Why am I bad at public speaking and can I really improve?
Most people are only bad at public speaking because
they don't know what they're doing. Solid physical techniques
and an understanding of how to relate the content to the audience
will give you the knowledge you need to be good at it.
The most important thing to realise is that speaking to an audience
is still a conversation. You don't need tricks and techniques
that make you look like a robot. Most public speaking
problems disappear when you learn how to build a relationship with an audience in the same way you would build one with a single person. The only difference is the ability to raise the level of your energy to meet the number of people in the audience, without getting tense or panicked.
Why do I get sweaty palms, the shakes, a hot face...?
Faced with a crowd all looking at us, we can have a primitive,
'fight or flight' response. This sets off physical reactions
that cut down our breathing and restrict our voice. Actors
have been trained for years how to counter the negative effects
of adrenalin with simple physical techniques. If you stay
'centred' and 'grounded' with deep, free breath and a relaxed
neck and throat, you will feel and sound more confident. The positive side effect is that you also look more imposing
and have more presence.
Why do I dry up and run out of words?
The idea that we have to be interesting or entertaining makes
most people clam up. This is probably the biggest fear behind
public speaking. The secret here is our human instinct to
tell stories. If you are telling the most amazing and important
news to someone, you are aware that the communication is about
the story, not about you. And you are focused entirely on
how they are receiving it, and if they are understanding it.
You simply have to learn to transfer this natural ability
to public speaking. Make it about the story and about the
audience and you can relax and just be a conduit. If you focus
all your attention on yourself, then you will freeze up. And
if you are relaxed then your natural humour will be present
- no need for forced jokes.
How will I remember everything I have to say?
This is a real fear for many people faced with making a presentation or speech. You don't want to appear a slave to your notes, but you are also terrified at the thought of everyone staring at you whilst your mind goes blank.
The secret here is structure - and techniques that are again drawn from the art of storytelling. Every speech (or story) is made up of smaller stories. Each of these has a logic; a beginning, middle and end. Storytelling techniques to create the plot line of these smaller elements, and form each one in a memorable and dynamic way, will give you the confidence to feel like you are improvising your speech freely on a bedrock of calm knowledge, without having to memorise more than a few words.
And you won't need the dreaded Powerpoint slides to prop you up.
How we work
We work on your:
- Body: Tensions in the body affect your breathing and your throat;
the two areas you need to be free in order for your voice
to function properly. We will work with you from feet
to head to re-balance and align your body. As your body
frees up, your real, rich, natural voice will be revealed.
Effortlessly. And you will look relaxed and in command
to your audience, making them more open to your message.
Never be persuaded into fake gestures or unnatural body
positions. You need to be real and at ease. Gestures should
just follow the content of your speech, giving visual
back-up to the oral information.
- Eye Contact & Audience Relationship: Public speaking workshops always tell you to make eye
contact with your audience. But there is no point in having
eye contact if your eyes are glassy, disconnected and
terrified looking!
Most of us will look at an audience,
but will try to avoid the intensity of that connection.
Often we do this by tilting our head up and slightly changing
the angle of our eyes. In animal language this chin lift is a 'surrender' gesture! Understanding the precise angle
of the eye to 'plug-in' and connect with the audience,
rather than look like a scared bear, is crucial. The 'plug-in'
feels intense, but it is meant to. And you can quickly
learn to embrace that intense feeling and use it in your
speaking.
Aside from the physical angle of the eye, you also need
'active' eyes. Look at the audience actively. See if they
are following you and how they are receiving your message.
And allow your eyes to warmly communicate your humour,
aliveness, and interest in the audience. Then your eye
contact will really begin to mean something.
- Voice & Speech: Tuneful, articulate voices are much better at outlining
complex ideas than flat, inarticulate ones. The colour
and range of the voice allows the speaker to create oral
patterns that arrange and highlight the meaning for the
listener. This, along with the content material below,
form the ancient art of rhetoric.
- Structure & Content: Rhetoric is the art of oral communication. Another name
for it is storytelling. We are used to reading information,
and less and less used to listening to it. A reader can
scan a page - go backwards and forwards. He doesn't have
to pay complete attention because he can check back if
he gets lost. A listener has to keep up with the speaker.
And the speaker must give oral clues and signposts to
help the listener do that.
For example. Why do our old folk stories always have events
that come in threes? Because that is a very satisfying
structure in an oral context. As a listener we know three
things are coming and the last one is the most important.
This information keeps us focused and stops us getting
lost. A political speaker will use exactly the same structure.
As did Shakespeare.
These lost oral arts are the core of how we work with
your content. Repetition, sentence structure, narrative
structure and word play will make your material memorable,
followable and enjoyable, both for you and your listeners.
The result of all this precise work in the hands of our skilled
coaches? A powerful message, structured to engage and intrigue your audience. Delivered in a clear, tuneful voice by a confident, open speaker. With a bit of practice, obviously!
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