Essential Tips on Speaking Powerfully

Nobody wants to listen to a perfect speaker. It’s your vulnerability that creates a connection so learn to stand in silence without being uncomfortable.

It’s time to stop hiding and share your message. So here is an exercise to practise in front of an audience that will help you to overcome those uncomfortable feelings and create a powerful rapport with them from the beginning.

There’s power in silence. In fact if you can’t be with silence you have nothing to say, so the first thing to do is walk to the front and breathe, then don’t talk for about three minutes. This will feel really uncomfortable but notice everything that’s coming up for you.

Just observe and feel all the twitches, and the desire to be rigid and perfect.
See the child inside you that wants to be loved and the humour you want to express in order to distract the audience from how you look. Notice the protection you put around you so nobody sees you there.

Feel it all, continue to breathe then let it all pass.

Now use the 3 second rule. Choose a couple of people in the audience and make eye contact with them for 3 seconds. Actually Count 1, 2, 3…then move on to the next one.
While continuing to breathe feel how stoic you are in your face. Show no expression at all then gradually lift that into a smile. Feel how uncomfortable it is to smile while being seen.

It’s OK to feel uncomfortable and want to run away. But don’t run, instead just smile and feel it from deep in your belly to your heart. You’re in there, kind and gentle but you don’t want anyone to know because you’re afraid of being hurt. However, your vulnerability is your greatest strength so breathe now and show that softness can cut through rock.

Gentleness is stronger and comes not from a place of anger but from a place of love.
This is showing people the real you, the person who’s actually a lot of fun.

When you get to this place, breathe and then it’s time to start talking.

Take care,