My opinion changed when I read the book ‘Confessions of a Public Speaker’, by Scott Barkun.  Scott offers a compelling view that human beings are actually hard-wired to avoid speaking in front of groups of people.

He suggests four reasons that you are conditioned to fear public speaking.  His evidence can be summed up with the acronym AWOL.  This is an appropriate acronym because in the military world, AWOL means Absence Without Leave – running away from service without permission.  Many speakers would love to run away from talking to an audience.

The A in AWOL stands for Alone:  Because early humans were vulnerable to attack from predators, they were safest when they stayed in groups.  The person who strayed off by him or herself was vulnerable to attack.  They learned to avoid being alone as much as possible.

The W in AWOL stands for Weapon:  To protect themselves from predators, early humans carried some type of weapon to ward off attacks.  This most likely gave them a sense of security.

The O in AWOL stands for Open: Whether alone or in a group, being exposed in open areas made people more vulnerable to attack.  Staying hidden in caves or amongst trees provided additional safety.

The L in AWOL stands for Large Group:  Predators typically traveled in large numbers.  This increased their odds of making “the kill”.  Seeing large groups of these potential attackers probably created a great deal of anxiety.

How do these concepts relate to public speaking?   The speaker stands alone, on stage [open space], unarmed [no, a microphone is not a weapon], with nowhere to hide [unless you consider a wooden lectern a reliable piece of protection], and s/he stands before a large number of people [potential predators??].

Subconsciously, this isn’t much different than our ancestors, is it?  Looking through the perspective of their emotions, can you see how fear gets triggered?  Until you enjoy a positive experiencing in front of a group, it’s easy to understand why you feel vulnerable.

This is where perspective and repetition become your most valuable tools.  Perspective will help you understand that you are not alone in front of a group of predators.  With few exceptions, every audience is on your side.  If for no other reason, they want you to do well because their time is valuable.  They don’t want you wasting theirs.

Unlike your ancestors, you don’t have to feed that large group with your body – feed them mentally, emotionally, and spiritually with your words and concepts.  Giving them this type of nourishment will make you feel that you are part of a large group.

Also, you don’t need a weapon.  Your words and your experiences can diffuse even the most difficult crowds.  You can “kill them” alright…with kindness, respect and a meaningful message.

As you prepare your next talk, remember that your nerves and tension are natural.  You’re not going to get rid of those feelings, but you can manage them.  Keep in mind that you are not alone in the open plains, with a pack of predators waiting to tear you apart.  You don’t need weapons; you only need to focus on what you can bring to the audience, prepare your material and deliver it from the heart.   Do this, and you will never have to go AWOL.

© 2013, Michael Davis. All rights reserved.

I reached back to slip my right arm into the other sleeve.  I kept reaching back and trying to stick my hand into that sleeve, with no luck.  I finally had to stop, set down my briefcase, grab my coat with my left hand and maneuver my right arm into the sleeve.  I felt ridiculous.  49 years old, and I can’t even dress myself anymore!

I know what you may be thinking.  “My God, this guy has lost his mind, and any fresh ideas for material.  Instead of speaking tips, he thinks he can teach us how to dress ourselves”.

I understand your concern.  It is possible I’m losing my mind, but, I’m not out of fresh ideas.  There is a speaking point to this, I promise.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve put on my coats, shirts, and jackets right arm first.  It’s a habit.  Making a simple change like how I put on my clothes, I felt completely awkward.  Don’t you feel the same way when you try to make a change?

As a presenter, you have developed habits.  You are comfortable with the tonality you use, the movement of your body, and even phrases or words.

And this can be a problem.  Many speakers, even highly paid professionals, can get too comfortable when they speak.  When this happens, they may become bored, unenthused, and even feel that speaking has become more of a chore than a joy.

