Presentations: Speak from Your Heart
Posted by [email protected] on Sep. 13, 2021 / Subscribe 0
Thanks to Gabe Lett, FSMPS, CPSM for sharing some positive tips for the next time you’re getting ready to prepare a presentation.
When you’re putting together your content for a presentation, do you ever say to yourself:
- What am I supposed to say?
- What do they want me to say?
- I need to sound professional.
- I have to sound smooth and polished.
I call these our "oughts and shoulds." Why do these thoughts fly through our heads? We are all looking for approval from our leaders, peers and clients. And, this concern is so normal. However, what's tragic is we often don't even realize we're stuck in these restrictive thought patterns. These oughts and shoulds are insidious, and they can steal our voice and lock us up.
Let's look at it from the audience's perspective. Who are those speakers you find impossible to resist? Who are the ones you could listen to all day long? Aren't they the ones who speak their truth with abandon and speak from a place of authenticity with a pure voice? They're real, they're raw, and maybe even a little messy. Their sincerity, their rawness, their humanness captures you. You somehow connect with them personally on a very human level. So, how can we get to that place of truth, abandon and authenticity? How can we put an end to the oughts and shoulds?
Start here:
When you're home alone and soul-searching for your content, ask yourself:
"How do I feel about my topic?" (Be honest.)
"Off the record, what would I really like to say to these people?"
Nine times out of ten, your truth is exactly what will meet the needs of your listeners, but we don't trust speaking that openly. "NO! It's not professional enough." "It's not interesting enough." "It's just not good enough." Lies. Lies. Lies.
So, NOW what to do?
Bring ALL your good, real, raw ideas and passion to your team rehearsal and let them hear it. Trust your team. What will happen will amaze you! Your colleagues will applaud you, and they will have the right perspective to let you know if you've gone too far. Truth is, other people can edit our content or "clean us up." We can't clean ourselves up; we don't have the right perspective, and we get all up in our heads. The result? A stiff, boring presentation. So, trust your teammates.
Bottom line — great presenting is a balance between speaking truth from your heart with a steadfast commitment to serving your audience's needs. Speak your truth, help your listeners, and trust your team. Your "oughts and shoulds" won't stand a chance.
0 Comments