If speaking in public, with any number of people, is a fear for you, you’re probably more in your head than in your heart. The more you speak from your heart, the easier it will be. But I realize that’s easier said than done, so in part 2 of this series, I’m sharing 3 Keys to Powerful Presentations:

  1. Don’t try to be a “Presenter” or a “Speaker.”
      • Those 2 words, Presenter and Speaker, do not make it easier for you to talk in public – on any level. Instead, think of it as simply conversing and connecting with people.
      • Instead of presenting something, do any of these 4 things:
        1. Teach – what is it you’d like others to learn when you talk with them? When you’re hoping to teach people something, fears rarely get in the way.
        2. Serve – how can you help the person you’re talking to? Staying in the space of service is attractive to others and helps dispel your own fears.
        3. Connect – what can you find in common with the person you’re communicating with? You can create a connection even if the only commonality you have it that you both can smile, or you both have eyes that can see. You can connect simply by smiling and/or making eye contact.
        4. Invite – what will you invite them to? In your business, all you’re doing is inviting people (to do different things – try a product or service, look at an opportunity, give you feedback, etc.). The more invitations you make, the more opportunities you create in your business. When you invite, it preserves your energy, especially when you pair it with the third key I’ll share.
      • Don’t memorize exactly what you’re going to say. When you are real with people, it doesn’t matter what you say! What matters is where you come from, so remember to come from the place of teaching, serving, connecting or inviting.
      • If you feel like people aren’t paying attention when you’re talking, it’s important to constantly check in. Check in with yourself; how is your energy? Check in verbally with the audience; ask if it makes sense, if they understand, etc. And I’ll address this more in key #3.
  1. Use Purposeful Stories.
      • Make sure the stories you use have a purpose. The human brain has been told stories from birth – so we love them, relate to them, and understand them.
      • Use your own whenever possible, that way it’s likely to be a new story to them.
      • Be intentional about what you want people to feel and what you want them to do after the story. Start with the intention then craft the story to match the intention.
      • Remove their obstacles inside the story. In direct sales, the 3 main objections are: I don’t have time, I don’t have money and/or I don’t think it’s going to work for me. So if you can share stories to address these obstacles, you can help the audience overcome them.
      • In addition to stories, use analogies & metaphors for emotional engagement. The human brain consumes these better than just information, especially when they’re related to the person you’re talking to. For example, if the person you’re talking to is into sports, you can use a sports analogy to convey a point or piece of interest.
  1. Eliminate External Expectations.
      • What are external expectations?
        • It is an idea that anyone other than you MUST do something. 99% of the time when you get upset around interactions with others, it’s because you’ve created external expectations.
      • What are the benefits of eliminating external expectations?
        • Dissolves distractions – when you don’t have any expectations outside of yourself, it can dissolve distractions. You can’t control what happens outside of your own actions, so don’t let the distractions of others derail you.
        • Allows you to be present – this is really what connection is about! Presence is powerful.
        • Inability to say the “wrong thing” – if you don’t expect anyone to say yes, take action or get excited, then you don’t have to say the “right thing.” When you’re present, anything you say is ok, because that’s what’s real for you in the moment. If you were supposed to say something different, then you would have. The key is you to be fully present and authentic. This feeling is freeing, so I hope you get to experience it!
        • Able to embrace the fun – communicating with others should be fun, but most people don’t feel that way because they’re in the fear in their head. Take these tips to heart and you can allow it to be fun!

And my last bit of advice? Don’t ever turn down an opportunity to speak. The next time you say yes to a speaking opportunity, pick one of these things to work on and see how it goes. If you’re still feeling nervous about speaking to others, keep on the lookout for part 3, which I’ll be sharing soon.

In part 3, I will talk all about the Physicality of Speaking. If you want to learn more about speaking skills to build your direct sales business, click here to let us know you’re interested. We look forward to communicating more with you!