CGM blog: Get up, stand up – for your business

01 Jun CGM blog: Get up, stand up – for your business

The theme of June’s Business Media Club meetings is how to develop confident speech making skills to boost your reputation – a skill that haunts many professional people, but shouldn’t… as Chris Green explains.

When I speak to business leaders and professionals the skill most would like to develop is speech making.

Small wonder then that delegates across both of our Business Media Clubs chose this specific image and reputation skills theme (albeit narrowly) over other options.

The thought of standing up in front of an audience petrifies and panics so many capable and competent people that it does more than send shivers down spines – it is a barrier to success and stalls careers.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

One of our clients who delivered a career-shaping speech that subsequently opened many doors later confessed they nearly walked out on the opportunity despite the personal training we’d done together.

Everyone who has attended our one-day speech and presentation courses leaves able to deliver a confident ten minute speech – note free.

Getting the basics right is more than the immediate ability to engage and entertain with witty repartee.

Shaping a clear structure for your speech in your mind is key – along with practical advice on how to deliver it.

What you don’t need are vocal trainers pedalling misplaced character-crushing fears about plummy elocution – as if the ability to say ‘how now brown cow’ nicely is more important than what you say.

Of course, speaking clearly and slowly helps, but the message is ALWAYS more important. Telling a tale with a strong narrative thread is the key skill to successful speech making and building a relationship with your audience.

Confidence comes from knowing your subject – and having that structure clear in your mind so you can bring your knowledge to life effortlessly – tapering it to your audience and getting the length right.

There’s nothing worse than a speaker virtually being dragged off stage – or losing their thread then blaming the time constraints. This is easy to overcome with basic planning.

Relying too heavily on PowerPoint as a crutch is also ill-advised. Sure, use it to support key points you wish to make – but never read it verbatim.

The only interaction that truly matters is between you and your audience.

Looking them in the eyes is essential to building rapport. Seeing them travel with you throughout your talk is even better.

Once you’re good at this you can add rhythm. A slow plod can be boring. Varying pace and tone adds interest.

All of this only works if your structure is so clear in your mind you can return to keep things on track.

Then you can make that career breakthrough to promote your business expertise to a wider audience.

We’ll be discussing all these topics and more at June’s Business Club meetings in Birmingham (June 17) and Worcester (June 24). Why not join us?

Chris Green is an award-winning author and broadcaster – and managing partner of Chris Green Media – which inspires business people communicate better by connecting deeper.

CGM Business Media Clubs offer a monthly blend of media training, personal development and quality networking in a sharing setting. For details see  Business Media Clubs