Gaining Confidence in Speaking with Page Fehling
Laurie Ruettimann
Trailblazing author, career advisor, speaker, podcaster, and leader. ? Top LinkedIn Learning instructor in leadership and HR. ? Still trying to fix work.
Today, my guest is Page Fehling, a sought-after speaker, best-selling author , award-winning podcast host and, more importantly, my friend. Page is joining me on this episode because she’s a veteran news anchor with a 20-year career in broadcast journalism. Page recently left that role to open up a consulting firm specializing in helping companies and individuals gain confidence in what they do and how they communicate.?
You heard right. Page is teaching people how to speak about themselves publicly, their ideas and their work. And she would love to teach you how to do that, too. In today’s episode, we talk about public speaking; Page shares tips on how to show up at work or outside of work and communicate who you are and what you do. Most importantly, we’re talking about the pivot she made during COVID-19 and what it was like for her.
Page was one of the first people I met when I moved to North Carolina. I love her warmth and enthusiasm, but more importantly, I admire everything she does. So, if you’re ready to become a better communicator, sit back and enjoy our conversation.
Punk Rock HR is proudly underwritten by The Starr Conspiracy. The Starr Conspiracy is a B2B marketing agency for innovative brands creating the future of workplace solutions. For more information, head over to thestarrconspiracy.com .
Benefits of Becoming a Good Communicator
Communication is key to getting what you need as an employee. So when your employer can look to you and know that you can clearly represent yourself and the company as a whole, they take notice. “That is a skill you can barely put a price tag on,” Page shares.?
Being a good communicator is the skill that every employer wants and adds tremendous value for the employee. Employers take pride in saying “that’s my person” when people are impressed with your confidence and presence. They want to know who you are, where you work and who you work for, and this is why Page does the work that she does.
When you have that confidence, you open up opportunities you didn’t even know were waiting for you, like landing a new job or obtaining a raise. “When you come up to your next contract negotiation, or you’re going into a job interview, and you blow them away with your confidence in yourself and your ability to communicate whatever it is that you’re trying to get across, you are worth so much more to your company or to yourself if you’re self-employed,” Page explains.
Fear Is Not Permanent
While gaining that confidence to speak and represent yourself in public is excellent, many people still struggle because of fear. These fears are real but fixable, whether it’s the fear of blowing an interview, fear of lacking a good story to tell or concern about making good eye contact.?
Page has heard all these fears and knows that one of the most common is making good eye contact. That’s why Page developed different workshops that help individuals and companies work through their fears, especially when it comes to eye contact.?
Eye contact is essential because you want to see that the person actually listens to what you are saying. “The best quote, and I can never remember who said it, so I always just say you can give me credit for this quote, but they say eye contact is like an electrical current,” Page shares. “If you keep it on for too long, it can be shocking. If you turn it off too quickly, you lose power.”
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This is not an easy skill for everyone, but practicing and developing methods to improve will help. “The more you practice it, the more natural it becomes,” she says.
Moving Past the Nerves
One thing to understand about nerves is that they’re an essential component of speaking. No matter how experienced you are, the nerves will hit you every time, but they can actually do more good than harm. Nerves should help you lock in and get focused, not shake you, make you feel bad and negatively affect your performance.?
Page suggests putting yourself into a triumphant pose. This helps to put yourself into a more positive mindset physically. “Putting your body into space that makes you feel good, taking your mind off whatever it is that you’re talking about. If you’re playing your walk-up music and you’re getting yourself into some triumphal poses and taking your deep breaths, that’s just one really simple way to help,” she says.
Another trick, and one of Page’s favorites, is using a pen to force yourself to smile. Yes, a pen, but it really works! Page explains, “Put the pen in between your teeth and don’t let your lips touch the pen. Count up to 10 and back down to zero.”?
Once you are done, you’ll find yourself smiling. “Studies show that, if you can put the muscles of your face into the shape of a smile, endorphins get released into your brain even if the emotion was not there,” she explains.?
These and other tips can help you when you are feeling nervous, and doing simple exercises can significantly impact your mood. “Doing a simple thing like a five- to 10-second pen trick changes your energy,” Page shares.
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