BELIEVE WHAT YOU SAY

You need to speak with passion and conviction. That doesn’t mean you need to go all theatrical, strutting around the stage delivering your lines in a booming voice, accompanied by grand gestures. But it does mean that you have to believe what you say.

Although that may seem obvious, I have seen speakers on stage who clearly aren’t convinced by their own arguments. It may be that they have been employed to promote a product or service that they don’t believe in, or simply that they are not enthusiastic about their topic. Whatever the reason, the audience could tell.

Signs that you lack conviction might be lack of eye contact, excessive use of notes, or something in your voice or movement that gives it away. Some of these symptoms may be caused by nervousness. So here’s what to do. Firstly, make sure, either by preparation, or training, or both, that you can control your nerves. Secondly, only speak when you believe what you are saying. That’s it.

By Alan Stevens, Media Coach www.mediacoach.co.uk