One of the biggest lessons of this moment in time is that there is no substitute for in-person meetings. This is something I’ve always known and have spoken and written extensively about. It’s my my business creed.
Now it’s dawning on everyone.
Maybe you’ve been thinking. “This new normal of virtual communication means I don’t have to be around these people I can’t stand. Yay!”
And lately you may be thinking, “All I want to do is be sitting at a bar with these same people I couldn’t stand brainstorming ideas.”
The need for human contact, that human connection that you can only get in-person isn’t going away. It will never go away. It’s what makes us human. To admit we miss this is to free ourselves up so we can carry on effectively until we can resume being together in-person.
And once this is past, it’ll be back with a vengeance. People will be so hungry for it. Therefore, throughout all this, you’ve got to keep up your skills.
Don’t let them slide.
In the words of the immortal Joni Mitchell, “You don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone.”
In Part 3 of my TED Talk journey, I’m going to show you how to prepare for a TED Talk. In my recent newsletters (Part 1 here & Part 2 here), I wrote and spoke about how I applied for and was selected to do a TEDx Talk, as well as how torturous the preparation process has been. I’m pleased to report the worst has passed and I’m now at a point where I can (mostly) enjoy myself.
Things turned the corner about 3 weeks ago. One of my biggest sticking points was that it was far too long. This has always been a problem for me… I want to give everything. But when you only have 12 minutes, everything is not an option. I could not figure out what to cut…
I was paralyzed and knew I needed an outside view. So I hired a coach and together we cut.
This was a huge relief because once that pressure was off and a nearly final draft was ready, I was able to get down to the business of rehearsing, i.e., saying it out loud. (As I always tell clients, rehearsing in your head doesn’t count; we’re all very eloquent in our own heads.) I also had to produce slides.
Rehearsing is extremely tedious and boring. You’re basically saying the same thing over and over again while trying to keep it fresh. It’s also critically important. By feeling how the words roll off your tongue, you can identify trouble spots and edit. As a result, I tightened it up.
Just about 2 weeks ago, I started trying it out on friends and my daughters. I rarely do this. I have a pretty practiced ear and know how to structure with stories, humor, and other devices. However, I felt this talk is so different from anything I’d ever done, and the stakes so high, that it was crucial to get some feedback from people I respected. This also adds the element of the jitters. Yep, I get nervous. But it’s important to know how that’s going to feel when the big moment arrives. Nerves always work in my favor… but only when I’m super prepped. Once I say the first couple of lines, it converts into this beautiful form of energy and the audience and speaker become one. It’s exhilarating.
Anyway, I received some excellent feedback and have been able to make some minor, but helpful changes before it’s too late. I’m not one of those people who can change things until the last second. (Truthfully, I don’t think anyone should be doing that, but some workplaces make it unavoidable.)
Mostly, what this has proven to me – and I seem to always need this proof – that it does all work out. IF I practice what I preach.
Meaning, I practice.
P.S.: I’ve put about 150 hours into this since the end of November. That might scare you (it scares me!) but it’s the only way I have found to hit a home run.
Sooner or later, you’re going to have to get up and speak in front of an audience. Companies are now sending junior executives to speak at conferences to educate customers and prospects and help spread the brand’s message.
Unfortunately, speaking remains at or near the bottom of the list of priorities for most people even though ultimately it becomes a job requirement. Equally unfortunately, training budgets have been cut in recent years leaving those junior executives – and everyone else – to fend for themselves.
So today, I want to share 5 tips about how you can start strong with public speaking and grow your skills so when opportunity calls, you’re ready.
