Should you raise your prices in 2021?

Speaking

With Lyn Roseaman of Toastmasters International, talks about being confidence a skilful and sincere speaker online and in person… INCREASINGLY, 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.

A message that drives change

Speaking is an opportunity to share your knowledge of holistic therapies and positively impact others.

When preparing a talk, try starting at the end. What do you want your audience to think, feel or do differently after they’ve heard your talk? What is the one important message you need them to take away? Jot it down in large letters in fewer than ten words and keep it visible. Any content that doesn’t support your message doesn’t belong in this particular talk.

developing confidence

Confidence matters because it is part of your authority and credibility as a speaker.

When audiences sense you’re nervous, they will often be more concerned about your wellbeing than about what you’re saying. Confidence allows your listeners to relax and engage with what you have to say; your message, not how you’re feeling.

For therapists giving talks is a great way to share your knowledge and to promote your services. Confident speakers are frequent speakers, so take every opportunity to speak up, be it to a small group of fellow therapists, in video meetings, or on a Skype call. Get comfortable with speaking and take opportunities to practise different techniques, e.g. voice projection, storytelling, opening a session with impact. Invite people to give you specific feedback on what they liked and any improvements they would welcome to improve their experience.

Speaking styles

Adapt your speaking style to suit different audiences and speaking situations. If your intention is to inspire, you probably need to share your story and invite your audience to adopt your experience and learnings into their own lives. In these situations, slides can be an obstacle and undermine the emotional connection of a story.

If you pitch for training work, you obviously need to demonstrate your competence but also what it will be like to work with you, showing what the relationship would be like.

It’s worth looking at speakers with different intentions - the politician campaigning for election, the televangelist soliciting donations or presenters on shopping channels – and exploring their speaking styles. Whatever style you deem appropriate to connect with, and delight, your audience, remaining ‘true to you’ is crucial.

Being ‘true to you’

So how do you remain authentic?

YOU CARE, WE CARE

When you talk about the therapies you care about, your personal passion will shine through. Assuming you’ve taken care to choose a topic that’s relevant to your audience, they will happily connect and engage with you.

adapt your speaking style to suit different audiences and speaking situations.

WE LOVE A GOOD STORY

Storytelling is part of ‘belonging’ and also a way of staying together and safe within the group. Storytelling connects us as human beings. Opening a talk with a well-crafted and relevant personal story will captivate an audience. Personal stories are authentic and uniquely yours to tell.

Stories are also memorable and create and far more impact than facts and figures.

YOUR VOICE

Your voice is part of who you are. Your accent is part of your identity. Authenticity is not about trying to hide or change your voice. It’s about being proud of your voice and learning how to use it effectively so that you bring both ease of understanding and interest to your listeners. Think about the pace, pitch and volume of your voice and how to project it so that your words are clear, interesting and meaningful. Use pauses for impact or to give your audience time to reflect on what you’re saying.

YOUR BODY DOESN’T LIE

If your words don’t match your facial expressions or hand gestures, audiences will believe what they see over what they hear:

You can finesse your body language for a presentation or talk. For instance, an excess of hand gestures and arm waving can become distracting; try dialling it down by letting your hands relax at your side. You want to use gestures and expressions that feel natural and reinforce your words and meaning. Notice your body language in everyday conversation and bring that authenticity to your talks, scaling up or down for the size of your audience and the platform (scale it up for a large conference style, dial it down for a small video meeting).

AUTHENTICITY ADDS ORIGINALITY

We live in a world that values authenticity. We encourage transparency and openness. We want to hear each other’s stories and we embrace vulnerability. The bonus of being authentic is that you don’t have to work out how to be someone you’re not. Furthermore, it often feels as if there is so much information available to us that it’s difficult to come up with something new and interesting to say. Being authentic in everything you say and do helps you come across as original and unique and congruent with the work you do. As therapists you have valuable messages to impart. I hope these tips will help build your confidence so you can connect authentically with your audiences large and small. n

i

LYN ROSEAMAN, DTM, is a member of Toastmasters

International, a not-for-profit organisation that has provided communication and leadership skills since 1924 through a worldwide network of clubs. There are more

than 400 clubs and 10,000 members in the UK and Ireland. Members follow

a structured educational programme to gain skills and confidence in public and impromptu speaking, chairing meetings and time management. To find your nearest club, visit www.toastmasters.org