There’s no easy way to put this. But, much like physical fitness*, speaking confidence comes from showing up and putting in the reps. Repeatedly, consistently and especially when you don’t feel like doing it! 👟 Speak up at the meeting, just for ten seconds.👟 Talk about your work at the daily stand-up, for a couple […]
Gain Confidence: Just Do It Read More »
Some people seem to think that confident speakers simply don’t experience nerves. That’s not even close to what’s actually happening! Nerves are like that one colleague who always comes to the meeting uninvited. The trick isn’t getting rid of them; it’s getting them to behave and perhaps even help. When you feel nervous, your body
Fear is Your Friend Read More »
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 »
Likeability: highly valuable, and sometimes a little difficult to achieve. Being likeable, if you can achieve it, is a wonderful quality. It will help you go places. It’ll help you get that job, to make a business connection, to find the person you love and maybe, help them fall in love with you. Anyway, the
Achieving Likeability Read More »
“So… I think, that’s it. Yeah. So, er, any questions?” PLEASE don’t finish any talk like this. It’s disappointing and inconclusive. It may feel like the right thing to do because everybody else does it*, but it fails because: It’s often followed by an awkward silence; you’re suddenly demanding interaction from an audience who may
Finish Your Talk Correctly Read More »
