aka: Build Your "Front of the Room" Confidence
"Front of the Room" confidence is important for managers, teachers, civic leaders, and others whose work requires speaking to groups. It can even be one of the keys to being perceived as a leader by others. One's credibility is enhanced and one's career can be advanced by being good and looking good in front of the room.
This confidence is rooted in having something to say, being organized, and knowing the audience. Many people struggle with these challenges especially when there is not much time to prepare.
Something to Say. Having something to say that is relevant and substantive is perceived by audiences that you are credible and that you take them seriously. They feel that their time has been invested productively and they look forward to hearing you again.
Being Organized. Knowledgeable people often undermine their credibility by giving a presentation that is poorly organized. They do not have a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. Their brain cells are not in alignment resulting in thoughts and ideas that wander leaving the audience perplexed and unimpressed.
Knowing the Audience. Substantive content and organization must be tailored to one's audience. Being clear about how the ideas and concepts apply specifically to the audience and how the audience can benefit from those ideas, is the glue that connects the speaker to the audience emotionally.
Having something to say, being organized, and knowing your audience leverages your confidence as a speaker and your perception as a leader. You can support that leverage with a key resource: Something to Say Right Now: 101 ready-to-use brief speeches and presentations for anyone who has a talk to give and needs something to say right now.
Michael Horton, Ed.D. is the author of Something to Say Right Now. In his work as a performance coach, writer, and professor, he trains professionals, students, and Toastmasters to build their "front of the room" skills and confidence. Michael is available for speaking and coaching at www.hortonadvantedge.com. Something to Say Right Now can be ordered at www.amazon.com.
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