A client of mine sent me an e-mail the other day while she was at a conference. “ Ugh! These speakers are so boring !”
I hear this a lot from my clients. I help my clients master how to maintain the audience’s attention and magnetize them. Once they’ve learned what to do & what not to do to, the common communication pitfalls become glaringly obvious.Information is abundant & folks are busy these days, and if you’re going to take up people’s time, you better be keeping the audience on the edge of their seats.
I spend quality time with my clients. We work together weekly for a couple of months at a stretch, so I get to learn a lot about them and their lives. They almost always have people in their lives who could benefit from communication skills training, but they feel like they can’t tell them. They just don’t feel comfortable saying, “Hey, I noticed you keep getting interrupted in meetings,” or “Your ideas aren’t being conveyed as well in front of a group as they are when you’re with me,” or “Your speeches are pretty boring. You should go to my speech coach.” These aren’t exactly easy messages to deliver.
Here’s the bad news: No one is going to tell you your presentation is boring. No one is going to tell you that you just aren’t that convincing.
When you’re done with the pitch that you’ve poured hours into, everyone will just pat you on the back & say, “Good job.” “You did great!” Even at Toastmasters you can’t always count on great, candid feedback. I spent years at Toastmasters & I loved it. It provides a great, supportive platform for you to practice your newfound skills. But most people’s feedback wasn’t on the money. That’s ok. Most people have their own wheelhouses & haven’t made communication their lifes’ work. I have.
Above is a video on something you’re likely doing wrong when you’re presenting or in other anxiety-ridden speaking situations like pitches, job interviews, first dates, etc.
No, I’m not professionally gussied up, but that’s how much I love you guys! I’m here to help you & I’ll look dorky on a video if I think it’s going to help!
If you want to be an exciting & magnetic communicator on & off the stage go get an assessment from a speech coach (you can contact me) Most of them are free in the hopes you’ll sign up.
There’s another side to this story. If you do notice that one of your dear colleagues is a bit boring or says too many “um”s, be their friend and let them know. In private, of course. The talented Kim Scott recommends using Radical Candor when communicating with your employees. It’ll make you a great leader.
Developing your communication skills is essential to getting ahead in this world. Nobody was born an amazing speaker in high-anxiety situations. Everyone you know who’s great at pitching, presenting & telling stories when the pressure’s on has worked on it! No one is going to tell you your presentation is boring so just go ahead & make it more exciting!
Tell me what you think! Not about me deep conditioning my hair & skin while simultaneously doing a video for public viewing–but about presenting & communicating in anxiety-ridden situations. And if you have anyone in your life who was able to give you great feedback. And how you give feedback to others.