Be a better public speaker – be yourself

It would be a very boring world if every public speaker was the same.

Quieter types often think they can’t give a talk unless they become loud and confident. Rambunctious and daring.

It’s true that we sometimes need to enhance aspects of ourselves when we speak to a group.

But you can be engaging without being an extrovert.

To be an engaging speaker, let go of trying to ‘do’ something, and take your attention towards bringing out what you already have.

One of the fundamental skills that you can develop to support this is presence. Presence is your ability to capture the attention of an audience.

Presence starts before you’ve said a word.

Presence is available when you tune in to who you are – and how you are.

Presence is enhanced when you meet the audience as they are.

Some of the ways to develop presence can be scary. Noticing how you feel on stage, observing what you are thinking, paying attention to how you move: these can all feel vulnerable. It can feel even more vulnerable to tune into what the audience is feeling. Many of us are scared that if we do it, we’ll realise they don’t like us.

This discomfort make it easy to avoid developing the elements that give you presence.

My experience as a speaker coach for over 15 years is that audiences are delighted when the person in front of them cares about them and what they are talking to. (Which, quite frankly, you should be if you are going to get up and talk about it in front of lots of people.)

When they know you care, they are happy to see you.

Been told you should be perfectly still when speaking? Don’t worry about that.

There is a power in stillness filled with presence. That same presence will allow you to follow the impulse when you feel moved to move, allowing your audience to see you. 

Which is, after all, why the audience is there. To see you.

Rachael West has been a Strategic Speaker Coach for over 15 years. She draws on a rich background in innovation and strategy, plus training in physical theatre, Body Mind Centering and other movement and performance practices to help speakers of all levels deliver great talks that make their ideas ripple. Contact Rachael to discuss how you coaching can help you to improve your presence as a speaker.