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One of the best ways to get better at public speaking is to do it. But most people only practice when they are in front of a live audience (or are too terrified to get started). Wouldn’t it be great if you could practice more often? Or find a low stakes way to build your confidence? Cue: live video.
Live video on social media is an unexpectedly useful tool for developing confidence and skill with public speaking. Not to mention video a fire strategy that connects you with your audience.
That is why in today’s episode I’m sharing with you the five ways that will help you redefine your leverage live video to become a magnetic speaker on any stage..
Episode Highlights:
- Why going live is the best move for any kind of speaker
- How video accelerate your on stage skills
- The difference between live video as a strategy versus a tactic for your business
- Five specific ways live video can help you become a magnetic speaker (plus some tips to uplevel your speaking skills)
Episode Show Notes:
Five ways that live video can turn you into a better speaker
Way #1: Live video will help you develop resilience.
If you plan on speaking on virtual or live event stages, you’ll inevitably face tech issues.
For most entrepreneurs, we identify as a perfectionist and we want to come across a certain way. We try to create the conditions that are ideal for whatever it is that we’re doing, but the fact is when you move quickly and when you do things live, you can’t control everything and crap will happen.
The question is: will you handle them in a way that adds credibility to your brand or harms your reputation?
We can’t control any of these crazy things happening but what we can control is our reaction to them. Start developing the resiliency for things that potentially can go wrong and consciously use them as an opportunity to practice how you react in those situations. (Check out Episode #55 where I teach three specific steps to help you navigate tech surprises with grace)
Way #2: Live video trains you how to be better with engagement.
There are no bad audiences, only bad facilitation.
Most people when they think of live video, they think that people will be there live which leads them to disappointment when no one shows up. But truthfully, unless you already have a large and engaged audience online, you’ll most likely not get a lot of live attendance when you start (if any at all).
This could be deflating for someone who faces their fear and hits live only to be met with ZERO watchers… if that is the expectation.
We have to remember that when we show up, we do not know how our audience is going to engage or interact with us. Some groups are going to be chatty, vibrant and super engaging, but some can be very, very quiet and reserved.
We have to get good at engagement even when we feel like we’re not getting any. What we have to learn is how to adapt to bring our audience along with us on our journey because we want them to do something – whether that’s going into our freebie, buying our program, or even taking the next step with the action items that we give them. We are converting them, getting their buy-in and in order for that to happen, we need to have these moments where they are agreeing with us.
PRO TIP:
- When you go live, make it more of a conversation instead of a presentation.
- Put yourself in your audience’s shoes and incorporate questions to create interaction with them.
Way #3: Live video is a playground for you to become a better speaker.
We get so focused around trying to get our talk right that we often treat it as something that is so precious — it has to be perfect and it has to be this way.
What I want you to think about is that your next live is just another opportunity for you to practice. Treat it more like a playground where every speaking event that you do, you want it to be phenomenal. You don’t have to be so precious with it because there’s always going to be more, just take the pressure off yourself.
This is why I love going live because it gives you a stage to consistently show up and get comfortable speaking on it, testing your articulation skills, trying out different things and getting better as you go.
Way #4: Live video helps you become a better storyteller.
Similar with Way #3, most people get really freaked out or too excited about stories that they put all of this pressure to get the perfect story.vChances are, big stories can work but what I find is the stories that resonate the most with audiences are actually the little ones that you don’t think much about.
Understand that storytelling is an art form and live video gives the ability to articulate and tell different kinds of stories. What is important is you start testing out different stories and figuring out what sticks with your audience. (Listen to Episode #163: Let’s Talk About Stage Performance, Storytelling & All Things Speaking with Mike Ganino where we talk about what makes a story powerful on stage)
PRO TIP:
- Talk about something that happened and connect the dots into a lesson.
Way #5: Live video helps you stay top of mind for your audience.
I have witnessed some of the most brilliant speakers on the planet and I will tell you this with absolute conviction, I do not remember who was on stage when I had that thought. I can’t.
So the question is, do you want to be the most brilliant speaker on stage ever or do you want to be remembered and known and build relationships in a way that actually can help people beyond the stage?
Remember that when we’re going live, it isn’t just all about converting people or to have them actually hear our message. The thing is what often happens is we tend to get all set up in tactics and get effective results instead of leaning into more of a strategic way of thinking: how do we get in front of our people, start building relationships, and stay top of mind?
Know that your audience readiness or need for your product at this moment is going to be a very small subsection of these people. Think about how you can we leverage and fold in speaking as a way to stay top of mind for your ideal customers and your audiences because if you do, they will think of you and refer you to other people.
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Previous Episodes Mentioned:
- Let’s Talk About Stage Performance, Storytelling & All Things Speaking with Mike Ganino
- Why to NOT batch your weekly content (and what to do instead
- How to drive engagement from your virtual platform
- 5 Ways to Structure Live Video Shows with Melanie Dyann Howe
- How to Handle Tech Surprises When Virtually Speaking
