4 Tips to Redefine Public Speaking Anxiety
Do you feel anxious when you have to speak to groups? Obviously you’re not alone: public speaking is one of the toughest social situations that most people have to deal with. I’ve felt it myself, many times. Yet it’s also one of the greatest opportunities to leverage your time, energy and visibility if you’re interested […]
My CRISPER Formula for Good Public Speaking
People often ask me “what makes a good public speaker?” And on my journey from dreadful to competent presenter, I’ve done a lot of thinking about this – as well as working with all my clients. A couple of years ago I had fun (yes, I’m quirky like that!) creating an acronym for good presenters which […]
Fear, and How to Build Belief around your Public Speaking
I was talking with a client this week about her fears around failure and embarrassment when she gives a presentation at work, and how she felt they weren’t normal. I commented that they were indeed normal, and that we all have these fears as human beings. It got me thinking about the different fears and […]
The Ultimate Motivation to Improve your Speaking Skills?
We’re guaranteed two things in this life: Nothing stays the same Death Now I’m not someone who has an easy relationship with the idea of death – far from it! But over the past 10 months I’ve lost my father, mother-in-law and aunt – and that’s made it much harder to push away the knowledge […]
Energy – Are you Missing this Vital Element for Speaking Success?
Having enough energy when presenting to carry your audience along with you – and get your message across – is a vital part of being a good presenter. I believe this is one reason why people are so often afraid of public speaking: because they know, even subconsciously, that they’re ultimately responsible for the energy in the […]
Easy Persuasion Technique to Try
Want to increase your persuasiveness? A large 2012 review* of 42 studies involving 22,000 people worldwide showed that when you use the easy persuasion technique I’m about to give you, it doubles the chances of someone saying yes to your request. Doubles! And I believe it can also apply to some public speaking scenarios, as […]
Practising your Speech: your Most FAQ
As a professionally trained pianist, practice has been part of my life since I was 6 years old. Time-consuming and often tedious, it’s the focused, detailed work which makes going out on stage possible – a Classical musician wouldn’t even contemplate walking out in front of a group without practising beforehand. Yet speakers frequently neglect […]
What Does Glucose Have to Do with Public Speaking?
So – what does glucose have to do with public speaking? And have you ever thought about what your brain needs, to be able to think clearly under pressure? Clients often talk about being unable to stay focused or coherent when faced with people looking at them. They struggle to string thoughts together, and sometimes […]
How Good Speakers Always Get Their Point Across Effectively – And You Can Too
Have you ever been asked to present something at short notice and not really known where to start? Or walked out of a meeting after addressing your team and gone “oh #%^*, I forgot to point out what I’m expecting from them regarding __”? At these two pivotal points – when you have to prepare a talk […]
How to Open a Business Presentation Strongly
Business presentations need a strong opening, without being dramatic or hyped-up. When a more punchy, ‘wow’ opening is required for a group, there are various ways to do it: you could ask a powerful question, give a startling statistic, or tell a short anecdote, to name just a few. But if you’re giving a quarterly update to your team, […]