Turn Speech Stress into Speaking CONFIDENCE

Linda looked at me and said, “Honey this presentation in stressing me out.  I don’t want to do this!”  Linda is my partner.  She loves working with computers, creating computer code, and writing programs for them.  She does not love giving speeches.  Unfortunately, this work assignment required she give one.

Jump ahead four days.  Linda looked at me and said, “Wow!   Thank you honey.  All of that stress is gone.  You helped me put my thoughts in logical sequence, you gave me a process that makes sense, and I was able to fill in the rest.  I’m ready to give this talk.

What happened?  How did Linda transform in four days from completely stressed and hating her task, to confident, relaxed and ready to give her presentation [although still not loving it.  Hey, whaddya want?  I’m not a miracle worker!]

What Made the Difference?

 What made the difference was not a technique, or methods to improve vocal variety or gestures, or a ‘magic bullet.’

What Linda discovered was the key to effective presenting.  In fact, she learned the key to success in any endeavor…. having a repeatable process. 

She picked up was a speech development process that gave her a comfortable outline – like the old follow-the-bouncing ball songs. More specifically, here’s what she used:

  • A FOUNDATIONAL concept
  • Supporting points – stories, statistics, research
  • Attention-grabbing OPENING
  • A CONCLUSION with a call to action.
  • TRANSITIONS which allow her to smoothly move from one point to the next

This process will work whether she gives a 5-minute talk, hour-long keynote, or half day workshop. It enables you to create a presentation on short-notice.

It is the key to success because when you have the confidence of knowing your material and the sequence in which it will be presented, your anxiety level decreases.  You know what you’re going to say, and you can focus on creating a connection with your audience.

Even if you don’t love to speak or give presentations, you might be called on to do it for your work or other organization.  If you’re in that situation, don’t stress.  Just think of Linda, and the key idea she uncovered about giving an effective talk.

Implement a process, and you’ll create a speech that leaves a positive impact on others.

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The Key to Reducing Speech Anxiety ultima modifica: 2014-02-02T11:56:21-05:00 da Michael Davis