How do you break out of this rut?  Hall of Fame speaker Patricia Fripp talks about the idea of  “Falling in love with your material all over again”.  This is a process in which you review your speech, and inject new ideas into it.  There are several areas you can review.  Two of the more important are:

1)  Review to see if your main points are still relevant.  For years, I told a story called ‘Find Your Mud Puddles’.  The central idea was to find your stress relievers.  In my case, it was jumping into mud puddles with my young son.

Six years later, after sharing that speech in Ottawa, Canada, I realized it didn’t have a strong impact on the audience because it didn’t have a strong impact on me.  This was an excellent story, but had outlived its impact.  Never tell stories that you no longer have passion for.  If you don’t care, your audience certainly won’t.

2)  Do you have a central story which demonstrates your main point?  Find a story which best illustrates your main point, and you can create a deeper connection.

For example, if you sell life insurance, you’re more likely to persuade your client to buy if you tell the story of a widow who was able to stay in her home and send her kids to college because of  life insurance proceeds, than you ever would by bombarding your client with statistics and data about the wonders of life insurance.

Reviewing these two parts of your speech are an excellent first step to rekindling your passion for your stories and speeches.

Each of us can get caught in ‘the comfort zone’.  When you feel stuck in a rut, it’s time to change your routine.  Just like making a change to how you put on your shirt, jacket or coat, it will feel awkward at first.  But isn’t a little discomfort worth it if you can Fall in Love Again?

© 2013, Michael Davis. All rights reserved.

What makes this a difficult task is that there some scenes a director absolutely loves, yet, they still end up on that floor.  Why would the person in charge of the movie leave out favorite scenes?

If the director is focused on the paying customer, s/he will ask two important questions:

1) Does this scene support the overall direction of the movie?

2) Does the scene keep the movie moving forward?

These are the ‘acid tests’ for any scene.  Great directors are able to separate their emotions and leave only the material that best supports these two questions.

This is the same challenge faced when you develop a story.  Far too often, speakers fall in love with a particular story and try to force it upon their audiences, even when that story is confusing, and doesn’t help the audience understand the main message.

Ask me how I know!

One of my own favorite speeches is called ‘Cornfield Wisdom.  The theme of this speech is to keep an open mind to new and unexpected opportunities.  The central story reveals how I learned this lesson when I asked my girlfriend Linda to marry me… in a cornfield.

It’s important to note that it wasn’t my intention to get engaged in a cornfield.  My carefully laid out plans for the day had gone awry, and it was almost out of desperation I asked her in a cornfield.  Her response “Of course I’ll marry you” didn’t change the fact that I felt bad – embarrassed – that I had proposed to her in a cornfield.

When she told me “”Michael, you don’t understand.  I love cornfields and spontaneity, and you.  It IS the perfect proposal”, I began to understand the importance of being open to new and unexpected opportunities.

That story resonates with audiences.  What didn’t resonate, and caused confusion, was the twist to the story.

In early versions, I told about being painfully shy and afraid of girls in high school.  So much so that I never said two words to a girl I had a huge crush on in my junior year.  After high school, I lost touch with her.  We had gone on with our lives and never seen one another again.

Fast forward 30 years.  I had connected with the girl from high school.  We became good friends.  So much so, that she was the woman who said “Of course I’ll marry you” in the cornfield.

I LOVE that twist to the story.  And so did many audience members.  However, I consistently received feedback that the twist was confusing people…they weren’t sure how it related to the main theme.  I moved the twist into different parts of the story, trying anything to make it work.  I got the same feedback.

I had to face facts…I was in denial.  That part of the story wasn’t working; it was hurting the speech.

Reluctantly, with a heavy heart, and a tear in my eye, I cut out the Twist.  It still pains me because I have such affection for it.  But, I have to practice what I preach.  My story and my message are not for me, they are for the audience.  To paraphrase attorney Johnny Cochran, “If the story doesn’t fit, you must omit”. 

