This is reprinted from a post by Ava Diamond* and I really liked it so I thought I'd re-post it here for my audience. Not my normal post - but good stuff all the same!
Masterful speakers don’t
just pop out of the womb that way. They learn, they study, they practice. They fail, they
figure out why, and they get better. They overcome their fears and build their
skills. And they deliver powerful messages that transform the lives of
their audiences.
So how can you
become more
masterful? How can you deliver a speech that inspires, that
entertains, that educates…and that moves people to action?
1. Start
Strong
Don’t start talking as
you’re walking out on stage. That behavior often comes from nerves and takes away from your
power opening.
Instead, say “thank you”
to your introducer as you walk up. Then, confidently walk to the
center of the stage. Stop. Take a moment to ground yourself. Make
eye contact with the audience. Smile. Take a deep breath.
Only then do you open
your mouth. And
you start with something powerful.
The first few times you
take this silent pause before you speak it will feel awkward. But what it does is conveys to the audience
that you’re confident, you’re in charge, and that you are ready to connect with
them.
2. Focus on Them
Your audience can tell
when it’s all about you. And you’ll lose them.
Your total focus has to
be on what you can give them that will be of value to them, and will help them transform
their lives.
Yes, you may be there to
sell your ideas, sell
yourself as an expert, sell your products and services…but this cannot be your
primary focus.
When you are focused on
delivering value to your audience and to serving them in the highest way
possible, those other things will happen.
3. Connect with
Your Eyes
One thing that separates
great speakers from mediocre speakers is their ability to connect with the
audience.
So how do you do that?
Eye contact is critical.
A mistake that many
speakers make is they try to give the impression that they’re making eye
contact with the whole audience, so they move their head like a sprinkler
head, back and forth, back and forth.
Instead, connect
with one person at a time. Deliver a thought to one person,
then switch to another and deliver the next thought. Over the course of your
talk, your audience members will feel you are speaking directly to them.
They’ll feel connected.
4. Be Human
The days of the “sage on
the stage” are over. Today’s
audiences want to engage with a real human being that is authentic, vulnerable,
and has a message that will help their lives get better.
Be you. Be
real. Allow your personality
and your humanity to shine through.
Don’t imitate a “great
speaker” you saw. Don’t take on a persona of what you think a
speaker should be.
Don’t strive for
perfection. That will sabotage you every time. (click to tweet)
Just get on stage and
deliver the absolute best talk you can for that audience in that
moment.
5. Don’t Be Distracted
by the Haters
Focus on the audience
members who are smiling, giving you eye contact, nodding their heads, and are
engaged.
If you focus on those
who look like they are in disagreement with you, it will throw off your game.
By focusing on those who
are loving your message you’ll feel more confident and relaxed, and will give a
better performance.
These five tips will
help you be more powerful onstage. They’ll help you connect, and to stay
confident and relevant.
© 2015 Big Impact Speaking
*Ava Diamond is a
speaking mentor and messaging strategist, and is the founder of Big Impact
Speaking. She has created such programs as Speak Your Way to Clients and
Cash, and the Rock Your Speaking Academy. A professional speaker for
seventeen years, she helps entrepreneurs rock their speaking so they expand
their influence and reach, become known as the “go-to” expert in their field,
and get all the clients they want.