The Dance of Public Speaking
Teaching women how to publicly speak is far more important than learning the craft of public speaking. It is an dance or you can even say it is Art!
There are a lot of aspects to getting up and speaking and you can master this! Here are a few:
The first is the Hag. She is the one saying, “Really? You don’t have a story to share. Why talk, no one is listening! Everyone will laugh at you and think you are a fraud!”
Does this sound familiar? She is the voice that holds you back from HUGE opportunities. She is the voice that keeps you from growing yourself and your business.
Someone out there needs to hear your words. They need to hear your story, so they can be inspired to move forward in their life. I mean this from the bottom of my soul.
So many potential speakers become wrapped up in what are they going to say and how are they going to say it. It is almost placing the cart in front of the horse. Yes, developing your message and learning how to lay it out is very important, but calming the Hag and managing those nerves must be a top priority.
A Dance
Secondly, speaking is like a dance, a Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire dance. How do you give your energy to the audience, yet pull back to keep yourself replenished, so you are not depleted by the end of your talk? (Sounds like life, doesn’t it)? One thing I teach is spotlighting to connect with your audience. It involves focusing on one person and then looking back to the back of the room and focusing on someone back there. Covering your room.
The third aspect is the speed/cadence of talking and your tone. Please, never ever change the cadence of your natural speaking tone. If you do you’ll you sound fake, pre-rehearsed, and too “canned”.
Tone
Your tone is what will really impact your audience. This is your jaw-dropping moments where your audience really hears you; this is where your words really land. This is packing a punch with your words. It is in your tone, your body language, your stance, and more.
My point is that speaking is far more than the words that come out of your mouth. It is far more than the message. There are plenty of dynamics, but they can be mastered with time, dedication, focus, support and a lot of fun.
A beautiful power emerges when a group of women comes together to celebrate one another through the process of public speaking. It is nothing short of miraculous.
Strengthen Your Bold Voice; it is a muscle that needs work every day.
Be You. Be Bold, Be True!
Peace & love,
Kim
I have heard so many speeches from speakers that have rehearsed their speech and it comes out so fake in the end. It really tells me that they are not coming from a place of integrity, which is a shame because your audience can smell fear and falseness a mile away.
Passion is vital, too! Knowing your topic inside out with enthusiasm really shines through.
I find when people are real and admit they find it nerve wracking or they are not over rehearsed, I am far more interested in what they have to say and have more respect for them having the courage to get up there and speak!
Totally agree with all of this Kim. Being real, passionate, from the heart, a bit self effacing and having good eye contact will help ensure a real connection. Obviously having something interesting to say is important too! Rehearsed speeches with no conviction or passion can be a real sleep inducer.
So true that speaking is so much more than just the words, all the other elements help make a speech successful or not.
Public speaking is an art and a practice indeed! Your points are key to remembering what truly matters in giving a speech. Allowing our voice to be heard through speaking publically connects us beyond intellect, to what truly matters, the wisdom of our heart.