If you want to learn how to be better at cutting extraneous parts of your story, try these 2 activities.  Get a copy of one of your favorite movies on DVD, with bonus extras.  Make sure offer scenes that were cut from the final movie.  Study those scenes and judge for yourself – were the scenes confusing, and were they moving the story forward?

The second exercise is to get feedback on your story.  Ask others which parts may be confusing, or simply slowing the story down.  If you do this with an open mind, your story will become much more impactful on the audience.

Go through these exercises and you’ll have a hint of what directors feel when they leave some of their best [and favorite] work on the cutting room floor.

© 2013, Michael Davis. All rights reserved.

It’s the Super Bowl, after all, our greatest unofficial holiday.  With libations, food, and friends all around, we were willing to wait out a little delay, right?   And for fans at the game who spent $500, $1000, or even $5,000 for a ticket, it would be a cold day in H….. Hawaii before they were going to leave.

What does the Super Bowl blackout have to do with you as a speaker?  More than you may think.  The NFL, in its premier event, has a captive audience that is going to wait out any delay or inconvenience.  As a speaker, you don’t have that luxury.  You have to provide value and respect your audience’s time.

This was illustrated to me recently during a product introduction meeting.  The speaker arrived at 8:55, five minutes before his presentation was scheduled to start.  Precisely at 9:00, without acknowledging us, he began to…adjust his computer to prepare his Power Point presentation.  At 9:07 I heard him mumbling about “the IT department is going to hear about this”.  At 9:15, he left the room to summon help from the office manager, and on it went.
Meanwhile, 15 audience members sat patiently, checking emails, chatting quietly, or…. writing his next Blog post about the rudeness of keeping an audience waiting.  I confess, I wasn’t so patient.  As a presentation skills coach, I was irritated that we were basically being ignored, the presenter clearly hadn’t tested the equipment beforehand, and he didn’t have a backup plan.

This experience reinforced a fundamental aspect of speaking and presenting…The most precious asset your audience has is time.  If you do not respect their time, and treat it as more important than your own, you have lost the audience before you say one word.  They may never tell you, but their irritation and frustration speaks louder than anything you have to say.

Technical glitches and unexpected interruptions are part of speaking, and always will be.  While those can’t be prevented, lack of a contingent plan can be prevented.  When you communicate difficulties to your audience, have a backup plan, and a backup plan to your backup plan, you are silently telling the audience that you respect them and their time.  Unlike the speaker I mentioned above, they won’t walk out on you, as I did after 25 minutes and no end in sight.

No, you don’t have the drawing power of the Super Bowl.  What you do have is the ability to create contingencies.  Do this, and your audience will stay with you the next time the Lights Go Out.

© 2013, Michael Davis. All rights reserved.

After several minutes, Tim had settled into a rhythmic ‘cadence’, moving back and forth like the old video game ‘Pong’.  I realized  I was feeling hypnotized by his movement.  I was no longer hearing his message because I was lulled into a peaceful, easy feeling.

For sales managers, this is not good.  Their job is to encourage and inspire [or  threaten and cajole] their teams into higher production and activity.   In Tim’s case, he can partially overcome this problem because he is a former Air Force officer, and has a commending voice.  Also, I was interested in his subject matter.  Most speakers and presenters don’t have that luxury, though.  As a result, audiences hypnotized by this kind of movement often miss key points and the overall message.

Unfortunately, this problem is pervasive with presenters.  Distracting gestures, excess movement, and wasted energy are the rule rather than the exception.   The result is that, at best, the audience does not completely absorb your message; at worst, they become irritated and don’t remember anything you say.  Either way, you miss an opportunity to connect with the audience and make an impact.

With regard to speech delivery, remember  that in order to maximize your efficiency, you must Move with a Purpose.

When I coach clients, and point out their distracting gestures or extraneous movements, they are often surprised, they don’t realize what they are doing.  “How do I stop doing that,”  they’ll ask.

The obvious answer is “Well, just…stop doing it”.  Unfortunately, this simplistic answer doesn’t solve the problem.  The best solution to this delivery issue involves two steps:  1) video record yourself , and, 2) WATCH THE RECORDING!

