In today’s episode, I’m going to teach you four levers that you can adjust to become a better speaker. Pinpointing exactly where to focus will allow you to self-evaluate so you can make quick progress with your development. I believe that when you are more intentional with your message, speaking can become your best marketing tool. 

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Episode Show Notes

4 C’s – Four Levers That Will Help You Become A Better Speaker

1. Clarity

Have you ever started talking and realized that you’re not entirely sure what point you’re trying to make? So you keep talking, thinking… it will become clear!

This is completely fine for everyday conversation (I mean, we all do it!), but when it comes to speaking on behalf of your brand clarity is critical.

Donald Miller, Author of Story Brand, says “When you confuse, you lose.” 

This is especially true with speaking.

Clarity is making sure that whenever you speak to an audience or a person, you know what the heck you’re trying to say. It doesn’t have to be perfect and it doesn’t (and shouldn’t) be a script, but you should have a clear direction of where you’re going and what the point is.

Prompts to help you stay clear on your core message:

• What do you want your audience to do? 
• How do you want them to feel? 
• What do you need them to know in order for that to be true? 

Actionable Tip: You don’t need to have a script or say everything in a sentence. I recommend that when creating a video or delivering a talk you have a core message written on a little piece of paper with a few bullet points to follow as a guide.

2. Confidence

This is where so many stumble. Second guessing themselves, imposter syndrome, worried they’ll forget an important point. A lack of confidence sabotages connection with an audience. 

Remember that people listen and follow those who are confident. And if you were second guessing yourself on a stage or on a video, they are going to feel it in your energy and in your words, noticing something is off.

Actionable Tip: Two strategies I teach my clients are: 1) when you are prepared you can trust that your message will come out of your mouth exactly as it should for that audience (even if it’s imperfect). 

And 2) place your confidence in knowing that you can add value and help people.  You might not feel totally confident with yourself, but I bet if you’ve helped others before who are very similar to who’s in your audience. Trust in that experience, be confident in knowing you can serve. It doesn’t mean your nerves are going to go away, but you’ll push through them with confidence in your ability to serve.

3. Competence

You can’t get better by speaking without learning new skills, so elevate your intention for which skills you’re actively developing. 

And bonus, competency and confidence work hand in hand. When your competency grows, so does your confidence.  One of my favorite videos explaining this correlation is the Confidence + Competence look by Brendon Burchard.

Actionable Tip:

When you watch or listen to your favorite online influencer, don’t just learn their content, pay attention to HOW they speak. Notice their pace and tone, how they look at the camera, their energy level, etc. When you start looking at the structure of how other people speak, you’ll start noticing SKILLS.  Take note of which one’s you could learn. 

4. Charisma

Charisma is about your energy with an audience. It does not mean you need to be loud, have funny jokes, or be the rah-rah-rah cheerleader. You just need to bring the energy necessary for your message as long as it’s authentic to you.  Understand that charisma and energy are unique and you have to do the work to understand what’s most natural to you. 

Actionable tip: Be aware of the energy you’re bringing to the audience because at the end of the day, your energy is what captures the audience’s attention and drives them into action. When you bring authentic energy that’s necessary for that moment, that’s when you’ll be remembered (and seamlessly convert audience members into followers or customers).

Tune into the episode with the player on the top of this page, or read the full episode transcript here.

Links mentioned in episode:

3 Ways to Elevate Your Authority By December 31st – BONUS Episode