It is odd thing that some speakers, presenters and communicators, somehow think their thoughts and feelings are invisible to the audience. It is as if they think they can fool all of the people all of the time. What is sad is when they fool some people once, then they believe that is a successful way to be.

A foolish thought

Your audience is already cynical, intuitive and articulate and the consequences of believing you can fool them are well… foolish…

Don’t you now when someone is trying to pull the wool over your eyes? Doesn’t it somehow feel weird?  I know when someone is trying to fool me, I feel uneasy in my gut and then I listen with a critical mind.

Everything you think and feel shows up everywhere you are, speaking, presenting and communicating. It is common to think that your thoughts and feelings are private, but of course your thoughts and feelings betray you. Because all thoughts and feelings crystallize into unforeseen actions: in the sound of your voice, your stance, the pacing of your presentation and your communications. And so your thoughts and emotions permeate all that you do and say. That can be really scary or really liberating.

A solution?

A solution: change your mind, change your thoughts and then your feeling will change and so will your audience’s reaction and actions towards you. Yes this can be challenging, especially if you fear public speaking, because the listening audience might just be reacting to your fear. I have been recently reading “Hard Optimism” by Price Prichett, his insights about the power of the mind is refreshing, rewarding and powerful. A must read for communicators.

When I am getting ready to speak I take a very conscious time to clear up any late tasks or stale communications, then I focus on my intention and feelings for the audience. This allows me to be available and open for the audience.

So what do you do to get ready for the audience?

Speak up and speak out, Geoffrey

Technorati Tags: Authenticity, communications, emerging leaders, interpersonal skills, Leadership, management, personal growth, professional development

Stick to these principles and you’ll always do well.

We turn on the television and see people speaking before crowds or handling reporters with confidence and it all looks effortless. In the more than15 years I have been training people to become more effective communicators, I have watched for common qualities among great speakers.

Are they made, or are they born?

Do they have a gift that most of us will never know or is there something more to it? I have seen major political candidates up close and personal, watched prominent chief executives interviewed on national television. I’ve worked with familiar personalities who experienced anxiety whenever they spoke in public.

Most natural looking speakers are made “not born”!!!!!

The surprising truth is the people we think are the most natural public speakers often undergo significant coaching. A few are be born with a gift and the successful ones get training, but the overwhelming majority are effective speakers because they trained themselves to be so. Either they made the decision to pursue formal public speaking education or coaching or they did taken every opportunity to stand on their feet and deliver speeches, learning by doing – the hard way.  Here are the 3 secret principles I have found that being a successful public speaker boils down to:

1. Stop Trying So Hard

Relax be a conversational speaker to truly connect with an audience. The audience wants to listen to someone who is relaxed and comfortable as well as interesting. In the regular conversations we have every day, we have no problem being relaxed. Yet too often when we stand up to give a speech something changes. We focus on the fear at the expense of the speaking. To be an effective public speaker, you must do just the opposite. Focus on the audience and speaking and let go of the fear of the ‘public speaking’.

You can carry on a relaxed conversation with one or two people therefore you can give a great speech. Whether your audience consists of two people or 2,000, and whether you’re talking about the latest breakthrough or what you did today at work, it’s never about turning into someone you’re not. It’s all about talking directly to people, being your authentic self and making a connection. That’s it!

2. Perfection Kills Authenticity

Stop trying to be perfect that squashes your natural and creative authentic expression. When you make a mistake, no one knows or cares but you.  The most accomplished public speaker does make a mistake or two. Most often, only you know what you were going to say so remember that the only person who really cares and knows about any one mistake is the person doing the speaking, is you, relax be yourself.

The most important thing you can do is keep going. Don’t stop, and unless the mistake was truly major, don’t apologize. Unless your audience is reading along with your speech, they won’t know that you left out a word or said the wrong name.

Whether you’re a president or manager or a speaking coach like me, you will make mistakes. It’s being human, and that is what helps us be great speakers, our human authenticity enables us to connect with our audience. Audiences don’t want to hear perfection, for that they watch actors. They want to hear from someone who is real.

3. The Power of Visualization

Visualize yourself giving a successful speech for if you can it, feel it, experience it then you can speak it.

