Excerpt One: What Makes Someone Dynamic?

Some see dynamic as being flashy or flamboyant. To others, it’s about being authoritative or well groomed. Dynamic is really about confidence in yourself and “connecting” with the audience. Every presentation begins with the same circumstance --- there’s the speaker and the audience. The dynamic speaker obliterates that distinction by the time the speech is completed. A speaker may be very intelligent and knowledgeable, extremely well spoken, and physically attractive, but unless the audience feels the speaker “gets me and cares about what I need,” the speaker is not dynamic.

No one is born dynamic. You have to work at it. It begins with believing in yourself. If you don’t believe in yourself, why would you expect anyone else to? All of us have so much to share, but our nervousness can prevent us from being at our best. Our true “inner power” remains suppressed.

What a waste!

We first must confront the anxiety that holds so many speakers back. Once we have proven to ourselves that we are the ones in charge, the focus then shifts to developing the clarity and relevance that will light the spark with the audience --- a spark that leads to the unmistakable conclusion that we are all in this together.

Excerpt 2: One-Minute Wonders

This excerpt is from a section that focuses on one-minute speaking assignments given to attendees in a training session. The topics are all on something the speaker knows well.

These speaking exercises are designed to try to push speakers beyond where they normally go.
No one would ever challenge the speakers on not knowing enough about their topic. So the lack of expertise is not really the biggest hurdle is it? The great challenge is confronting the central issue --- the willingness to let go of our inhibitions and reveal ourselves. The real “fear of rejection” is not that we will be judged a bad speaker. The real fear is that we will reveal ourselves and be judged a bad person. Providing this “window” to strangers is more than many of us will dare to risk. It’s what makes our stomachs do flips.

It does not have to be that way!

This is where confidence comes in. Chances are very good you are not a bad person and the more you reveal yourself the more people are likely to appreciate your honesty, sincerity, and your humanness. They are empathetic to your struggle because it is one they share. They will admire your willingness to share yourself because they have felt the same twinges that have held them back.

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