Public speaking tips: 1

Take a GOOD look at yourself!

So many hesitate to step through those opening doors of opportunity, because of public speaking nerves! Sound familiar?

New leadership role, new job, new business, big presentation or pitch looming … and new public speaking duties causing sleepless nights and a bit of the old impostor syndrome?

If that’s you and your nerves are holding you back, here’s a thought process to follow.

Tip 1: 🌠Take a good (and I mean GOOD) look at yourself.

Your CV, your LinkedIn profile, every qualification, experience and skill you bring to the stage.

Everything you’ve ever achieved, been proud of, been thanked for.
That’s the bedrock you stand on, like a lighthouse standing on firm ground amid the swirling.

Review that in your mind every time the old ‘who do you think you are??’ self sabotaging voice kicks in.

Another tip tomorrow.

Philippa x 

Confident Public Speaking skills for leadership, training and business

Confident Public Speaking case study

How I helped a customer build her confident public speaking skills for business

She’d been promoted into her dream leadership role. She’d been great in her previous role with the company – and the assumption was she’d step up naturally into her new persona, delivering presentations and briefings, chairing meetings, giving inspirational addresses … all with no training or support round developing these new skills.

Thing was … she had a secret. She was petrified of public speaking. Avoiding it, shying away from challenges and opportunities, so she’d never given herself the chance to develop the skillset.

And now, the spotlight was approaching fast and there was no escape – she was going to have to step up into it.

And that’s when she found me 😁. I’m Philippa, an actor and learning and development consultant specialising in training confident public speaking skills for leadership, training and business. I’ve supported so many business people as they’ve learned how to feel, project and inspire confidence and leave a great message about their business.

Together we worked on nerves and confidence, personal brand and personal impact, plus a tried and tested method of planning and preparing any presentation for any audience. Then top tips actors and public speakers have used for centuries to look and sound better when standing up to speak. It was such a pleasure to work with her.

And if you feel my 1-1 online coaching via Zoom, or my in-house in-person group workshops could help you or your teams – I’m here.

Philippa Hammond

Contact

Is networking worth the bother?

Thinking about networking and the unexpected, about opportunities and opening doors, and the importance of just … taking them. Saying yes.

A few months back my partner and I co hosted a Christmas party and quiz for Sussex Playwrights.

One of the guests enjoyed it so much he offered us the chance to deliver a four week acting course for the New Venture Theatre in Brighton and a one day acting workshop for sixth formers at Reigate College.

We’ve just finished them – if we hadn’t done the event we’d never have had this amazing new opportunity.

The theatre’s name couldn’t be more appropriate 😁

Networking is so important – we’ve had work from all the networking groups we belong to, in person and online.

What networking groups do you belong to and recommend?

If it’s on your to do list – time to get out there and join the conversation?

Philippa x

Psst – want to know a secret?

That one great public speaking secret that everyone needs to know? It’s this …

Psst – want to know a secret? That one great public speaking secret that everyone needs to know? It’s this …

Everyone gets nervous! Literally everyone.

That person you admire and think is super cool – isn’t.

They’ve learnt, practiced, screwed up, messed up, got better, learned to hide, manage and reduce nerves til they actually look forward to it and enjoy it.

It’s a complete myth to think it’s a natural talent.

It’s a skill like any other – and anyone can learn.

Philippa x

07594 825730

philippa@speakingwellinpublic.co.uk

Confident Public Speaking skills for leadership, training and business

How can I calm down before a presentation?

‘Box breathing’ tip for serenity and calm

‘Box breathing’ tip for serenity and calm. I found an article on an NHS site, not for patients but for staff on how to cope in difficult times by using this technique.

I tried it myself, shared it with some 1-1 public speaking clients and students on my acting workshop last month, and was pleased with their response. So here it is:

Imagine a square box in the air in front of you.

Take a moment to relax and gather yourself.

Breathe out, then breathe in for four beats, tracing your finger up the side of the ‘box’ in the air.

Holding your breath, trace along the top for four.

Breathe out for four, tracing your finger down.

Hold for four, tracing your finger along.

Now you’re back where you started – go round again.

Once you’ve learned it, just imagining the finger counting bit while you’re doing the breathing bit helps you feel calmer and more collected, ready to face whatever’s happening, in business and in life.

Philippa x

Notes – or no notes?

When you’ve written it – you have to deliver it, there’s no escape! Top tips for the question ‘notes – or no notes?’

When you’ve written it – you have to deliver it, there’s no escape! Top tips for the question ‘notes – or no notes?’

You’ve several options for delivering your speech:

❓No notes at all.

Winging it and hoping for the best 🤞 – or confident you know your stuff and it’ll flow naturally 😃? Only you know the answer.

❓Learning and reciting it word for word.

Great if you know it inside out so it’s ironed into your memory 😊. But lose your place, forget what comes next in front of an audience … it’s called ‘drying’ and it’s every actor’s ghastly nightmare 😱.

❓Full script.

Well, you know you’ll deliver it all and how long it should take 🤔. But – reading aloud from the text is a very specific set of skills that actors learn and develop. If you don’t have the skill, you can become monotonous and unnatural, which will quickly put them off 😴. And when you look up (highly advised), you may find you’ve lost your place when you look back 😬.

❓Keywords and bullet points.

My favourite – little memory joggers that keep you on track, quick glance – ‘ oh yeah, that bit – and you’re in the flow 🤗.

✔️So when you’ve finished writing your presentation, and you’re super-familiar with it – put it down. Turn it into bullets and keywords. And speak from the heart.

Enjoy Confident Public Speaking!

Philippa

Humour – should speakers tell jokes?

‘Just start with a joke’ is so often given as advice to nervous speakers – but I DON’T advise it!

Why not – surely getting them laughing is a great way to relax everyone?

Sure … but are you an experienced professional stand-up comedian with years of honing your craft at open mic nights and social clubs?

If yes, fantastic! Go for it.

But if not …

Trying to tell a joke or opening with a funny remark that falls flat because you’re nervous or inexperienced will only make you feel worse.

So instead, keep it sincere, and short. And leave the jokes to the experts.

Philippa Hammond