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When you’re speaking with the intent of achieving a goal – whether it’s to share your concerns at a PTA meeting, in a conversation to be considered for a raise, or to inspire a group of people to think differently – there are two big components you need to be effective: Strategy and Presence. Strategy is the what you say and the structure of your presentation.
Having a good strategy is certainly important. However, the people I work with often tell me their message isn’t getting the reaction they want and they ask what’s the missing piece. The missing piece is presence. To me, presence is a magnetic confidence that attracts positive attention and allows you to make the impact you want to make without intimidating or diminishing others.
That magnetic confidence is sometimes hard to define with words, but when you see it, you certainly know it. To help illustrate, I have decided to share my personal “before and after” video.
While my “before” video is certainly embarrassing, I hope you will see how being grounded and centered helps me to present my message with greater impact. When I connect to the value of what I’m sharing, focus my attention on my power center (lower belly), make and open my energy, I have greater confidence and feel more relaxed within myself. I realized that practicing presence instead of perfecting my strategy makes me more real and helps me to connect with my audience. Developing and using my magnetic confidence results in new opportunities, better relationships and stronger connections.
I hope that my before and after video helps you to see in action the key areas that make up presence:
1) Your Body – our bodies give us away. Any insecurities or doubt you’re feeling get broadcast to your audience. Does your body support or take away from your message?
2) Connection/Resonance with your audience – in order for people to want to take action, they have to feel something. Are you creating a real connection or talking at a sea of faces or off of your script?
3) Your Energy – how it draws people in or pushes them away (magnetic).
Strengthening your presence and developing magnetic confidence takes study and practice. I believe in the practices I teach to help women develop presence, charisma, and confidence to reach their goals. I have seen dramatic and powerful changes in my students who use these techniques as well as within myself.
On 2/7/15, I am hosting an all-day Present with Confidence workshop at Morgan Run Golf Club and Resort. Attendance in this workshop will provide you the opportunity to practice these techniques and create your personalized “Presentation Prep Process”. More information and registration materials are available by clicking here.
To sign up to receive my 3 Keys to Presenting With Confidence and stay in the loop, click here and fill in the forms on the right-hand side of the page.
Thanks for watching and reading! See you next week.