What is Confidence Anyway?
A recent guest on my podcast, *Speak Like Your Wealth Depends on It, told a story of triumph that touched millions with its vulnerability, honesty, and humanity.
My guest, Jerry Hall, recounts his son’s story of human achievement through impossible odds. This story struck a chord with so many as it speaks to our collective pursuit of a seemingly impossible dream.
Jerry explained his deaf and autistic son, Thomas, wanted to learn to drive a car. Driving a car was a skill that all his son’s caregivers, including himself, believed to be an impossible task. Despite the doubts, Thomas learned to drive and passed the test. He did it by stepping over excuses and believing in himself.
What’s at the heart of this story?
It is having the confidence to set a goal, work towards the goal, and reinvent the path forward until the goal is accomplished.
Public speaking and presentations follow the same philosophy.
I always share with my clients that the moment the obstacles seem too large to move is not the moment you give up, but rather the exact moment you keep going.
As evident by Thomas’ story, you truly never know what is possible until you try. Overcoming obstacles will be part of any journey yet are never a reason to stop moving forward.
How do you keep going through adversity?
I was confronted with this very question recently and took a chance.
I never expected an award!
I wanted to do something that made me feel uncomfortable, which I thought was impossible for me.
So, I decided to enter a dance competition.
Yes, a dance competition for Adult Solo Tap Dance!
I have always been fascinated by tap dancing. There is something classy and elegant about it.
So, I started taking lessons and I was asked if I wanted to compete.
I said YES immediately.
As I stood behind the stage waiting for my time to perform, I asked myself, “What the hell was I thinking? and “Why am I doing this?”
Trust me, true terror and fear were creeping in!
My name was called so I got up and did my routine.
It was solid. Never missed a step.
During the awards, the Emcee called me out specifically and awarded me the ‘Special Emcee Award’ – a small double bubble dispenser.
It wasn’t the award, but what he said that hit me, “You inspired so many people here today, including all of the dancers, to never give up on chasing their dreams”.
Wow. I was proud of myself.
So, where does the confidence to get uncomfortable come from?
It comes from a commitment and connection within and showing up even when it scares you.
Confidence comes from believing in yourself and your message.
When you get up in front of a room full of people to speak, believe in your message and understand what it means to you personally.
Find your confidence by first embracing the message you want to deliver.
Next, create a path to get there, and finally, be flexible to zig when you wanted to zag!
Once you have a road map for your presentation, confidence comes by believing deeply in what you are saying. This doesn’t mean you aren’t nervous, it means you believe your message is important and worth sharing.
Once you believe you have something of value to share, your story, body language, posture, and undeniable energy will draw your audience in.
Deliver to Your Audience Expectations
Knowing your audience allows you to tailor the message to what they want to hear.
This doesn’t mean you change your message; it means you deliver to their expectation including key points that matter to them, and a resonating tone, such as, motivation, inspiration, or impact.
Working with business and sales professionals, I often hear they want to share what they know, but is that always the best approach?
The short answer is no.
Tell the audience what they need to know. Not what you know.
Find out as much as you can about your audience by asking questions and knowing their values.
Asking questions is how you deliver a presentation the audience wants to hear. The same message, yet it’s wrapped in the package that speaks to them.
When you put all the pieces together, your energy shifts from performance to purpose, and your confidence grows.
As I like to say, your presentation moves from your head to your heart.
As a speaking coach, I do far more than help with delivery techniques. I help speakers uncover the confidence behind the message, trust their stories, and lead with their heart.
*You can find Jerry Hall’s full episode on my podcast under episode “Never Too Late to Become an Amazing Speaker: Jerry Hall’s Masterclass on Achieving Dreams” on your platform of choice.
