Paddy Spruce | Confident Public Speaking

Confident Public Speaking

public speaking

The sun’ll come out tomorrow… probably

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Do you remember hearing this song in ‘Annie’ without the probably?

Sunrise at Ridge Road, Kallista
It is optimistic to believe that the sun will come out tomorrow but it may not be where you are.  If you are in space, the sun won’t come out tomorrow. Optimism has its place. So does reality. Sometimes optimism is a rejection of what is happening or has happened. It can be a bit out of touch. Reality can bite hard especially if you refuse to accept it. Ignoring a barking dog won’t make it bark less.

For example, as a speaking coaching and speaker, I always have a back up plan in case anything goes wrong. Usually, nothing goes wrong but sometimes it does. I have had equipment fail, software refuse to work, the microphone crackle, the lights go off and had my passport rejected at the airport. More recently, I had a full water jug spilt on my laptop ten minutes before starting a training session. All reality.

Chesley Sullenberg, the pilot who landed the commercial airlines in the Hudson River without loss of life, says he operates on short term realism and long term optimism. Nice combination. Assume a good outcome but accept whatever happens. Don’t catastrophise. Just accept and take action. No hissy fits. Just action. If this sounds like abnormal behaviour, become abnormal as quickly as you can.

A good application of this philosophy is Public Speaking. Imagine thinking that everything will be fine without preparing or having a Plan B. You are asked to give a talk. You have done it before. No need to prepare or tailor for a new audience. Nothing will go wrong. Hope you are right. Hope Bad Luck doesn’t rain on your optimism.

Sure, have long term optimism. Imagine the presentation going well but don’t spend valuable preparation time hoping that it all goes well. Spend your present time on short term realism. Plan, prepare, learn about your audience, clarify your purpose, explore the venue, test the equipment, arrive early, listen to the speaker before you, have a Plan B in case anything or everything goes wrong. I remember an occasion when the lights went out in a large auditorium and another when I introduced a speaker who hadn’t arrived. Create your own pictures. Take topical photos and use them in your presentation. Do this well in advance.

So if you want help with an upcoming presentation, give me a call. I am coaching individuals who are preparing for important presentations and want to improve their Public Speaking. Their jobs require this skill. They want to Influence others and improve their Selling Skills. All can be done better in front of an audience because of the potential abundant energy in the room.

Don’t delay in developing your Presentation Skills. Start now. Contact me.

Paddy Spruce
03 9808 8990
paddy@paddyspruce.com.au

Courage to Speak

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Does it take courage to speak in public? If courage is managing your fear, then you may need courage. If you intervened when seeing a single woman being abused for singing in her native language on a bus, would you need courage? There is a risk that the perpetrators will turn on you and make you their target. It’s your call as to whether you will take this risk to assist someone in need of help and support.

The risk of speaking in public is surely not in the same category. If you choke, the audience won’t abuse you. If you lose your place, the audience won’t call you names. They will just wait patiently for you to recover.

The real action will be in your mind, not theirs. You might come up with a worst case scenario with no supporting evidence. The worst case scenario might make you feel very uncomfortable. Just remember all this is happening in your imagination, not in reality.

Try ignoring the thoughts in your own mind and get on with the presentation. They might think the pause is part of your presentation. It is for many speakers.

I remember one occasion when I was speaking to a large audience when the CEO entered the room. I don’t know why, but I felt the need to acknowledge his presence. I said something like ‘ we are very fortunate this morning to have someone join us who as done so much…….’ Actually I was stalling as I had forgotten his name. I paused and then kept going ‘someone whose input over many years…..’ I asked my memory to keep looking while I stalled, believing that it would come.

It did. I tried to remain calm, knowing that my memory doesn’t like pressure.

I then said ‘Please welcome……….. this morning’. I don’t think anyone knew that I had forgotten his name.

So you don’t need courage. You need patience and a sense of calm. Rehearse. Have brief notes as a backup. Use powerpoint for details that you are likely to forget. Breathe deeply. Trust your memory if you have rehearsed. Trust your notes if you haven’t. Some of the world’s best speakers use notes.

You will need courage to intervene to support a person being badly treated on a bus. You don’t need courage to speak in public.

Call me if you need Public Speaking Training.

Paddy Spruce
03 9808 8990

Fear is not so bad

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Do you have to avoid or manage the flashing light on your dashboard that tells you your door is not shut or that you are running out of petrol? It’s just a warning. Helpful. You don’t need to panic. You just need to take action.

