GYMH 61 What I Learned from Becoming a Better Public Speaker

In this episode Michael shares his five big takeaways from the Heroic Public Speaking Graduate School Process. This program is a 16-day, 4-month, individually-tailored process to help you become a better speaker. Michael discusses how to focus on content, rehearse more effectively, and take risks to get where you need to go.

You can’t be you if you’re in the wrong room.

Context matters – luckily, you can choose your context. The wrong rooms are the places where you can’t be you. How do the rules of the room change the way you play? You can know you’re in the wrong room when your environment is holding you back – pay attention to your environment, and once you’re in the right room, you will thrive.

Content comes first, every single time.

Often people rely on their ability to speak powerfully and don’t go deep enough in creating content that will best serve their audience. Who will be in the room, and what do they need? Whose stories can you find that will strengthen your message? How much research have you done about your audience and your message? Michael discusses how to really hone in on the focus of what you’re saying to maximize the impact of your message.

You can be a performer or a critic, but not both.

Sometimes we think that feedback is always useful. But when many people start to offer their feedback, it can take you off course. When you’re a performer, you have to concentrate on getting your message across – when you think about things as a performer, you approach them differently.  If you do ask for feedback, make it tailored – ask for feedback on the specific things that will help you improve.

Playing all-out and paying attention drives clarity.

Playing all-out means stepping up and committing to go all-in, believing in what in what you’re doing, and taking risks. When you play safe, when you play small, when you don’t allow yourself to dream big - you hold back. Paying attention means asking: what answer passed by that you missed? The answer may appear – but are you paying attention enough to see it?

Rehearsal is everything, and you owe it to your audience and yourself.

Rehearsal is not just running through the words you’re going to say. Rehearsal is much more – it is tied to the content. You need to go through and shape your performance to emphasize the meaning you’re trying to get across. Your audience is giving you their time and attention – they deserve to receive your message in its most accessible and impactful form possible.

Recommended Action

Start playing all-out, and step up to the challenge of putting yourself in the right rooms. Recognize that when you’re in the wrong room, there’s only one thing to do: get out. If you are in that room, you’ve committed to step up, to share the real you, and to use your talents and gifts to the highest level.

And here's the link Michael mentioned to the Heroic Public Speaking Live event in October: http://www.heroicpublicspeaking.com 

Free Download

When you meet someone who you'd like to have as a client- whether it's an actual sales conversation or just a handshake, what you do AFTER is the most important factor in whether or not you'll end up working with them. Download Michael’s 4-step follow-up method at http://michaelhudson.com/followup to make sure you never miss an opportunity.