Dear Ilise, 

Lately, I've heard from lots of people who think that, because they feel uncomfortable when they give a presentation, they must be doing it wrong.

The truth is, you should feel uncomfortable; you're making a SPEECH!

 

Think about it: 

 

There you stand in front of your peers.  Your boss.  A prospective client.  Your dissertation committee.  Your community group.

 

Everyone expects you to be brilliant (or, at the very least, superbly well-informed).

 

Everyone feels free to judge (or, at the very least, comment on) your performance.

 

And, just to add insult to injury, everyone thinks you should "act natural." 

 

Could there possibly be a more twisted injunction than "act natural"?  I can't think of one, except the injunction to "be yourself"--which people also think you should be able to do with a spotlight shining in your eyes!

Like so much else in the world, this focus on "naturalness" is probably the fault of my (Baby Boom) generation.

Before the 1960s, no one thought you should "just be yourself" when you were performing a public function.  No one thought that Franklin Roosevelt's fireside radio "chats" should sound natural.   Warm, perhaps.  But natural?   No way!  Franklin was free to wax as stentorian as he liked.  That was called "leadership." 

You, on the other hand, are expected to sound leaderly and authentic.  Well-prepared and spontaneous.  Authoritative and Oprah-esque.

So what's an uncomfortable public speaker to do?

 

First, recognize that no one looks natural without years of hard work.  Ella Fitzgerald did not just open her mouth and sing.  Tiger Woods did not wake up one morning with that sublimely "natural" swing already mastered.  These people worked like the devil to look natural.  If you want that look, you'll be working hard, too.

 

Second, cut yourself some slack.  External expectations are bad enough without you adding your own.  If you need to refer to notes, do so.  Not ready to walk the stage yet?  Stay behind that podium.  Allow your skills to develop over time.  Don't press yourself to look like Tony Robbins or sound like Obama overnight.

 

Third, practice, practice, practice.  (Remember that old joke about the tourist who asked, "How do you get to Carnegie Hall?")  If you don't know how to practice, give me a call for a free-10-minute consult, or join me on Tuesday, July 29th for...

PRESTO PRESENTATION

The Fast, Fun, Foolproof Way

to Speak to Any Audience about Any Topic

 

In just 2½ hours, you can learn a versatile, no-fail approach to meeting your every public speaking need.  This workshop is a must for anyone who delivers important messages—from the podium, in meetings, or in your personal life.   

 

WHEN: Tuesday, June 29, 2008, 6:30-9PM

WHERE: In Good Company Workplaces, 16 W. 23rd St., 4th floor

REGISTER: Contact Jezra@JezraKaye.com or 718-636-0836

COST:  $55 in advance, $65.00 at the door

 

For more details, visit www.JezraKaye.com/Events