3 powerful questions I ask myself when preparing for public speaking
3 powerful questions I ask myself when preparing for public speaking
I often get asked how do I prepare for public speaking? Here are the 3 most powerful questions to ask yourself before you step on the stage.
Firstly, I must give credit where it is due and thank my amazing vocal confidence and public speaking coach Judith Quin-VocalConfidence who shared these with me amongst many other tips and techniques.
Whenever you are presenting an idea or talking in front of a group of people 3 things to be crystal clear on are :
1.Preparing for public speaking: Who am I talking to?
This is so much more than just knowing your audience.
It is about talking to the right people. The difference is, would you rather be speaking to 300 people where only 10% is resonating with your message, or 30 people where everyone is engaged and cares about the same cause as you do? I know which room I’d rather be in …
This actually recently happened to me. I was on the stage sharing my latest idea about the future of organisations becoming platforms for positive change. And I knew it would not resonate with everyone.
However, something inside me had that ‘desire’ for a big audience, and to my own surprise I enjoyed the smaller audience so much more. For me it was about the quality of conversations after the talk that made all the difference.
Therefore, I choose to focus on people who want to make a difference and who care about the future of the world of work and humanity.
I am speaking to ‘the sleeping lion/ess’ inside of you. To awaken your strength, courage and fearlessness to create a better path for future generations.
2.Public speaking 101: What am I talking to?
This one might seem obvious at first glance. Of course I am talking to people, not chairs and tables.
However, have you heard about the Human Iceberg? Our physical features (e.g. facial expressions) and behaviours are only about 10% of our true human nature (the visible part of an iceberg).
Below the water is the remaining 90%, which comprises our thoughts, feelings, values, principles, deep emotions, unsolved traumas, and latent issues. Yep, there is some deep stuff under the surface which can creep up on us unexpectedly.
When I am talking to people (both smaller and larger groups) I am always aware that each human has more than just a physical body. We carry with us at all times our emotional body, mental body, and even spiritual body.
This means a variety of beliefs, thinking and behavioural patterns, complex memories and triggers often on autopilot.
I am talking to all those bodies not only with words but also with my body language, intentions, empathy and compassion.
It is what makes us human. And so is our ability to have compassion in our hearts for others.
I like to believe that it is this complex layering of what makes us humans that unites us all at some level.
3.Public speaking final tip: Who am I talking for?
This sounds like a tricky question, but it is not.
As Judith often reminds me, your audience does not care about you, they care about the message you came to deliver. So believe in your message and its purpose more than you believe in your public speaking skills and you will be just fine.
Why is this topic important?
Who will benefit if your message is well received?
How will they benefit?
So for example with my latest talk, Organisation as a Platform, the answer to this question is:
When organisations operate as platforms every human benefits.
I feel this sense of duty to speak for people who are suppressed in the jobs they hate, and in roles not suitable for their talents, just to put bread on the table.
And those lost ones who have not yet discovered their mission in life.
I deeply believe that the system around us and the way we work is not supporting humanity, let alone the planet.
Hence, I wanted to share an idea that I believe has the potential to change that for at least some (or maybe even many of us). Organisations can be very powerful and they can serve us all much better if we shift the focus in a more positive direction for all.
Having these 3 questions at the forefront of my mind not only gives me incredible clarity on what I need to speak about (no more endless waffle!) but it also gives me more confidence to share my ideas because I know my purpose behind standing on that stage.
In summary…
1 - The key to preparing for public speaking is not only knowing your audience but also speaking to the right people who care about the same cause as you do.
2 - When giving a speech, it's important to remember that you're speaking to more than just the physical bodies of your audience, each person carries their own emotional, mental, and even spiritual baggage, and it's crucial to communicate with empathy and compassion towards all of these layers of their humanity.
3 - Always remember that the audience cares about the message you came to deliver, so believe in your message and its purpose more than your public speaking skills and keep in mind who will benefit and how, to have clarity on what to speak about and why.
For more information on my public speaking services, see here.
