Introvert? 4 Ways to Blast Through your Resistance to Presenting in Public
If you’re an introvert, you may struggle to speak in public and plan to avoid it whenever you can; getting up in front of a group can seem like an insurmountable hurdle if you tend to avoid the spotlight. Yet you may need or want to present well; you have ideas to share, and it […]
Is Presenting a Conversation or a Performance?
What’s your take on presenting: conversation or performance? Let me tell you about an experience I had recently. I went to a networking breakfast in the city, on a dark, wintry Monday morning: it was hard to get out of bed, but I was looking forward to the event because I enjoy meeting new people, and the […]
Practising Your Speech – how much is enough?
Working with a client this week during an individual coaching session, we were putting the finishing touches on a 5 minute speech he was preparing for a formal family celebration dinner. Ed had written a script which we first edited to create a logical flow; we then worked on humour, pacing and engaging delivery methods. […]
How to change your negative beliefs about speaking: 5 step plan
I sometimes work with clients who have seen themselves as poor speakers for a long time, often many years. They may turn up for coaching or come along to one of my courses with the attitude of “well I’ll give this a go, but it won’t really change anything”. Our beliefs run our lives – […]
Want Greater Charisma When You Speak? Have Certainty
When we speak in front of others, our goal is usually to get them to take action or think differently. We’re offering them something – ourselves and our message; an actual product or service. The audience will take their cue from us, and we need to be certain and congruent in our words, our […]
Using Peripheral Vision Impacts your Public Speaking
Using your peripheral vision – opening out your vision field to its very edges – is a helpful tool to feel more relaxed, open and ‘spacious’ in front of a group (or indeed whenever you want to feel that way). How often do you do the opposite? This is pretty much the opposite of what we […]
Overcoming Fear of Public Speaking: Playing at the Edges of your Comfort Zone
I’ve recently gone back to yoga classes after a break of 10 years or so, and one thing about doing the poses which confused me initially, was knowing how to distinguish between intensity during a stretch versus discomfort or pain. Intensity is another word for energy flow, and that’s what you’re after in yoga, and […]
A Tip to Stop Self-Doubts Before You Go On Stage
[Updated 2020] A client asked me recently about any tip to stop self-doubts; those fearful, negative thoughts which kick in like clockwork in the hours before she has to present. You may know how she feels: it’s so unhelpful, isn’t it? And yes, it’s how our brains work when we feel threatened by something, and […]
Respect, And How to Stay Calm When Challenged
We’ve come to the 7th and final skill in my C.R.I.S.P.E.R formula for good speaking (see 7 skills of every good speaker for an overview). Today’s skill is Respect, which we show in different ways when we’re in charge of a group: by respecting others’ opinions and time, and ensuring we’ve done enough preparation. In fact respect […]
How to Practise Your Presentation: Practical Tips (And What Not To Do)
There are many different ways to prepare: today I’m going to talk about practising your talk in the outer world, but working with your inner world – using mental rehearsal and relaxation techniques – are also important if you’re nervous. Practising can help in showing you: what you need to fix in order to make your […]