How to Be a Successful Public Speaker: You’ll see it when you believe it.

Throughout my years of training people to deliver high impact presentations, I’ve come across many different types of people. Everyone I’ve worked has a unique personality and behavior.

In the early days, when I met with a new client, I would begin by jumping right to presentation techniques and behaviors such as nonverbal skills and connecting with an audience. However, after a few sessions, with a few clients, it became obvious to me that the most important thing was not the behavior of what to do, it was the mindset.  Some clients were just not ready to believe that they could be a good speaker.

Today, I’ll start out a coaching session with a new client by saying, “If you want to BE a better presenter…You MUST BELIEVE you are.  It is only then that you will BEHAVE and BECOME the speaker you are longing to be.

There is No Such Thing as a Fear of Public Speaking

I’m 100% certain when I say that people don’t have a fear of public speaking.  What people fear is being judged. To most of us, there’s nothing worse than that feeling of stepping up and wondering what people are thinking about you.

That feeling is usually caused by self-doubt and poor self-image. One of our biggest obstacles in life is that we don’t see ourselves as we wish we could be – whether that’s a successful professional or a confident and compelling speaker. 

Now when I meet with a new client, the first thing we do is create the image of the speaker that he or she wants to be.  I want to create the mindset that enables them to get up in front of any type of audience and deliver their message.

Who are you as a speaker?

The bottom line is that before you can become a great public speaker, you first need to create the speaker. Only then can you can create the behavior plan that the speaker will carry out.

But what if you have so much fear that you really don’t know what that image is?  How can you create something if we don’t know what it looks like? 

When I’m conducting presentation skills training, the first thing I’ll ask you to do is use your imagination.  I’ll ask you questions like:

How do you see yourself doing this?

Do you have the ability?

Are you afraid?

Do you realize what this can do for you career?

If you get better at this, could it lead a raise or promotion?

This exercise helps establish the thought process and get you saying… Hey not only do I need to do this, but I am certain I want to do this.

You must decide what that person is going to look like. Decide what you really want to do, not what your mind is telling you who you are at this moment.  You can make believe that you are a speaker long before you become one.

There is an old saying, Act as If. What that means is, starting right now, if you want to be a better presenter, just start acting as if you already are the best speaker in the world. Create the illusion in your mind because what you think, you can become.

Some things to try.

• Decide and get a clear picture of who you are as a speaker
• Decide what you are prepared to give up to get it. (Perhaps it’s the thought that you can’t do public speaking.)
• Let go of the old image – Go from frightened to focused!
• The past is gone – The old image is giving you the results you have now.

Let go of destructive habits

• If you want to change your results, you’ve got to change your behavior – You’ve got to change the image you hold of yourself.
• See your new image, feel the emotions.
• Get emotionally involved with the new image.
• Plant the new picture firmly in your mind, repeatedly.
• Understand it will manifest.
• Be grateful for the new image, as if you already were the new you!
• Get on with the work – The learning is in the doing!
• Take action to move yourself in that direction.
• Have an expectant attitude
• Take the first step.

To be a better public speaker and give high impact presentations you must Plan to Win, Prepare to Win and Expect to Win. Thanks Zig! – Now go out and be the winner you were born to be.

Take the first step to becoming successful presenter and get better results when selling your products, services, ideas and expertise.  Attend one of our coaching or presentation skills seminars.  Contact us here.