This obvious point may make me look like a smart-aleck, [and you’d get no argument from my fiancé on that point], but in this case, it’s justified.  Most people I talk with who’ve recorded themselves never watch or listen to the recording.  They’ll say “But I hate watching myself and I can’t stand the sound of my voice!”.  To quote one of my mentors, Darren LaCroix, “Really, you hate that listen to yourself?  Too bad because WE had to listen to you…so should you!”

All kidding aside, watch video of yourself is one of the most effective methods to solving the problem of hypnotic gestures and movement.  It’s one thing for a coach to point these out to you, it’s another for you to see it.  Once you see these distractions, you’ll be horrified.  OK, that’s a bit strong, but you will be motivated to change

To get an even deeper understanding of these distractions, re-watch the video two more times, once with the sound off, and the second time speeded up.  Distracting gestures or movements really jump out at you when they’re played at faster speeds.

With knowledge of these habits, you can quickly make changes and improve the quality of your delivery.

The problem of hypnotizing your audience is all too common.  With some concentrated work, though, you can uncover the flaws of your delivery, make improvements and become a speaker who Stand OUT when you deliver your presentations.

© 2013, Michael Davis. All rights reserved.

What’s trapped inside you is eating you alive

Many times, speaking coaches are asked “what are good subjects to talk about; what is popular today?”   On the surface, this sounds like a good question, but it’s not.  Why?

Imagine if you asked this question, and the answer you received was “The impending death of the personal computer in America” or “How can the Federal Government avoid bankrupting the economy”.  Interesting topics, to be sure, but what if your knowledge of these subject is limited, or, even worse, you don’t really care.  The world is littered with speeches given by people who lacked either the knowledge, passion or both, about any given subject.  Don’t fall into this trap.

If you don’t talk about what’s popular, what should you talk about?  The quote above is a clue.  There are subjects which you may have buried inside, even have deep levels of concern, passion and interest for, but haven’t had the courage to discuss.  That’s where you should look.  To paraphrase an old saying, “There’s gold in them thar subjects!”

I know what you may be thinking, “Michael, the topics I care about wouldn’t be of interest to anyone”.  Oh, I beg to differ.  While it’s true some subjects can, at first glance, seem limited in their popularity, there is a speech development tool that can connect any subject to an audience.

That tool is to share lessons learned from your topic.  When you take your passion and transform it into a teachable moment, you create a long-lasting benefit.
For example, my friend Carol recently emailed me about a family member who is involved in wood working.  If this young man stands up to talk about this topic, chances are he’d have a limited audience.  However, there are several life lessons he could tie to wood working.  Not being a connoisseur of the subject, I can only speculate some universal concepts that could be tied to it:

Creativity – Use Your Imagination to Create Your Unique Vision;

Patience – Use the Concept of ‘Measure Twice, Cut Once’ to Save Time and Aggravation;

Sharpen the Saw – How to Ensure that You are Working with the Best Possible Tools to Do the Job Well.

These are just 3 of an endless list of ideas, and I know nothing about the art of wood working.  The point here is that you can take a seemingly mundane subject, tie it to lessons which resonate with all people, and then develop a talk which impacts them long after they hear you speak.

The next time you have an opportunity to give a talk, don’t sweat your subject matter.  Remember the words of Charles Henderson.  Don’t leave your passions buried inside.  Tie your interests to universal messages, and you can change the way people Think, Feel or Act.

© 2013, Michael Davis. All rights reserved.

I had a thought, “Too many speakers are being held back by crutches.  Ya gotta help them, Mike.  It’s your duty to kick those crutches out from under them!” 

So, here goes, time to kick out any crutches you may be leaning on.  I apologize for any short-term discomfort it may cause, but I promise the long-term benefits will be worth the pain.

