GCSEs/A Levels/Degree done? Three things to raise your personal speaking impact for your next steps
GCSEs/A Levels/Degree done? Three things to raise your personal speaking impact for your next steps.
You’re new out here – and some will find that hard to accept.
You have a voice and the right to use it and to be heard.
But if you have a collection of fashionable speaking habits that make it harder for others to listen to you – they’ll stop.
You want a different outcome? You control that.
Time to sound like a person who has something to say
I’ve changed how I speak for more impact. I’ve slowed down. I’ve learned how to project for volume and resonance. And I’ve learned to use my voice as a personal and professional asset.
So here’s a top tip for polishing your personal speaking impact:
Stop saying ‘like’
It gets in the way of them hearing and understanding you.
‘I like that …. it’s just like one I used to have …’ here, ‘like’ has meanings.
But when it’s used in the same way as ‘um’ and ‘er’ it becomes a meaningless thinking noise.
‘I like, like that … it’s like, like one I like, used to have …’ here, ‘like’ has also become confusing clutter.
Use ‘like’ mindfully and meaningfully, so they can follow your meaning.
And allow the pause instead of that meaningless ‘like’. They’ll find it easier to listen.
He’d had a major shift from a public service role to the health and beauty world, including membership organizations, and how needed to boost and polish his public speaking in person, on camera and online.
After much research he found me – and as he wanted to support a local provider, requested a clarity call.
He explained that although he was very confident in conversation and in business situations, on camera was a different matter.
He felt he just didn’t do justice to himself, coming across in an unnatural and disengaging way. And he wanted to do something about that, to be ready to show up on video to speak to his industry.
Nerves, uncertainty, lack of practice and unhappiness with results so far were the main issues.
Together we planned a personal development programme of five online 1-1 sessions, covering
Nerves and confidence building
Personal impact – looking and sounding good on screen
Planning and preparing a video shoot
A Learning to Love Linkedin session
Practical video making assignment
Now video is a major part of his personal and professional presentation skills, helping him to speak to his industry with clarity, confidence and credibility.
How to feel pleased with how you look in your phone selfies!
Top tips and no £££ kit coming up.
🌟Look – just as you like.
I like hair conditioned, bit of makeup, nice top, earrings. You do you.
🌟Light – have the light source behind your phone (not to your side or above you) for the most flattering professional result.
The window’s fine.
Dazzling sun can cause squinting.
🌟Height – hold it with the lens at eye level or just a little above, and never below your eye level.
This helps prevent eye bags, double chins and jowls …
Too high though and you’ll look childlike and neckless.
🌟Sight – look at or ‘through’ the lens, and not at your own picture.
Makes you connect directly with your audience.
An interesting gaze over there can work, too.
🌟Find your best space – Spin around and take loads and compare the results.
You’ll find one angle is the 🌟. Remember it and use again.
🌟Expression – I like smile!
Practise different expressions til you know which gives the look you like.
🌟Arms – Beware the squished shoulder and big-arm selfie look.
Hold it as far away as you can, while keeping shoulders looking natural.
🌟Polish – learn to edit on your phone.
Crop, frame, remove the toilet sign, lose the spot – all perfectly allowable!
Snapseed, a handy little phone ap, has a Portrait button which really makes a difference.
🌟Opportunity – anywhere.
Cafes, countryside, posh venues, sightseeing – grab those opportunities wherever you go and you’ll have a great little gallery for your posts, banners and blogs.
If you’re faced with giving a presentation 😥 at work, three ways to boost your confidence coming up
🌟Start now.
Putting it off will make it feel worse. And the more time you devote to thinking & planning, writing and rehearsing it the more confident you’ll feel.
🌟Think ‘audience’.
Where are they now, where do they need to be, what’s their problem and what do you have to offer that will help them resolve their problem?
Shifting the spotlight off you and how you feel and shining it where it needs to be – on the people you’re going to help – will focus and calm your thinking.
🌟Know what you want your presentation to cause.
Whether you’re delivering training, a motivational speech, a pitch, an interview presentation etc doesn’t matter.
You want something to be different at the end.
They’ve learned to DO something new.
They’re inspired to do something.
They’re sparked into giving you the role. Or the contract.
Stating what you’re setting out to achieve and what difference it will make to your audience helps you get clear about what you’re doing.
