I recently spoke at an event with a bunch of industry experts. While the content of the speeches and presentations was quite interesting – the form and execution of most was terrible. From 17 bullet point presentations with 12pt New Times Roman fonts, to a couple of simple slides and a stream of consciousness for 10 minutes. Both made it very hard to focus on the ideas that the speakers were trying to communicate and I felt myself often drifting away. After my presentation a friend told me he loved my speech and energy. He felt he himself is more of a “panelist” – not really made to present/speak on a podium.

A natural

That is bollox. Nobody is born as Steve Jobs, nor am I a natural presenter either. To this day I battle panic every time just before speaking publicly. I was forced to learn to fight it early on through various jobs and an MBA. It was tough and painful every time. The anxiety I experienced after a bad speech was numbing. But I got through it and now once I start a presentation I am pretty much comfortable and actually enjoy being up there. Your path does not have to be as painful. This, as any skill, can be learned, trained and practiced. Nobody is born a public speaker. It’s like a muscle that needs exercise.

Speak Up

There are many courses and organisations that teach public speaking. But in my humble opinion Speak-Up is up there with the best of the best. I participated in Speak-Up twice in the past 24 months. Once myself in an open group and once with a mixed WebSupport team. Both experiences have moved my presenting and speaking abilities forward and have been a lot of fun. If you feel you’re a terrible presenter, or you just want to improve your skills – I highly recommend Speak-Up. And to Veronika, Petra thank you!