner table.
These feed you inner doubts about your own skill, message, and value. That’s bad for you.
And a complete load of crap.
Everything we’re going to talk about this week springs from what you’re about to read:
You’re already a professional public speaker, in that you get paid to communicate ideas verbally to at least one other member of the public. This isn’t silly semantic gymnastics I’m performing here. It’s 100% true.
You already know how to share information with another human being in a way that he finds beneficial. Whether by phone or face-to-face, your verbal communication skills have helped you ace interviews and maintain that persistent food/shelter/clothing habit. They’ve helped you make a difference in the lives of customers and clients. You might be surprised how many people actually like listening to you when you’re just being you.
The same methods and mindsets you use to verbally communicate with people while you’re off stage will work just as well to communicate with any number of people while you’re on stage. It doesn’t matter where that “stage” may be: standing at the front of a packed conference hall, sitting around a conference room table, hosting a conference call, or having a one-on-one meeting.
This concept becomes much easier to understand when you regard “public speaking” not as a presentation you deliver TO an audience, but a conversation you have WITH them.
More on that tomorrow.
The president and founder of NO NET Solutions, Andy Janning is an 8-time state and national award winner for overall excellence in organizational development, a popular speaker at conferences and events across the country, writer, and voiceover artist. He delivers proven leadership consulting results through the “Leader Effectiveness Training” program and offers a wide variety of workshops and webinars to improve your parenting, speaking, serving, training, communication, and leadership skills.
To learn more, and to find out why he occasionally runs with scissors, visit AndyJanning.com and follow him on Twitter at @andyjanning.
I liked your “stop stripping the audience” tip and your analysis of why it really does not work. I also like the “too many speaking coaches who try to turn their client into someone they’re not” and the implications that it leads to… your verbal communication is inadequate and ineffective.
Not sure where you will be going from here, but I tell people the following:
Get organized and know what you plan to say which builds confidence.
Speak up at the appropriate voice level, enunciate words, and smile
Provide a big opening statement and finish with a consice summary and closing statement.
Practice your presentation to make sure it flows and you don’t say ums, like, ya know, ETC.
Polish non-verbal communication – use hand gestures to emphasize, but don’t fidget with ANYTHING, don’t pace, look excited, and dress appropriately.
Hydrate yourself, go to the bathroom prior to speaking, and come prepared with everything you need or might need.
Have professional looking handouts, make sure you know how to use equipment, and arrive early to check everything our and to ensure that you are not late.
Once you have these items taken care of….you are 95% there to being a successful speaker and providing a stand up stand out presentation. The last 5% comes with experience.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Steve! I appreciate the guidance you shared. While it echoes some of what I’m going to share this week, I’m also going to pull in examples from virtually any song you’ve ever heard, ugly wallpaper, Allen Iverson, and a certain book about “Idiots”. Thanks again!