Have you struggled with public speaking? Have you had difficulty with giving a presentation and at times feeling like you hadn’t conveyed the information that you really wanted the audience to know? Or maybe, you hadn’t conveyed the passion that you have for what you were speaking on and you desire to? I used to really struggle with this and it wasn’t until a few years ago when I had a light bulb moment. I realized that the times when I had difficulty speaking, got really nervous, fumbled over my words, and had the sweats and body shakes, were the times that I was caught up trying saying the right things. My focus would be on the script that I wrote and I would get nervous with the pressure of the audience waiting for me to read off the paper. Essentially I thought in my mind that they knew exactly what I wrote and would critique me on how well I read off the paper but in reality, it was all mental. Since the audience doesn’t know what you are going to say (unless you release the script beforehand) you have to remind yourself that there is less pressure to get every sentence correct and in reality, all that matters is that you convey what you are trying to say to the best of your abilities.
But, what if there was a better way? Have you ever wondered why some speakers are able to talk without notes or with limited notes? Do they really memorize an hour long talk? They were all questions I would have until I realized the following thoughts. First, most of the speakers that spoke without notes or limited notes were well prepared and either memorized their script or knew their material exceptionally well. Secondly, they were experienced and gave numerous talks on their subject. Finally, they were most likely passionate about what they were speaking on. I believe this is the most important and telling trait that leads to ultimate success. I have found that when I am passionate about the topic and I am well prepared, I enter in “the zone” and just speak from the heart. Now, I do typically have limited notes, with key topics to cover and any exact quotes that I want to share with audience, but I spend most of the time speaking directly to the crowd. Organically, this method of speaking allows me to connect with all that are in attendance because I am able to give extensive eye contact. Additionally, I am able to control the room since I am not focused on solely reading text, thus capturing people’s attention and building a level of trust that cannot be created without the eye contact.
When I enter “the zone”, where I am just speaking from passion on my topic, I lose the ability to have anxiety because in a way I am in my own little world which I refer to as “the zone”. “The zone” in the context of a speech or talk is essentially the very instance or reality that everything moves much slower, your mind is clear, and your focus is laser sharp. I compare this to superstars taking over a game and hitting the winning shot, hitting the winning homer, or catching the game winning touchdown pass. In every instance, the athletes talk about being in “the zone” and sometimes they may say that they didn’t even think about the shot, or the swing, or the catch. Their subconscious mind took over their actions and they were able to have that laser focus that helped them complete the task they were after. The same can be said for an influential speaker, that when they are in “the zone”, words are spoken that didn’t come from a script but rather it was most likely original words from the subconscious mind.
I challenge you this week to prepare for your meetings with people no matter how small it is with the mindset that you are going to focus on key topics and speak from the passion in your heart. Now, this approach will take much practice but, it’s important to start small. As you become more comfortable, you will notice that meetings, talks, and presentations will seem not so daunting. So, let’s get after it today and speak on passion so that you can get in “the zone”!
