What just 3 months of public speaking coaching&training can help you achieve? How much do you wonder about this question?

”How long is it Going to Take me to Become a more Confident Public Speaker as a Non Native?

Or ”Can I really be a confident public speaker in a second language? Speak like in my own language? Be as charismatic as I am in my first language? How can I speak up, lead my multicultural team without feeling embarrassed or worrying about mistakes?”

Plenty of questions I am asked almost everyday! And a pretty common narrative for a Non Native Speaker, despite their level.

Communication and Public Speaking, either in your native or non native language, is very little about talent. It is about Mindset, practice, rehearsing and on going nurturing process.

And the answer might surprise you, but YES, I do believe that anyone can be a confident and charismatic speaker! And my almost 20 year-experience of working with hundreds and hundreds of global leaders and their teams proved to me.

Valentina has a quite unusual job. She is a Transcultural Nurse.

I have to admit that before meeting her, I have never heard about this type of nurse.

Her job is to provide culturally sensitive care to patients from different ethnicities and backgrounds around the globe.

And again, I have to admit that it is an incredible important job for such patients. Imagine the stress of speaking and being spoken in another language, with plenty of jargon, in a hospital and in different cultural environment.

When I met Valentina first time I asked her: ”How does public speaking fit in your job?”

And her answer was:

”It is my job to make people with different cultural backgrounds and ethnicities feel comfortable and understood. I need to feel the hearts of the patients I work with. I feel I am a bit too logical when I connect and speak to people and I can not touch upon their hearts at the level I wish. I do not know if it is because of the language, lack of skills or technics. I sometimes feel it is not enough. I am not enough good to get the results I aim. I don’t know if it’s public speaking or what, but I need to work on my ability to form an emotional bond and be able to discuss across cultures and language!”

Now, Valentina, as part of our client and member of our SpeakUp Community, she gets access to our speaking networking events, follow up sessions and key note speakers from various industries, besides discounts on our programs or intensive workshops.

One of the group sessions she attended the gust was a standup comedian. After the session, Valentina was so inspired that once when she was at a stand up comedy show in a cafe, she decided to challenge herself and jump on the scene for an improvisation show.

Quite a difference between feeling the hearts of her patients and an improvisation show. So, I was a bit surprised.

And she was terrified! As she shared her experience in our next group session. Her heart was racing! Her internal narrative was racing too.

“Are people going to laugh? What the heck am I even doing here? Was this a mistake?! I would better change my mind! Colleagues might be here and make me feel embarrassed or judge me! Or a patient. What they would think about me?”

Too late for such racing thoughts: A voice was announcing her turn to the mic.

She walked on to the stage. Looked at the audience. And began speaking…… and people laughed… then laughed again… and again.

Her first time few minutes spent on stage was met with applause when she finished.

She could not realise that she was on the scene! And applauses were for her! “What is happening… did I just do that?” Valentina thought.

Among all people there she was the most surprised! And terrified.

What happened?

”Despite the fact I was terrified, I manage to quiet my narrative and calm down. Then I remembered the breathing exercises we did together and the steps of a storytelling we practiced and learnt about here! I also remembered how to eye contact with me audience. Your advice was so precious: ”Do not focus on an item of on someone you know! The precious ”W eye contact technic was always in my mind!”

A few sessions later, moved forward with her sharing and added: ”I do not know if I am different person since I enrolled in this program or because of the improvisation show, but I feel better the hearts of my patients. And I also feel that we better connect! I feel more authentic than before! And I sound more like myself when I speak in English or in French.”

Furthermore, Valentina decided to embrace the chance she got on the scene. And once a month she goes to improvisation shows as an Improviser, not only as an attendee.

Public speaking, humour and feeling the hearts of people through cultures and languages are a good fit.

I could not be more proud of her!

”Inspiration comes from many places! The most important is to let yourself inspired, and as you use to tell us, experiment and take up opportunities! I am happy I signed up for this program.”

Valentina joined our program because she believed she was not expressing well enough in her second language. She believe she was not a good speaker in that language and because of this she could not feel the hearts of her patients at the level she wanted. She is not perfect, but according to her own KPIs she stated at the beginning of our program, she is on a 9. Not bad, I would say.

”Before, I used I ”prepare” what I was going to tell to each patient, the questions I wanted to address. I felt enough stressed when I had to deal. with a new patients without ”preparing”my speech. Maybe from here my feeling of ”not feeling enough well the hearts of my patients!”

Valentina managed to find her own way to what means to be authentic for herself in a second language and what be good enough to feel the hearts.

Even though we work in a group, each attendee finds his or her own path. Despite technics and strategies, there is no fit all recipe.

I learn from each coachee I meet. I have started to name them thinkers. Because this is what we are: thinking partners.

But I learned from Valentina is that humour, logic and pragmatism are a good match. There is no right moment to find inspiration or to follow that inspiration. Stay in one place until you feel inspired!

In our tomorrow session, I am going to introduce my thinkers in some technics on how to present and connect with their audience. And adapt their presentation to the cultures of their attendees.

P.S: Whenever you're ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:

1. My signature 12 week Public Speaking BootCamp starting on 15th of January. Join it to see noticeable and refined improvement in your communication, speaking and language skills. Book here!
2. Premium Coaching for Business and Professional Leaders. Book here!
3. Bring me to your organisation! Inquire here: [email protected]