How To Beat Imposter Syndrome & Smash Your Next Public Speaking Event

You step onto the stage at a conference and... feel like an imposter.

It' s like someone else has hijacked your body in that moment... and it isn't you. You say to yourself, 'What the heck am I doing here??' and you panic.

Everyone has felt disconnected from themselves and their words at some point or other in their speaking career when they've been on stage. If a speaker tells you they've never felt anxiety or nerves in their life, pick up your skirts and run. Because we've ALL felt it at some point in our careers.

Whether you're giving an update at a meeting, speaking at a conference, or going into that stakeholder conversation, there are moments when you feel like a fish out of water.

Well, I've got your back on this one. The trick is to be physically and joyfully connected with your words, story, and content and own your words before you step into the room or onto that stage.

Your preparation and practice time should ?????????? with using your body and physical presence tools and techniques to physically own your words, information, and data. You have to start here ??????????. If you don't connect with your words physically, you'll only be connecting with your words and story on the most superficial level and you will always feel like you're just reciting information, instead of speaking from inside your experience, knowledge, and power.

My 3-Step Practice, Prep, and Play technique gives you everything you need to feel deeply grounded, connected, and fully present on stage when you speak publicly, in meetings, or on virtual platforms.

Here is my three step practice, preparation, and creation process:

?? Step 1: Create your words and your story

?? Step 2: Get on your feet, speak them out loud, physically own them

?? Step 3: Tweak, polish, and get targeted feedback

It's a simple process but no one said it was easy.

Step 1: Create Your Words and Your Story

There are two halves of great public speaking and storytelling: WHAT YOU SAY and HOW YOU SAY IT.

WHAT YOU SAY refers to the words, information, and content that you create and deliver to your audience.

There are very simple, clear structures that you can use to create your words and information that will not only save you time but make it more simple to create your content and help you remember it more easily.

You have to know who you're talking to before you try and create the story you want to tell. The more clear and precise you are about WHO you're talking to, the easier it's going to be to create the story that will most resonate with that audience.

Then you've got to grab their attention, hook them in, and give them a reason to listen and care. Once you've given them a reason to care, then you can launch into the body of your content and give them what you think is going to be most beneficial to THAT audience.

Step 2: Get On Your Feet, Speak Your Words Out Loud, and Physically Own Them

Whether you're delivering your content virtually or face-to-face, getting on your feet and physically speaking your words allows you to feel and hear your words as they'll be on the day you speak at that meeting or event.

When you speak your words out loud, you'll also start feeling the shape of your story, the flow of your story, and the structure of your content. The first time you speak your words will be your 'stumble through' and it'll be awkward but that's ok. Have your notes in front of you, refer to them as much as you need, and keep running your content until you feel you can speak your words without notes.

Step 3: Tweak, Polish, and Get Targeted Feedback

Now that you've 'broken the back' of your words, story, and content, you can tweak, polish, and edit, edit, edit.

Sometimes it's not easy to do this yourself and it's important to have an objective observer to help you see what's clear and what isn't and what you can cut or add. And don't pick a family member... pick someone who can speak the language of public speaking and give you expert feedback and comments.

Kill your darlings if you need to, get rid of slides that don't work or do not help the audience better connect with your words; you never have to justify cutting words or a slide but you always have to justify leaving something in.

Each one of these steps uses all of your public speaking toolboxes and all of the weapons in your public speaking arsenal. Your physical presence tools, vocal presence tools, managing nerves tools, and content & story creation techniques.

Each one of these toolboxes is a fully comprehensive set of tools and techniques that you can pull out and use in all your communication situations to create and deliver your messages and words with clarity, credibility, and confidence.

So get learning, get watching, and get those public speaking toolboxes into place!

You've got this. See you on the inside,

A presto,

Maria T. xx