What are common crutches speakers use:

1) Power Point [by far, this is the grand-daddy of all crutches]

2) Pre-scripted speeches neatly typed in 12-point font, word-for-word

3) iPAd [or similar devices] .

Typically, the misuse of these tools leads to lack of audience connection, lost opportunities, and ultimately, a negative feeling about public speaking.

Am I saying never use these devices.  Yes, actually, I am; better to avoid using them than to misuse them and cause the problems previously mentioned.  But, I know the world is going to use them despite my protestations.  If I can help you learn to use them only sporadically, and trust your own skills as a communicator, then I’ve made a significant contribution to humanity [and desperately bored audiences everywhere].

With regard to Power Point, countless articles have been written about how misused it is, no need to belabor that point.  Keep these points in mind to make Power Point a tool that aids, and doesn’t destroy, your presentation:

1) Eliminate all words.  Words can be spoken.  Delivered in a conversational and dynamic manner, the spoken word beats the written word every time.

2) Use pictures, graphs or images which support your ideas.  Pictures convey many emotions which words sometimes can’t.  Do be sure these images support your main point, and don’t detract from it.

3) Use minimum number of  slides [1 slide for at least 5 minutes is a good ratio].

For the speech that is written and read word-for-word, is there a more exhilarating experience?   You’re right, the list of preferable alternatives is endless.  What can you learn from the people who insist on this manner of presenting?

First, you can’t talk with an audience if you’re reading at them.  Better to send them your speech in an email and let them read it from the comfort of their living room.

Second, it is OK to keep notes handy.  People who promote the idea of memorizing speeches and never using notes are giving poor advice.  Why?  Because, when you focus on memorization, who are you focused on?  YOU.  Where should you be focused?  That’s right, on the people sitting in front of you.

If you have to occasionally refer to notes to insure a key point is conveyed, no one will get upset.  In fact, they’ll appreciate the information.  Some highly paid and successful professional speakers use notes, yet, still maintain connection with the audience.  The point is, if you read the speech instead of talking with them and keeping them engaged, you lose connection, and your message will be lost.

As far as iPads and other tablets are concerned, they’ve created a new generation of speakers who are now looking down at a device strategically placed in the front row of the audience, rather than looking down at a lectern.  The good news is, they’re getting much closer to eye contact with the audience, but….still not making that consistent connection.

Don’t misunderstand.  I love my iPad, it’s a valuable tool.  Just don’t use it to replace your typed speech.  Use it to create images that support your message, play cool music while you’re walking to the front of the room, or put a big clock in front of you to stay on time.

The bottom line is you don’t need these crutches.   They can help bring life to your message, but they are not the message itself.  YOU are.  For your next talk, trust that you know your subject, don’t worry about being perfect [instead, be personable], and keep a few notes handy, just in case.

Oh yeah, one more thing… throw away the crutches.

© 2013, Michael Davis. All rights reserved.

“Do not confuse motion and progress. A rocking horse keeps moving but does not make any progress.”  - 

I saw this quote today, and it reminds me of the challenge faced by many speakers and presenters.  They confuse the act of talking in front of an audience [motion] with truly communicating and connecting [progress].

Far too many times, I’ve seen speakers walk off stage, only to be immediately met by a well-meaning audience member who says “That was GREAT!”   I understand that the audience members who do this mean well, but they may be doing more harm than good by characterizing every speech they hear as “Great!”.

This is not to say that every speaker fails to communicate and connect – there are some terrific presenters who consistently make a difference.  Suffice it to say though, that most speakers are not.

This problem begs the question, “How do you know if your presentation is successful?” Before you can answer this question, it is important that you define success.  For some people, merely completing a talk without passing out, and being able to walk off stage on your own is a success.  In that case, maybe it is a great speech.

But most speakers want more than mere survival.  To help you create that feeling of success, take a cue from the late Dr. Stephen Covey, author of the Seven Habits of Highly Successful People.  His second habit, Begin with the End in Mind, is where you should start creating your speech or presentation.

