Just because I write about Public Speaking doesn’t make me an expert. In fact, I’m not a highly skilled public speaker myself.
I’m not up there with the elite.
I’m probably technically sound and can hold the attention of an audience for a while. I’ve won a few competitions, but I’m unlikely to consistently get paid to speak to an audience as a keynote speaker or similar.
What I do know is that I’ve come from zero to something. I started with a fear of speaking, even speaking up, and was determined to overcome that fear. I knew how important it was for my career. Now I crave for any situation that puts me in front of an audience. I love it.
I feel confident in sharing what worked for me.
I’ve found that the best coaches aren’t those who are exceptionally talented in their field. The best footy coaches I’ve seen are the ones who weren’t the star player. The best Maths teachers I’ve seen are the ones who struggled to understand at school – but stuck to the task and learnt the rules in the end.
The naturally talented find it difficult to break down the components of a skill so that it can be taught.
They say, “Just go out there and get the ball”
The coach who has had to learn the skills, breaks it down for the learning player.
“Stand over there and then move over there when the ball comes down this way.”
I’m happy to share what I know about Public Speaking and Presentation skills. I’ve had to learn them one by one myself.
It never came naturally to me.
