Building my own business has led me into many areas where I feel I need to learn more or develop my skills in order to succeed. I have been practising one of these skills this week, having been invited to speak at a business event today.

I am always happy to talk to people about the journey I have been on, my experiences as a life coach and as a small business owner. I have many stories to tell about my progress in all these areas. But I know that as a public speaker I have to deliver these stories differently. In a one-to-one coaching session I am really in my comfort zone; when confronted by an audience I have to work at my delivery and interact in a way which is less natural for me.

There are many tips and tricks available to the novice speaker, but I would suggest focusing on one area first – get feedback! We all see many presentations delivered to varying levels of quality – from smooth and engaging to rather excruciating. We rarely see our own presentations to make these judgements, relying on other people to give us the sometimes harsh news that we are not the most natural or engaging presenter, maybe that we need to look at a different approach.

I would recommend that you help yourself to improve by generating as much feedback for yourself as possible. Work hard at your performance by:

Having someone you really trust see you run through your presentation and get good feedback from them.
Taking a friend to your “show” and getting them to tell you what they really think.
Using video or audio recording to get a true view of how you look and sound – you may surprise yourself.

Above all, keep working at it – there is always room for improvement and it will help you enjoy your journey.

Lastly, thank you to Ema Doherty from Exact Makeup Art and Red Leopard Colour & Style for inviting me to speak at your Christmas Sparkle Shopping Event, I had a most enjoyable and informative afternoon.