BUSINESS
On message
Speaking WITH
confidence
Lyn Roseaman of Toastmasters International, talks about being a skilful and sincere speaker online and in person…
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NCREASINGLY, many holistic therapists find themselves connecting to an audience online, or in a live setting, yet few of us are trained in working with an audience. Many of us find the idea frightening. To deliver a successful talk, workshop or training session, whether that’s online or in person, you need connection, change and confidence. Once you have these, you’re well on the way to being a skilful and sincere public speaker.
Creating Connection If you can’t connect with your audience, you might as well be talking to yourself! Think about how you connect with people socially. You probably smile and make good eye contact. You come across as likeable. What you say is also important and the fastest way to create a connection is to talk about things which you care about and which interest the other person. As therapists, it is likely that you will have that shared interest with your audience. Unless you are talking to a small group you know well, it is always a good idea to find out as much as you can about your audience in advance. This strengthens your ability to connect with them and influence their thinking and behaviour on their terms. It’s about answering their unspoken question: “What’s in it for me?” Knowing your audience will also give you strong pointers about delivery – whether you might need slides and how many, relevant stories you might include, appropriate levels of energy, vocal variety, body language and so on. Body language still applies even if your audience can only see your head and shoulders via a video link.
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holistic therapist 2020
holistictherapistmagazine.com