Remember, the purpose of any presentation should be to change the way people Think, Feel or Act, or a combination of these three.  Think carefully about this, as your purpose is the lasting impact that your talk will have three days, three months or even three years after an audience hears you.

Once you determine your outcome, use this as your guidepost for every part of the speech.  If your material adds to speech’s purpose, then leave it in; if not, take it out.  For example, when I present a financial workshop, Long Term Care Planning for example, the goal is to persuade audiences to think differently about the problems their family may face if a family member becomes ill for a long period of time.  Then, they are asked to sign up for a meeting with our Long Term Care planning team to determine if they can help.  There is no selling of products, or talk of other financial issues, just that one idea.  This provides a clear message and action step that is simple for the audience to act on.

Are you providing a clear and concise message to your audience?  Are you making it easy for them to Think, Feel or Act differently?   As you prepare your next presentation, determine your outcome, how you want to impact your audience.  This will enable you to create a message with purpose, and avoid “motion without progress”. 

© 2013, Michael Davis. All rights reserved.

Why is public speaking such a terrifying experience for so many?  You’ve been talking to other people nearly your entire life.  It’s how you are able to develop relationships, get a job, and create horrible You Tube videos. 

In workshops, I’ve asked people to speak for two minutes, to introduce themselves to a group of strangers.  Sitting around a conference table, they have no problem sharing their background.  Ask them to stand up and share the exact same information, and you see some people get nervous.  Take it one step further, and ask them to step to the front of the room, and share the exact same information, many people get visibly shaken, stumble over their words, and act very different.

Telling the exact same information, people experience physiological changes that impact their ability to communicate.  Why?

If you look at the word fear, you get your first clue of the root of this problem.  Most people don’t know that the word FEAR actually stands for…. Forget Everything About Rationality.

There are two main reasons why people have irrational reactions to public speaking – 1) bad experiences, and, 2) society tells us we should be afraid of it.

With regard to bad experiences, nearly every person has experienced embarrassment, or even humiliation, in front of a group.  For me, it was Mrs. North’s first grade class.  One rainy afternoon, our class stayed inside for recess.  While Mrs. North had stepped out of the room, I jumped atop my desk and held my arms out like a jet fighter, making loud machine gun noises.   It was a great flight for me, until…

Gina, the class tattle tale, decided to shoot down my dreams.  I can still see her red hair in pigtails, her freckled cheeks and wire-rim glasses, as she told Mrs. North of my aviation exploits.  None too pleased, Mrs. North meted out my punishment:  “Michael, you will stand on top of your desk during afternoon nap time”.

That was fun.  Imagine 25 of your six-year old peers laughing and pointing at you for sixty minutes.  After that exhilarating experience, I completely lost interest in being in front of any group, whether it was reciting a poem, dressing up as a tree in the Christmas play, or singing in the children’s choir.  The experience scarred me for many years.

It was only when I was an adult, forced to speak before a group of prospective clients, that I confronted my past and put it into perspective.   I realized that my humiliation as a child was an anchor, and had no bearing on my adult life.  Those laughing six-year olds were part of a distant past and couldn’t affect me today.

Children don’t have a corner on these experiences.  As recounted in the recording ‘Panic to Power: Swift & Simple Strategies Anyone Can Use’, some of the best speakers in the world have stood before audiences and suffered embarrassment.  Craig Valentine, Toastmasters International World Champion of Public Speaking in 1999, frequently shares stories of failures early in his speaking career.  Regarding nervousness, Craig points out that “nerves are there to help you focus”.  He further suggests that to “minimize the effect of your anxiety, focus on your message rather than your nerves, and you will increase your connection to your audience”.  Craig also believes that the ability to control his nerves was a factor in winning the 1999 World Championship of Public Speaking.