Same for the ‘nerves’ you get when thinking about Speaking in Public. It’s a warning. Usually an unnecessary warning. You won’t die. You won’t faint. You reaction is probably exaggerated because of  circuit sharing. Your brain is saving itself by sharing a circuit for something much more dangerous. Shark attack or microphone attack? Actually horse attack is more dangerous but we think horses are not dangerous. On average, twenty Australian die each year because of horses. Sharks seldom attack. A microphone has never attacked.

So feel the nervous reaction which has come from a lightning fast thought. Acknowledge the warning. Recognise the thought ( as a thought ). ‘Thank for the warning’. Keep going and focus on what you are doing. Same as in the car. Thanks for the warning. I will get some petrol soon. Thanks for the warning. I will get on with my talk. If someone tells you the world is going to end soon, drive carefully. Probably won’t but driving carefully is smart anyway.Getting on with your talk is just as smart.

So, use fear to help you prepare but don’t let it inhibit or paralyse you. Assess the risk. Have a back up computer just in case. Be ready to acknowledge that you don’t know the answer to a question. Keep breathing. Do your best. You’ll be better next tim,e especially if you get audience feedback and don’t treat fear more than a warning.

Contact me if you need help with Public Speaking Training.

Paddy Spruce CSP

Speaking with Confidence

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You don’t need to be confident to speak in public. You simply need to appear confident.
I know many speakers who have ‘nerves’ before speaking. They learn to manage these ‘nerves’. They learn to project confidence. They have faith that the confidence will come. It’s bit like relying on technology. Some modern cars will stop themselves when you forget to hit the brakes. You need to have faith that they will stop.

Some simple techniques.

Prepare the opening and closing until it is second nature.
Use your ‘radio’ voice. Get their attention immediately with your projection.
Warm up before by reading or speaking aloud or….humming.
Avoid unhelpful thoughts by letting them pass by – don’t engage them.
If you like preparing, thoughtfully, choose a thought like ‘This is a great audience, they are interested in my topic’ and replay it in your mind.

You can’t always be confident beforehand. Confidence comes after. Faith or belief in yourself can come before. Focus on doing your best. You can’t do any more. Give it your best shot and let them decide on the value. Your job is to present. Their’s is to learn. Treat their feedback as helpful advice that you may use or not use.

Confidence comes later. Speak as if you are confident. Strong voice. Grounded stance. Commanding gaze. Captivating opening. A close worth standing for.

If you need help with any of this, I can help with Public Speaking Training or Coaching.

This is my 30th year of working as a professional speaker in Australia and overseas. I am also a founding member of the National Speakers Association in Victoria.

Contact me if you need help to design and deliver a professional speech.

Paddy Spruce CSP
www.paddyspruce.com.au

Pecha Kucha

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If one of your fears about Public Speaking is ‘I will lose my place and forget what to say’ and you don’t want to use notes or tent cards to advertise that you are scared of losing your place…..

Try www. pecha-kucha.org

Twenty slides without words. Twenty seconds for each slide changing automatically. You just fill in the story. People look at the slides while listening to your running explanation. You are lead by the pictures. You speak almost ‘off the cuff’. Everything seems spontaneous. There is nothing to read on the screen. Short, sharp, spontaneous, informative, potentially inspiring depending on the pictures and the story.

I have seen speakers use the technique for a presentation lasting over an hour.

You can rehearse to improve the flow of your patter. Hit automatic on powerpoint or keynote and see what comes out of your mouth. The pictures will keep you on time and pull you along.

Try it.

Contact me if you want help or Public Speaking Coaching.

Paddy Spruce CSP

Finding your Radio voice

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I remember hearing an interview on radio between a skilled, energetic interviewer and a nervous, first time on radio housewife. The difference in energy, emphasis and enthusiasm was absurd. One trying to get something more than fearful bland from the other.

When you do public speaking, do you have a radio voice? When you say ‘It is a pleasure to speak to you today’ does it sound like you mean it?

A lot of the meaning comes from your tone, energy and facial expression.

When preparing for a presentation, try reading the speech with a radio voice. Choose which words to emphasise. Decide on the pauses in advance. Decide when to look up.

To maximise your energy, you will need to warm up. Read the speech through several times with over emphasis on some words and ideas. Strangely, what seems overdone to you will probably seem just right to your audience.

If you want further help with Public Speaking Coaching, contact me on 03 9808 8990.

Paddy Spruce CSP
Public Speaking Coaching