Toews Digital

10 Commandments Of Confident Speaking

Commandments

• ALWAYS REMEMBER...

• You are the expert in the room! No one brings the perspective you do. If you're speaking to associates or managers, stand tall. You belong right where you are!

• SMILE

• use your entire body. A genuine smile can be detected in the eyes, by the corners of the mouth and by your body language.

• BE GRATEFUL

• You’ve been given the opportunity to impact people With your message. practice your skills and be seen for your expertise. Never take that for granted.

• PREPARE, REHEARSE & HAVE A BACK UP PLAN

• Make sure you have enough handouts, bring 2 copies of your introduction in a 16 font, practice your timing if the talk is shorter or longer than you usually give and, if giving a PowerPoint presentation - bring copies Of your slides. I like 9 printed per sheet.

• BE CLEAR ON YOUR INTENT

• If you're not clear on the intent Of your talk, your audience Will not be clear. Knowing where you want to take your listeners Will determine the talk structure and how powerful your close is.

• KEEP THE FOCUS ON YOUR AUDIENCE

• One Of the fastest ways to dispel speaking stress is to be more concerned about the experience your audience has instead of how uncomfortable you may feel. Engage in conversation with a few people before your talk so you feel like you know them. Looking at them throughout your talk will help you feel more supported.

• BE EARLY

• Arrive early enough to get everything set up before the first attendee arrives. It makes a big difference when you greet people at the door and introduce yourself as the speaker. If you're all setup in advance then you can relax and enjoy the guests. It also gives you an opportunity to have light conversations you may able to incorporate into you talk. This small act will make the person you met and mention, feel very They will most certainly remember you.

• VISUALIZE THE OUTCOME YOU WANT

• I love to imagine people coming up to me after a talk and telling how much they enjoyed my talk, how it gave them something to think about or my all time favorite - they'd like to speak to me further about What I do. I also like to imagine the smiling, attentive faces in your audience and people taking notes.

• TRUST

• We Often become attached to what the audience will take away from Our talk. The important thing to remember is that your listeners will take exactly what they need to from your material. It may not impact them immediately. sometime profound information takes a while to process. Trust people will get what they need.

• MANAGE YOUR ENERGY

• People will see you and feel you more than they will hear you. The energy of what you are thinking and feeling will radiate into the audience. Make sure you feel good, look good and carry yourself like you are excited to be speaking.