Are you hiding from your audience?

As a speaker coach I look for signs a speaker has blocks that could stop their words coming out powerfully. The story of how I do this begins a long, long time ago on the day my primary school teacher asked me to read a poem at assembly.

The poem I was beautifully written and I read it with strength and emotion in rehearsal. However, despite my impressive practice run, when it came to the real deal I read from my page, monotone and dull. No one was moved.

Even at nine years of age, something held back. A voice in me said, “Who are you to be so big and bold?”.

Years later I would remember that performance and be disappointed.

While I certainly don’t beat up nine-year old Rachael for her poor delivery, this illustrates something I now hold dear: that when we speak we have an opportunity.

Whether I was a big important person was beside the point. I had a chance to share beautiful words that could have moved people and instead I read from my page for six minutes.

The giveaways that a speaker I am working with is holding back include jargon, euphemisms, and simply a feeling that the words haven’t landed in me. There is almost always a fear behind them that, once worked through, results in clearer language, more convincing body language and more powerful delivery.

Taking a moment to deeply unpack your fears may be quicker and easier than you think – and you can then turn your focus to the impact and ripples of what you have to say.

Image: Min An @minan1398