What’s the biggest barrier to becoming a great presenter?

August 6, 2014

large_wooden_robot_RT-1000x1000Comedian Jerry Seinfeld says when it comes to a funeral, most people would rather be in the casket than doing the eulogy.  Anecdotal evidence supports this and suggests that people rate public speaking as one of their top fears. But why?

Presenting is a time when you can be at your most vulnerable in your professional life.

It’s that moment when you have to perform or die.  Our two biggest fears as adults are of failing or embarrassing ourselves IN PUBLIC!  And every presentation occasion presents both these opportunities on a silver platter. To add to this potent mix, the exact moment you stand up to speak is when all your other insecurities are guaranteed to come flooding to the surface.  Will they like me, I should have worn the other suit, does my bum look big in this?

Our response to this pressure is to become a low-resolution, shrink-wrapped version of ourselves. Which is why you often see normally funny, animated people turn into wooden robots when presenting.  My mentor Matt Church, in his best-selling book Amplifiers advises: “If you focus on you when you speak, you are bound to be undone.  Everything becomes an ‘I’ issue: “I am not prepared”; “I am not qualified”.  These concerns are not the result of narcissism but the natural result of speaking in front of other people. The first step is to get over yourself.”

There you have it: the biggest barrier in becoming a great presenter is you.  So get out of your way and get over yourself and start focusing on your message and method instead.

Hooked

Dry facts and data fade from memory over time, but an engaging story is difficult to forget. In Hooked, communication and business storytelling experts Gabrielle Dolan and Yamini Naidu use real-world examples and proven, effective techniques to teach the skill of great business storytelling. They explain what good storytelling is, why business leaders need to learn it, how to create effective stories, and how to practice for perfection.



Go Back