it's NOT about You!!!

 If you’ve given a speech or presentation, you understand how tough it can be to focus on what you want to share with your audience.

Sometimes we get caught up in our “performance” that we get nervous, forget our material and struggle to finish.

Here’s a tip: Take the focus off of what you are doing (speaking) and transfer it to your audience (are they getting your information/message); this change of focus will allow you to contribute to the greater good of sharing knowledge and experience.

Of course you want to have effective speaking skills so you are confident and knowledgeable. However, remember why you are speaking. Is it to inform? Educate? Persuade? or Entertain?

Add some humor, interesting personal stories relating to your message, good body language and gestures along with passion for what you enjoy, will enhance your overall effectiveness. Read your audience as you speak so that you can make changes as you go to ensure they are “still engaged” and haven’t fallen asleep! Get connected to them immediately (a brief “attention grabbing” opening sentence) and you will be on your way! Remember, audiences WANT you to succeed. Why? They aren’t there to listen to a speaker who is not prepared and “boring” because they want the experience to be worth attending.

“Nothing great in the world has been accomplished without passion.”  – Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, German Philosopher


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