“Imagination is more important than knowledge.” Einstein.  Draw upon the power of visualization to create a positive result. We all do it, mostly we visualize ourselves failing, why not visualize success? Sales people envision themselves closing the deal; executives picture themselves developing new ventures; athletes close their eyes and imagine scoring the winning goal or hitting the home run or winning the gold medal. The mind does not the difference between imagination and reality.

The best way to fight anxiety and become more comfortable is by practicing in the one place no one else can see you–your mind eye. Visualize on a consistent basis daily, your mind will become used to the prospect of speaking in public, and pretty soon you’ll find that the idea no longer elicits those same feelings of anxiety and fear.

If you do this every day, by the time the real presentation arrives your mind will be trained to accept the situation as familiar. You will feel much more relaxed and confident in front of the audience.

Use the power of public speaking to help you get what you want!

Geoffrey

Technorati Tags: communications, corporate communications, emerging leaders, Leadership, management, presentation skills, presentation skills training, Public Speaking, public speaking coaching, public speaking skills, public speaking tips

Thank You In Uncertain Times

With so much economic uncertainty all around us, I am grateful to be living in Canada where our economy has started to rebound. Other nations are still suffering from the effects of the economic turmoil set off last year.

I will be cooking a turkey with all of the trimmings and sharing it with my family and friends this coming weekend – this message is to say ‘thank you’ for being in my life and for contributing to the well being of my community, my country and the world in general.

Some of you I have seen recently, even regularly, some of you I have not seen in quite a while, and this is to let you know you are still in my heart as I give thanks. I just want to take this time to express my appreciation and recognition of your friendship, business and to wish you a very ~ Canadian ~ Happy Thanksgiving and a swift return to financial prosperity!

All the best,

Geoffrey

Technorati Tags: gratitude

Did President Obama waste his time of ‘inspiration’?

Is he now acting out of desperation?

After his election as President, Barack Obama had the opportunity use his ‘inspiration’ influence to continue to communicate his model of “US Health Care Reform,” a major election promise. What happened? I don’t know, however he did not continue to use the amazing communication machine he built to win the presidency and now seems to have lost.

President Obama goes on the offensive.

With the GOP and insurers spending millions on anti-reform ad campaigns, and a new poll showing the media blitz may be working, the President plans a prime time appeal and campaign style communication.

The road to changing America’s health-care system has been a rocky failure for many US presidents, it seems it will be a rocky road for President Obama. As political opponents and business interests take their shots at humbling the US President, Town hall protest meetings and ads have forced President Obama on the offensive.

4 Keys To Success

It my experience, every successful executive and leader who has led a change effort, makes this statement:

“You cannot over-communicate when you are asking your organization to change”.

I have never worked with a client or organization in which employees were completely happy with communication and even less happy with change. Communication is one of the toughest issues in organizations. Effective communication requires four components interwoven perfectly for “shared meaning,” my preferred definition of communication.

1. The individual sending the message must present the message clearly and in detail, and radiate integrity and authenticity.

President Obama qualifies on integrity, but missed the window of opportunity to establish the “shared meaning”, allowing the Republicans and the health insurers to challenge his message and subsequently his integrity. Joe Wilson’s outburst “you lie” during Obama’s speech was an example of the politics of fear.

2. The person receiving the message must decide to listen, ask questions for clarity, and trust the sender of the message.

The Republicans and the health insurers turned the process into “fear” based communications, with little thought, using cultural resistance to “BIG” government and lots of emotion!

3. The delivery method chosen must suit the circumstances and the needs of both the sender and the receiver.

When you don’t ‘speak up or show up’ you lose the communication game – is it to late for President Obama’s health care reform? Since his speech to Congress he has embarked upon an election style campaign – too little too late? His success or failure could set the tone for the rest of his presidency.

4. The content of the message has to resonate and connect, on some level, with the already-held beliefs of the listener. The demand is to handle all of these aspects in communicating change.  I think it’s a wonder that anyone can ever do it well, or ever bring about change!

Many Americans have doubts about the message for reform of health care and hate ‘BIG’ government. I came across this comment from Laura Oberg of St. Louis Park, she said “Why are we changing what is going on for 6 percent of the population? Way too hastily and not enough input.”

Speak up and show up!

All the best,

Geoffrey

PS If you would like my “10 Tips for Communicating Change” send me an email or fill out the forum on the Contact Us page.

Technorati Tags: change management, communication skills, communications, corporate communications, Leadership, leadership development, management, public speaking skills