QuickBites: How to Have Confidence in Yourself and Your Presentations.

Welcome to Public Speaking with Peter George. Do you want to be calm, confident, and credible every time you speak in public? Then stay tuned as we discuss public speaking tips, techniques, and tactics that help you increase your impact, influence, and income.

The Bird on the Branch

A bird sitting in a tree is never afraid of the branch breaking, because her trust is not in the branch — but in her wings. It never occurs to her to wonder, what if? She instinctively understands that if the branch does break, she can always safely fly away.

Yet as people who speak in public, we often drown ourselves in what-ifs. What if I forget what I'm going to say? What if they don't pay attention? What if they don't like me? What if they see my knees shaking or hear my voice cracking?

You really don't need to put yourself through this. Just like the bird, you can have complete faith in yourself and your presentation. How? By sufficiently rehearsing. I know — I talk about rehearsing all the time. But rehearsing is key to both being calm and presenting well. And knowing that you should rehearse and knowing how to rehearse are two different things.

The Editing and Recording Process

After I create a presentation, I edit it — but not for grammatical errors. I'm asking: have I included all the points I want? Are my points clear and concise? Does my supporting evidence — stories, statistics — actually support those points?

Once I'm satisfied, I sit at my desk and read it out loud, listening for parts that sound written rather than spoken. Like most people, I speak much more casually than I write. Since this is to be spoken, the draft needs to reflect that. When everything sounds right, I read it out loud again — this time recording it. Then I play it back and ask the same questions I had before. I'm also listening to hear if it sounds like me. I listen for words or phrases that might be difficult to pronounce. Having grown up with speech impediments, this matters for my self-confidence. And I listen for whether I'm engaging listeners throughout.

Practicing in Segments

After making any necessary edits, it's time to step it up. I begin practicing portions of the presentation — not the whole thing, just segments, so I can get familiar with each section. I'm not trying to deliver it verbatim. I just want to feel out each particular point. During this phase, I prop up my phone and record on video.

Then I play it back three times, each time differently. First, audio only — I listen to the content and check for fillers and voice variety: pitch, rate, tone, volume. I take notes. Second, I watch with the sound off. How do I look? Do I appear at ease and confident? Am I pacing? What is my body language saying? Notes again. Third, I review audio and video together — and take more notes.

The Full Rehearsal

Once each segment is where I want it, I bring the whole presentation together. I include any slides or props. If I'm going to be holding a microphone, I hold one — or a substitute. If I'll be moving on stage or around the room, I move while rehearsing. I do all of this at the volume I'll actually be speaking at during the presentation, and in the clothes I'll be wearing that day. Every rehearsal is recorded.

Does all of this take a great deal of time? Definitely. Is it worth it? Only if you want to have as much trust in yourself when speaking as the bird does when landing on a branch.

Thank you for listening to this episode of Public Speaking with Peter George. Are you ready to be calm, confident, and credible every time you speak in public? Then visit petergeorgepublicspeaking.com and let's make it happen. I'll see you next time.