As a presentation skills coach and trainer, I have had the
opportunity to observe presentations by many people from all backgrounds and
walks of life.
It is my firm belief - and experience has not contradicted me - that
while some people are more naturally comfortable with public speaking, EVERYONE
can become competent at it, IF they spend the time and work on the right
things. Yes, this means YOU, too!
We all know people who are very knowledgeable about a topic but can't
communicate effectively. We also know people who don't know very much, but they
"talk good." Each group of people can only get so far in their
careers before they hit a roadblock. Your goal is to have both knowledge AND
the ability to communicate that knowledge effectively.
The ability to communicate effectively what you know is the one
skill that will differentiate you from everyone else. It doesn't matter what
your background is, where you went to college (or even IF you went to college)
or where you grew up - if you are an expert at something and can communicate
that expertise effectively, you will succeed. Period.
Make this the time in your life that you commit to getting better
at public speaking and eliminating the roadblock in your path to success and
confidence.
How? There are many things you can do... practice, volunteer for
opportunities to speak at work, join Toastmasters, hire a presentation skills
coach, videotape yourself presenting, take a presentation skills
class, watch a colleague who is a good presenter... the first step is
to BELIEVE that you CAN get better and the second step is to COMMIT
to spending the time and energy to get better by practicing in the right way.
And as you take those steps, feel free to reach out to me for guidance.