The trick to awesome speaking is not looking good on the outside, but feeling good on the inside. You must build an inner foundation of comfort in your skin, presence, internal fullness and receptivity to the flow of other’s attention.
What trips people up about speaking is often the internal tension that distracts them from what they have to say. When you learn to create an inner foundation of presence, thoughts can flow and speaking becomes much easier. Honestly, speaking mechanics are pretty easy once you learn to establish your presence! Presence makes you feel so good inside that you are free to share your ideas, insights, expertise, stories and points.
Like an athlete, developing the inner game makes the difference between good and great. Right now, I am watching Tiger Woods make a big putt when it counts. Taking his time, standing there, relaxed, focusing until he has it inside. Then just the right swing, connecting with the ball and the target hole. 5 under par. Lovely!
Speaking well is like that. Settling into your body, breathing, feeling yourself, thinking your thoughts and just saying what is there to be said, connecting with your target audience.
If you are struggling with fear of speaking, stage fright, performance anxiety, try some of my techniques to build an inner foundation of presence. I have tons of articles on my website to help. Here are a few:
Top 10 Ways to Develop Presence
Top 10 Ways to Transform Stage Fright