The important point of these experiences is Craig learned from them, and used it to become a better communicator and speaker.  If you’d like to learn more ideas about how World Champion speakers learned to control their nerves, and use them to energize their speeches, listen to the recording ‘Panic to Power: Swift & Simple Strategies Anyone Can Use’

It’s easy to say “I don’t need to deal with my fear of speaking, I just won’t do it.  I’ll keep doing what I’ve been doing”.  This is an easy excuse, but consider this, what is this fear costing you?   How is it affecting your career?  Your position within your company?  Your influence in your community?

If a child in your life is struggling with a problem, what advice do you give that child?  “You know, little Billy, I think you’re right.  Don’t try to learn this skill, just forget it.  Give in to your fear.  You should never try anything new because you might fail a few times before you learn how to do it.  You know that walking thing you’ve been trying, forget it.  Just keep crawling through life… no one will notice.  It’s much safer to avoid the pain of failing.” 

Would you ever give this kind of advice to a child?  No?  If you’ve been avoiding overcoming your fear of public speaking, then why are you giving this kind of advice to yourself?

Negative experiences are tough enough to deal with, never mind the messages society gives us about speaking in public.  The most common message is ‘On the lists of common fears, public speaking is cited as the number one fear, even greater than death itself.’  Wouldn’t it be interesting to hear how the questions were phrased when these lists were compiled?

As Dr. Roko Paskov has noted, “I’m not sure they asked the questions the right way”.   As he further notes,  “Consider this question: Given a choice of stepping into an airplane, strapping a pack on your back, flying 10,000 feet into the air, and then jumping out of that plane, or giving a speech for 5 minutes, most people will pick the speech”. 

Dr Paskov is correct.  However, we have been told so many times that “Public speaking is the number one fear of Americans”.  Too often, we sit back and accept these ‘facts’ without thinking them through.  To quote the great philosopher [and Hall of Fame baseball player] Yogi Berra, “Half the lies they tell about me aren’t true”.  Many of the ideas you may have about public speaking aren’t true, but you’ve heard them for so long, you accept them as fact.

The fact is, very few people are born with the gift of public speaking.  In fact, some of the best speakers in the world, including World Champion and Hall of Fame speakers, were at one time incredibly shy.  Some were even burdened with stuttering.   They learned to overcome these handicaps, and become eloquent communicators who influence.

Like any other skill, public speaking can be learned and mastered.  The key is simply this – you have to want to.  When you were a teenager, you reached an age when you were tired of asking other people for rides, or being dependent on your parents to get you around, so you did whatever you could to get your driver’s license.

Learning to become a better public speaker is no different.  Take the time to learn the craft.   Resources are all around.  When I coach clients, I refer them to books, CDs, and many other sources to supplement their coaching.  If you are willing to devote time and attention, you can overcome the fear, the uncertainty and Stand Out from the crowd every time you Stand Up to speak before an audience.

© 2012, Michael Davis. All rights reserved.

How do you feel?  If you’re like many others, you feel uneasy…. nervous… panicked.  You’re not focused on the presentation, you simply want to survive the ordeal.  If this is how you feel…don’t worry, there are many tools that will enable you to gain control of your nerves and make them work for you.

These will not be old clichéd ideas like ‘picture the audience in their underwear’ or ‘make your butterflies fly in formation’.   These are time-tested tools used by Hall of Fame and World Champion speakers.

Speech Survival Tool #1 comes from World Champion speaker Craig Valentine.  It is called the 10x factor.  It refers to the fact that whatever you are feeling is 10 times worse on the inside than the outside.  I can vouch for this factor, both in the early days of my speaking and speech coaching

As a novice speaker, I was plagued by two nervous habit that I was sure were obvious to the audience – a quivering upper lip and a quivering left leg.  During my first few presentations, I would make mention of these ‘tics’.  When I asked for feedback about my talks, I was told every time that ‘if you hadn’t said anything, I would have never known you were nervous’ 

Although I am sometimes dense and slow, it didn’t take me long to understand that if I don’t waste time telling the audience how I felt, they wouldn’t think about it either.  I was able to focus more attention on the audience.

