Far beyond your comfort zone lies Public Speaking Fear-land... the scary dark place that holds all the areas of public speaking you limit yourself from. Nooks and crannies that hold techniques and tools that you think are "inappropriate" or "not right for me". But when you step beyond your comfort zone, you'll realize you're a more powerful public speaker than you ever imagined...
We all have things that are holding us back from being the brilliant public speaker that we wish to be. The biggest of them all is the urge to play it safe.
If you're going to become a truly inspiring public speaker, learn that great speaking lives outside your comfort zone. This is where the most energy, power and connection with your audience lives. By learning to live beyond your comfort zone, you can turn public speaking fear into public speaking "gimme-some-of-that" excitement.
Here are eight ways to make sure your speaking isn't too safe and stretch your public speaking beyond your comfort zone into a place of power.
Every speaker has a toolkit. A set of tools they utilize to engage the audience- the body, the voice and the mind. How can you stretch your usual habits to bring extra power to your message?
It may feel crazy to think, but the speakers who connect most with their audience are willing to show themselves as human beings, with difficulties and emotions:
Could you stretch yourself to take on different types of audience or situation? How would it be if you stretched yourself to speak to:
What's your "norm", routine, or favorite technique? Powerful public speakers bring energy to their talks by trying new ways to engage their audience:
Are you playing it safe with the territory you're willing to speak about? If we're willing to spread our thinking and influence wider, it can bring depth and richness to our normal subject:
What type of content are you drawn to in building your argument? The best speakers are able to pull on a variety of different types of information, to make sure that they tickle the needs of the whole audience. Which of the following could you do more of?
More scary than most is bringing your full force of personality - but this is precisely what's needed if you really want to move an audience. Think:
We all have different aspects of our personality - so how can you use the different edges of your personality to bring benefit to your public speaking? Ask yourself:
- Excited?
- Silly?
- Profound?
- Serious?
- Challenging?
This seems like a lot of questions. It IS a lot of questions. Until you get all "questiony" with yourself, you'll never find the areas which scare you silly. Great public speaking is all about challenging yourself to do what needs to be done, to take that next risk - achieve that next level.
Many speakers reach a plateau in their ability. They think "Hey I'm okay with it... the audience will be too". Truth is if we're not changing and growing, this is when our audiences disconnect from our message. Everyone, every single one of us, can improve our public speaking mojo show.
By finding out where your comfort zone ends... you can then begin to grow. Let's grow together... the Ginger way. Watch this space.
And yes... this post is littered with links. A veritable treasure trove of Gingery goodness that you can link to and learn. You're welcome. :)
This showcase of inspiring female speakers is part of Ginger's work with game changing leaders.
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