Please don’t put yourself down in front of an audience. I don’t think self-deprecation helps anyone. I think it damages a speaker’s credibility and their apparent value. It literally deprecates by conveying self-disapproval. I’ve seen several speakers say “I’m not good at public speaking”* and then do a pretty good job. I think self-deprecation can […]
Self-Deprecation = Self-Sabotage Read More »
The content of your talk is obviously very important; your audience wants substance, useful information and an inspiring message. However, I often see speakers for whom the other half of their talk is a bit poor: the delivery. Your audience is looking for emotional guidance on how they should feel about you and the talk.
Confidence. The magical holy grail that will enable you to achieve all the important things in your life: that great* job, that wonderful** partner, that incredible leap of faith. * actually rather pleasant** actually rather pleasant Here’s what I believe: 1.) You’re not alone. Everyone – and that includes me – struggles with confidence, particularly
The Holy Grail of Speaking Confidence Read More »
Confidence is like a group of muscles, which you need to develop and strengthen. Let’s continue this excellent* analogy, for speaking confidence in particular: 1.) Conversations. A bit like running, in that they maintain overall speaking fitness and stamina. You may find that you’ve had fewer of these during the lockdown. 2.) Talking in meetings.
Confidence Workouts Read More »
