There’s No Formula for Great Public Speaking

23 Jan There’s No Formula for Great Public Speaking

Most of us know that powerful communication is key.  It’s essential to your success.  It’s how you make things happen.

It’s how you get results, how you gain new clients, how you keep existing clients… and how you motivate both your colleagues and your staff.  It’s critical to effective leadership, to transferring knowledge, inspiring others, and ultimately… driving the bottom line.

So… what’s the formula for how you can become a great speaker?

Unfortunately there’s no such thing!

The truth is becoming great communicator isn’t a secret or a “one-off” set of tips or tricks.  It’s not about changing who you are.  In fact, it’s about becoming more of who you are.

So what makes someone seem authentic when they speak or present?

First, they have a sense of authority.  Not aggressive or “controlling” behavior but the simple acceptance that they have a right to their point of view… a right to be there saying something they hope matters to you.

Second, they have energy.  You simply can’t expect anyone else to give-a-damn about what you’re saying if you don’t look like you do.

They are aware… not just of what they are saying and where they are, but also of you.  They know you’re there and they’re treating this as a two-way conversation even if you never say a word.

And finally, you can feel them “reach-out.”  Yes, you can feel it.  They care about whether or not they are connecting with you and they are working – authentically – to make that happen.

Those four simple qualities are the core of what we all perceive as an authentic speaker.  They’re not things you can fake and there are no shortcuts to achieving them.  Sure, authority, energy, awareness and the ability to “reach-out” authentically to others can all be affected through work on technique, but the real bottom-line is you.

You have to be connected enough to yourself that your comfort and authority is real – not just a stance or a hand gesture.

And once you’ve stopped focusing all your energy on yourself… you’re freed up to share it with your audience.  Not just through the volume of you voice, but by truly being excited about what you have to say and sharing the feeling as well as the information.

So stop the search for the shortcuts.  Start with serious reflection and then turn what you find outward to the people you want to change.  And know that this is journey – with many steps.  No single tip or trick will do the job.

Step one is simply to start.  Today.