Imagine what it would be like to speak with confidence, to deliver a talk about your business with ease? To post a video on social media or deliver a training to a virtual audience with clarity, impact and charisma.
What would that be like for you personally and what would that be like for your business?
For many business owners the fear of public speaking can cause a lot of unnecessary stress and significantly limit opportunities.
In today’s world, being able to speak in an engaging way for online platforms whether that’s for a podcast, a video or a live virtual event is essential.
Myths about confident speakers
It’s easy to think that this is just what confident people do. But confidence is something you develop, not something you’re born with. Even confident people can fear public speaking.
I had an anxiety disorder since childhood that I’ve since overcome and even beat my fear of public speaking. That’s why I know this is possible.
You don’t have to be a certain personality type, speak in a certain way or have a certain level of confidence. Everyone has a unique voice and unique style and can learn what it takes to be an impactful speaker.
Overcoming the fear of public speaking
Overcoming fear is about working with your anxiety and knowing what steps to take and when.
By working with your anxiety, I mean learn to understand how it functions in your mind, your levels of anxiety and how to respond to those feelings. Once you have more awareness about this you can decide which steps to take.
Taking some kind of action is also a necessary step. By taking action you prove to yourself and your anxiety that you can do it. Small steps forward are better than one big leap that sets you back.
To speak with confidence it’s important to have the right support, learn presentation skills and get qualified feedback.
Being confident in front of virtual audiences
The challenge in today’s world is not only about getting over the nerves but the added strain of working out the technology and presenting in a way that works for virtual audiences.
The first area to address is the technology that you’ll be using. Are you delivering a live event over Zoom or is it a video? Think about your camera quality and angle, lighting, audio and your background.
Once you have competence in this area, that’s one thing you don’t have to worry about. You can also have confidence that you’ll be looking and sounding like a pro.
Learn to engage your audience
Once you learn to manage nerves and become competent with the technology involved, the next step to speaking with confidence is learning presentation skills.
This is something that many can overlook however, this is like asking a child to swim across a pool before learning how to swim. Learn the skills first, then once you know you have the skills to successfully engage your audience, you’ll naturally start to feel more confident.
The key to engaging your audience is to appeal to their interests as much as possible. This means using your words, voice and body language to communicate your message in a way that’s both impactful and of interest to them.
Make you audience feel included in what you’re talking about. You could ask questions, get them to take some kind of action like typing in the chat box or answering a poll if it’s online. Be creative and ensure your attention is focused on offering them value.
If you do this, you’ll naturally develop a great rapport with your audience and your message will have a greater impact. Don’t be afraid to be yourself as well when you speak, your audience has come to hear you and want to connect with you.
Don’t let nerves hold you back. Be the speaker you want to be and let your message shine through so that you can open the door to more sales and new opportunities.
Thank you Sarina
I’m excited to have Sarina Mann as a guest blogger this week. Sarina is a virtual speaking coach, who understands how daunting speaking can be (even on camera).Using a simple framework Sarina manages nerves, improves tech competency and teaches essential speaking techniques.
I first met Sarina during a toastmasters session over lockdown and instantly warmed to her kind nature and her calm style of presenting. I think you’ll agree there is plenty we can learn from her!
To learn more and connect with Sarina:
Linkedin www.linkedin.com/in/sarina-mann
Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwSEg-8pYYqfsuegH8lwYrA
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