What Are You Talking About?

Just the mention of Public Speaking can cause knees to tremble and hearts to beat fast. The thought of standing up in public to speak can make people feel quite sick.

But here’s the thing. It is an ESSENTIAL skill for any business owner, thought leaders and anyone who wants to get their message out to a wider audience.

People who can confidently and professionally get their message out on stage or to camera are seen as experts in their field. They are admired and they get taken seriously. When they speak, people literally listen.

So it is the one skill, that – if you haven’t mastered it yet, will pay you dividends to get under your belt this year.

Speaking is a Skill – It’s Not Genetic!

Well, actually I guess it is genetic, because we are all born with a voice box and the ability to make sounds. But that’s not what I mean by speaking. I am, of course, referring to the ability to tell a story to a mass audience. An audience who wants and needs to hear the story you are telling.

This could be your own story – personal or business, that you share to inspire others to believe they can also do whatever it is you are illustrating by your story. It could be a client story that you share to show that the pain they are in can be solved, as it was solved (by you) for this client.

Whatever the story you are telling, the craft of creating and then delivering your story, is one that can be learned.

Public speaking is a bit like driving a car.

Why do I say that? Well, because it is true. There is more to it than meets the eye. You have to first learn how to put a story together, what is the best structure for your talk? You need to think about your body language. Your voice tone, pace, and pitch all need to be factored into the equation.

Then there are props, and silences and check-ins. There are your facial expressions and your ‘tells’. Like driving a car, it all feels very clunky at first and your have to concentrate on standing correctly, moving correctly, speaking with maximum impact – as well as your breathing and eye contact. Goodness – there is a lot to remember.

And that doesn’t even cover the most important thing.

What is the Most Important Thing?

Well, the most important thing about effective speaking, of course, is having something to talk about. I meet a lot of people who want to master the skills of public speaking. But when I ask them what they want to talk about, they have no idea. They don’t have a business yet, or they do but they aren’t really sure what is special about them or who their audience is.

Luckily, this is all covered in my Sensational Speaker Positioning Program, which we were running last week.

Our next cohort of sensational speakers will be joining us for our July program. And they will not only be taught HOW to deliver their talk, but they will also be shown HOW to put it together. They will be helped to nail their audience and their uniqueness. It really is sensational! Everything you need to be a speaker in one place. Including a venue and an audience!

To find out more about our next event email me at cheryl@cheryl-chapman.com