Do you pump yourself up with self-affirmations before presentations? Uh-uh. This is what you should be thinking just before giving a speech.
Want to be a more confident speaker? Believe it or not, you won't do it by telling yourself you're good.
The road to confidence comes from actually being good at what you do. And the way to get there is, well, to put the time and effort into getting skilled at accomplishing your goals.
Want to be confident and capable? Learn how in Fearless Speaking, named as "One of the 100 Best Confidence Books Of All Time." Get your signed copy here. It's also on Amazon.
Your Job Is To Pump Up Listeners, Not Yourself
You may have read or heard that the best way to go from a weakling to a superhero on stage is to convince yourself that's what you are. Well, good luck with that. The truth is, like everyone else, you're going to find yourself looking out at an audience that looks like the dentist's anesthetic is starting to wear off halfway through this root canal. (You can engage and motivate audiences with my Free cheat sheet, "5 Ways To Captivate An Audience.")
It's not their fault—people tend to look this way when listening to a speech. I used to have a photograph of just one of these audiences that I showed in my Fearless SpeakingTM workshops. You know, just to get the attendees to have a realistic view of the situation.
Here's the point, though: it's up to us as speakers and presenters to make those audiences more receptive. They're not interested in how you feel about yourself. And why should they be? They're there to get something valuable from this presentation. Here's a hint concerning what that is and knowing how to give it to them: it doesn't reside in your content.
So, how can you make audiences receptive? Find out in my Free Tips and Tricks Guide, 20 Ways to Connect With An Audience For Lasting Influence. Get them on your wavelength!
The Key Thought:Your Speech Is Always About Them
Your speeches will be successful in terms of how your message reaches listeners, and sinks in. We already know that (though we forget it from time to time)! First, of course, understand the basics of speaker-audience interactions. You'll find those in my Free Presenter's Guide, Six Rules Of Effective Public Speaking. From there, you need to pay close attention to how you get the content across in terms of the audience's interests and experiences.
In other words, you need to shape your material so that it resonates with listeners. For instance, actually tell them at the start how this presentation will benefit them. As you speak, you can mention—more than once—why this fact or that behavior or the current economic climate impacts their industry. You can quote experts in their field; and you should use stories that come from their world. The point is, you should always be strategizing about ways to make what you're saying ultimately about them.
Of course, you'll want to combine that with absolute clarity. Learn how in my Free resource, "How To Be A Clear, Concise, and Compelling Speaker." Download it now!
Now, Just Before You Go On . . .
With the above in mind, the answer to the question, "What should I be thinking just before giving my speech?" is simple. It's my audience. To be more specific, it involves another question: "How can I present this material so its value becomes obvious and people take it to heart?"
I believe it's much more common for speakers to be going over their material in their head, reviewing the slides, reminding themselves not to leave out this or that point, etc. And of course, pumping themselves up so they come across as good. But just like an actor rehearsing a scene, you can't play "good." It's impossible. Just like that actor, you need a specific objective that you will focus on achieving. And here's 10 Ways to Stay Fully Focused When Speaking to help you do that.
"Demonstrating how to use the new software." "Explaining to investors why we're focused on this sector right now." "Detailing the specifics of the new decentralization initiative." Those are things you can play in your own performance. As you get close to going on, the best use of your time is to remind yourself how you're going to make your points come to life in terms that these listeners can relate to.
That's what you should be thinking about just before you go on. Will this quiet your nerves and get you focused? And will it help you concentrate on giving value rather than on how well you're doing? Those things, too.
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Gary Genard is an actor, author, and expert in public speaking and overcoming speaking fear. His company, The Genard Method offers live 1:1 Zoom executive coaching and corporate group training worldwide. He was named for nine consecutive years as One of the World’s Top 30 Communication Professionals, and also named as One of America's Top 5 Speech Coaches. He is the author of the Amazon Best-Sellers How to Give a Speech and Speak for Leadership: An Executive Speech Coach's Secrets for Developing Leadership Presence. His book, Fearless Speaking, was named in 2019 as "One of the 100 Best Confidence Books of All Time." He is also the author of the Dr. William Scarlet Mysteries. Contact Gary here.
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