Welcome once again to the Journey of a Presenter, subtly named The ‘Presenters Journey’.
I have chunked my value model, which I call The Presenter’s Journey, into 5 different stages and in this article I will talk you through the FOURTH level, the most common mistakes people make at this level and share 3 simple ways I can take you to the next.
In my previous blogs, I wrote about the first, second and third levels called CONFIDENCE, CLARITY, and COLOURING. The FOURTH LEVEL, perhaps my favorite and the one which really has the most impact, is called “CONNECTION”.
The most beautiful part of CONNECTION is that you can also have this right from the start, right back where you are searching for confidence. You see, the connection is about the audience being able to see who you are, who you really are.
“AUTHENTICITY and VULNERABILITY TO PRESENTING IS WHAT SALT IS TO SOUP.”
Quite often, around here, many good Presenters worth watching are looking for that last missing ingredient. They no longer what to present like a TV Presenter of a Travel Show, they want to be felt and to feel.
I tell my clients often, for you to teach being real or authentic you must be the example!
Remember the audience is buying into you, not your business. For example, if you had five people lined up who had exactly the same service or skill, how do you choose which one to work with?
The answer is – the one you connect with!
The beauty of this also means, that if you start connecting with your audience you also attract the client that actually suits you.
Many Presenters start to become ‘technically’ good, however, this is missing the real point of presenting which is to shift hearts and minds. This can only be really done at a deep level when you’re connecting.
Connecting is also about creating REAL TRUST. I don’t know how many times someone has said to me they’re ‘trying’ to present so they look trustworthy.
If you’re already a trustworthy person, then just be you!
Only those who are not to be trusted need to act this way. That right there should be, and is, a warning sign for any audience.
Those looking to connect are looking for that ability to reach people in a way that FEELS RIGHT on a level where each word touches not only your audience but feels right to you too. It’s less about the words and more about the feeling that goes with it. This is an incredible place to present from.
“WHEN YOU MOVE YOUR PRESENTING FROM YOU HEAD TO YOUR HEART, YOU WILL NEVER FORGET YOUR WORDS ON STAGE AGAIN.”
COMMON MISTAKES MADE AT THE CONNECTING LEVEL
• You still value style over the connection. Somewhere you have learned presenting is technical, but the truth is that people don’t give a shit where your hands are, they care where your heart is!
• You don’t know what authenticity and vulnerability are at this level.
• You wear a mask when it’s ‘show time’. Limiting what the audience sees of you.
• You’re doing this to be good but not for your audience – this is not about you!
• The ego is put before the shifting of the hearts and minds of the audience. For example, ‘how do I look’.
Let’s look at 3 things I’ll do to take you to the next and last level of STAR.
• Firstly, it’s time to remove the masks you wear to protect yourself or have trained yourself to use when performing. This is a process you’ve used for a long time. Not only does this free you up to present like never before but your audience can now see and feel you! The best part here is that you also begin to feel on a level that you’ve not done before when Presenting, and it feels GREAT!
• Teach emotional cues to pepper throughout your story that resonate with your audience. There is no point telling stories that don’t hit the mark. Understand how to tell the story that works for a specific audience, learn to play and connect at the same time.
• Learn to literally FEEL every word as they leave your lips. Let your own self-guide you as to what you say next and what words you use. This is a true gift. There is no insecurity about silence. There is no worrying about how you look … the focus here is to feel into what you are saying. Deliberate, measured and from the space of heart.
That’s the fourth and my favorite level, of my value model that I call CONNECTION.
Being able to connect with your audience on the deepest level is hugely satisfying. It also means you don’t need to be in the ‘right’ headspace to present. You simply BE and speak from your heart and not your head. Can you imagine how great and freeing this is? It’s a true gift!