Speech Survival Tool #2 is to know your material.  Why do most people feel so uptight about presenting before an audience?  They’re afraid of being embarrassed.  Why?   Because they may make mistakes, forget part of their speech, or dozens of other horrors they can conjure in their fertile minds.

Why would these mistakes occur?  The number one reason is…….. lack of preparation.   Everyone has at some point walked into a presentation knowing s/he wasn’t ready.  This generates feelings of uncertainty, nervousness, or even panic.  The result?  Mistakes are made, a negative experience is created, and a lost opportunity to impact the lives of your audience, and possibly, your own life personally or professionally.

When you are prepared, know your material and understand the benefits of your talk, you feel more confident, in control of your speech and in command of the stage.  You can focus on the audience, and create a meaningful experience for them.

Speech Survival Tool #3 is practice.  There are many theories about how and where to practice delivering a talk.  None is ‘right’ or ‘wrong’; you’ll have to find the ones that work best for you.  The reason you should practice is that you need to know your material so well, that if you are interrupted, or something unexpected occurs, you will stay in control, and keep your focus where it needs to be, on the audience.

Where should you practice?  Almost anywhere, but there is one commonly recommended place I try to avoid.  That is in your car.  I can hear you saying “But Michael, that’s my favorite place.  No one can hear me, and in the age of blue tooths and smart phones, other drivers on the highway don’t think I’m the crazy guy talking to himself in the car.   I understand this feeling.  Don’t worry, there are plenty of places you can effectively practice and rehearse.  And I’m sure there are other things you can do to let people know you’re crazy….

The reason I don’t like practicing in the car is because you can’t move around .  An important element of practicing involves ‘stage use’, delivering various parts of your speech from different spots on the floor.  Also, using gestures to enhance your message are difficult to practice in confined spaces like your car.   Any place you can move and rehearse the physical aspects of your talk is a good place to practice.

How much practice is enough?  When you are comfortable with the flow of the speech, know your key points and can deliver the first five and final five lines verbatim.  It is critical to know your opening because this is where you grab the attention of the audience and orient them to your message; any stumbles in the first minute can hurt your credibility.  Your conclusion is crucial because this is where you give the audience their next step and leave them on a high note; delivered smoothly, this will increase the confidence in you that your speech has created.

Speech Survival Tool #4 is last minute preparation.  In those final few minutes before you speak, your nervousness will be at its highest point.  There are three tools that can help you burn off some of that nervous energy.

Preparation tool #1 is exercise.  I’m not talking about breaking out the spandex and leggings and hitting the gym.  There are simple exercises you can do in confined spaces: push ups, jumping jacks, shadowing boxing.  Just a couple of minutes of physical exertion right before you speak relieves tension and helps you focus on the task at hand.

Preparation tool #2 is music.  Listening to songs that uplift, inspire or fire you up is a great method of channeling your focus and feeling an extra boost of energy.  Choose 2 or 3 favorite tunes, and give yourself and your audience an adrenaline boost that will grab them from your first words.

Preparation tool #3 was given to me by my friend and World Champion speaker Darren LaCroix.  Ask yourself these four audience-centered questions five minutes before you speak:

- Question 1:  What is my intent?  What do you want them to Think, Feel or Do when you leave the stage?

- Question 2:  Am I present? Are you 100% mentally focused on the present, geared toward you audience and your material?

- Question 3: Will I have fun? How can you make this enjoyable?  For the audience and you?

- Question 4: How would I give this presentation if I knew it was my last one ever? What message would you want to leave behind?

Being asked to give a presentation at the last minute can be nerve-wracking.  If you use these 4 tools, you can take control of your nervous energy, create an message of impact, and deliver your speech in a dynamic style that inspires your audience to take action.  With these feelings of confidence, control, and command, you can Stand OUT from the crowd whenever you Stand Up before an audience.

© 2012, Michael Davis. All rights reserved.