Five Ways to Improve your Speaking Skills
It's seems like I've been asked quite a bit by my clients recently on the subject of becoming a better speaker. In fact…this morning I had a conversation with one of my clients about how she can improve her speaking skills.
Most people have a fear of public speaking. In fact…what's the saying, “People would rather die than speak in front of an audience.”
I think I'd rather live and get past my speaking fear than die. I'm sure you would too, and there's a way to do it.
There is a very high likelihood that as an entrepreneur in network marketing, you will be asked to speak. You're probably already speaking already…just maybe not in front of an audience of more than one.
If you can give a one-on-one presentation, you can learn to be a better speaker or presenter. What you can say to one, you can say to many. Yes…I realize that improving your speaking skills is a process. I used to have my heart pounding out of my chest, have to pee every five minutes before presenting (even when not hydrating), and get those uncomfortable nervous sweats.
Now…I can jump in front of an audience of 10,000 people or more and have literally no fear or trepidation whatsoever. And…I'm confident you can do the same.
Improve your Speaking Skills: It's Important!
You will be asked to speak at some point in your network marketing career. And…it's better to be prepared to do it when asked.
So…my suggestion to you is that you actively work on improving your speaking skills now, even though many people will say they'll never be on stage.
I know. I said the same thing myself. And…not it's what I do for a living!
So…how does one go about improving their speaking skills?
Here are Four Very Simple Tips to Improve your Speaking Skills
#1: Volunteer to Speak.
Yep. You cannot get good at something you never do. So, why not start working on it? You can improve your speaking skills very easily by simply putting yourself in the position of actually speaking to an audience.
Volunteer to speak at in-home presentations.
Volunteer to give your testimony and share your story.
Volunteer to take introductions on your team call.
Volunteer to speak on a Zoom meeting or webinar.
Trust me. Your upline leadership will be excited that you are volunteering to contribute and participate. Plus…it gives you “stage” time or virtual stage time if on a conference call or webinar.
I started my speaking career by simply speaking on conference calls. There was an audience. Maybe they didn't see me, but they definitely heard me.
There's a difference between volunteering because you have something good to contribute versus someone who simply feels the need to have a microphone in their hand.
#2: Know your Content.
Whatever it is that you're about to speak about, you better know your content. I would never get on stage and talk about rocket science or knitting, because I know nothing about either.
And…speaking is super easy when you know what it is your talking about! If it's your story that you're sharing…it's YOUR story, so that's easy. It's you. You know the content.
I have been asked to present at seminars on subjects that I know nothing about. I deny the request. If I know the content, I'll speak about it. If I don't, I won't…period.
So…whatever it is, make sure that it's easy for you to share with other people.
#3: Use Visual Aids.
If I'm doing a conference call or webinar, I will typically have some notes for my presentation. Not to READ the presentation, but to use it as a guideline to keep you on target.
For sure…if giving a presentation on a webinar or in front of a live audience, I will always use a Keynote or PowerPoint presentation. It's good for both you and your audience. The information on your slide help solidify the points you are making and help you stay on track with your presentation.
The slides are for reference only, not for you to read from as your entire presentation! A big mistake I see people making all the time is literally putting slides up that have everything they are saying on the slides. They are reference points, not to be read from as if you're reading a book to your child at bedtime.
#4 Chunk it Out.
I took a training years ago from a guy named John Childers who talked about “Childer's Chunks”.
Here's what he means. And…it makes giving presentations WAY easier, and you'll improve your speaking skills way faster by doing this.
Let's say you've been asked to give a 20-minute training at a Super Saturday event.
At first glance, the 20-minutes might seem daunting.
“You mean, I have to speak for 20 whole minutes in front of a live audience??”
Not to worry. Just chunk it out.
For example, someone asks you to talk about Warm Market Prospecting for 20-minutes. Instead of you looking at the entire 20-minute presentation, you simply “chunk it out” into bite-sized or smaller chunks of information.
Your intro. 5-minutes.
Point One: 5-minutes.
Point Two: 5-minutes
Point Three: 5-minutes.
Your Close: 5-minutes.
Now…instead of some giant and scary 20-minute presentation, you now have a simple intro, make three salient points, and then close it. When you design your presentations like this, it makes them much easier to give, and far less scary.
#5: Practice.
Pretty simple. If you want to get good at something, you have to work on it. Even to this day, every time I give a presentation, I practice beforehand.
I look at my slides, visualize myself on stage, and walk through the presentation in my hotel room before doing it live.
You want to give the best presentation and leave a great impression upon the people you are presenting to every single time you do it.
Make sure you invest time working on your craft, including regular practice.
Being a better presenter, a better speaker is something anyone can do, IF they are willing to work on it and not be lazy about it. You WILL speak if you're in network marketing for any length of time.
Better for you to embrace it and run with it than fight it, in my opinion. By the way…being on the platform puts you at an entirely different level than a person who hides in the shadows.
Yes…it may be a challenge. But…you're up for it, aren't you??
