You have brilliant ideas and a powerful story to share, but you’re still not acing the stage and sharing them confidently with the world?
Mindvalley’s got your back and we’ve gathered seven powerful speaking hacks from one of the world’s most sought-after public speakers.
Because we know that today, more than ever, to be an accomplished public speaker means to amplify your success by tenfold. Honing this skill is a highway to influence and wealth, and a fast lane to attracting the highest levels of connections, exposure, and impact in the world.
At Mindvalley, we learn from the best, and when it comes to public speaking, few are as experienced, knowledgeable, and inspiring as serial entrepreneur Eric Edmeades, who has garnered 10,000 hours of stage time in 25 different countries.
He’s shared the stage with the likes of Anthony Robbins, Sir Richard Branson, and Bill Clinton and is one of the most sought-after speaking experts in the world.
Here are seven powerful ways he shares on how to become an extraordinary speaker:
1. Know Your Start and Your Ending
Always think about where you’re starting from, and land on a strategic close that’s likely to create an emotional response.
Make sure you are soul-stirringly anchored in your beginning so you can guide your audience from one powerful starting point to an equally compelling destination.
2. If You Want Your Audience to Feel, You Have to Feel
Feelings are a direct bridge to connection, so don’t be afraid to open up and discover what your ideas and stories stir up within you.
Feel excited, and you will provoke excitement in your audience. Feel awe, and you will provoke awe in your audience. Allow your feelings to guide the talk and connect you with your listeners.
3. Remember, Any Life Experience That Made You Feel Is a Story
We often stumble and say things like “Oh, I don’t have a story,” or “my story is not worth sharing.” But freeze, because that’s a limiting belief and do you want the truth?
You and everybody around have an unbelievable inventory of stories to pick from. All you need to do is unlock that treasure chest.
4. Build a Speech Map
Instead of trying to memorize your whole speech, create a speech map that places the themes and stories in the order you want to tell.
This way, instead of challenging your memory capacity the whole time, or even looking over notes and slides, you’re tapping into the core of what you have to share, and allowing flow to handle the rest.
5. You Won’t Master It Unless You Apply It
It sounds obvious, but practicing your speech on people before you share it on a stage is an essential part of taking your game to the next level.
It doesn’t have to be a big group, and it doesn’t have to be formal, just practice. Most people skip this step and wonder what they could have done differently.
You can practice at the dinner table with friends, or at work gatherings, or even at Toastmasters. The important thing is that you learn how to share your stories by practicing and knowing what that feels like in your cells.
6. Never Tell Your Audience You’re Nervous
Don’t fish for sympathy by saying you’re nervous or anything else that will ask the audience to sympathize. By doing that you’re convincing yourself that you’re not a magnificent speaker.
And you know what they say about self-fulfilling prophecies… Let’s focus all your attention on you being the most extraordinary speaker that the stage has ever seen.
7. Embrace the Silence
It’s amongst the most powerful tools you can use on stage and really allows your audience to soak in the information. Don’t try to fill it, and don’t allow it to unsettle you.
Instead, see how the silence amplifies the power of everything you have said by allowing your listeners to go even deeper.
