Most people are unaware that before they ever start their presentation; they’ve already given away the key to success. 

Does fear disable you from presenting your message clearly in a concise professional manner?

Then you want to read this entire article.

I had an epiphany (sudden manifestation or perception of the essential nature or meaning of something). It happened similarly to when you’re really sick, you’re feeling crummy and day after day after day you’re just sick and you’re just waiting for this thing to be over and then one day you just kind of realize, “Hey, I’m not sick anymore”. Well it slowly went away but it was so slow that you didn’t realize.

One day, while working at the Airman Leadership School, someone in my audience asked me, “what’s the key to public speaking?” It was the first time anyone had asked me that question. I thought for a few seconds and I realized I hadn’t been uncomfortable with an audience like I used to in an outrageously long time and I just didn’t realize that I had figured out a way to master it. So, I started analyzing, how did this fear just disappear? How did it go away? What happened? What I found is, “Ah yeah, discomfort was associated with the power that I give to my audience.”

My answer to the question is this. Most people give their God-given power away before they ever meet their audience. By default fear disables them from walking in their power which makes them uncomfortable. So, when they begin their presentation it is by defalt subpar.

During a presentation the power can either be with the speaker or with the audience. Your actions and mindset are what directs the power. For the most part your audience is neutral and just accepts the power when you give it away. So, it’s up to you.

When I took back the power, it eliminated my discomfort and the audience’s power over me. The question you should ask yourself is, who is uncomfortable? Determine if it’s you or the audience.

I learned to behave in a way that made my audience uncomfortable. I might walk up to a desk look someone in the eye and just stand and look at them. I’d feel the power move from them to me and then walk to someone else’s desk and push their notebook an inch and not say anything to them. I would do this around the room until I could acknowledge that I had all power. These actions to establish power over my audience were all initiated subconsciously and it had been going on for a long time. They (my audience) were all paying attention to me. I had made them uncomfortable and therefore drawn their attention which in turn gave me the power to command the room, the audience, the delivery of information, to control it and to make it effective.

I want to challenge you to take a look at your own preparation, your own time the before speech, evaluate and examine it. Break it down and see what it is you’re doing mentally and physically to offer up the power without even knowing it. Identify it. Work to understand how you’re destroying your own efforts before you start your presentaion.

The easiest way to isolate whether you have offered up your power to your audience is to determine if you are comfortable. If you’re uncomfortable, you have given up your power. It’s that simple.

If you’re already there and you have confidence, but no power, then you need to use what I’ve coined as the Power Grab. What I described above about my behaviors to take the power from my audience is primitive its crude and awkward, but it works. That’s the Power Grab. I didn’t know I was doing it at first. After I had the epiphany, I began to refine it and so can you. Before you know it, instead of pulling power from each individual, you’ll only need to pull for a few seconds from the whole audience. 

Think about every speech or presentation as just another encounter with someone, with another group the same way you would stop in a hallway and greet them. Maybe talk to them about the weather or football game. There are no nerves in the hallway. There is no risk in the hallway. Your audience doesn’t have any power over you in the hallway. It’s just you and your audience. It’s exactly the same during your official presentation.

I keep the power reserved for me during my presentations. There are two key takeaways that will help you maintain your power:

#1 Look at the entire process, the whole thing as another encounter in a hallway

#2 Reserve the power for yourself. Put your audience in the uncomfortable state. Acknowledge that they’re uncomfortable and receive confidence as the power shifts.

It’s pretty easy, but it’s different for every person. So, take your time, evaluate what you do, what you’re thinking and take your power back.

Don’t let fear drive your performance.

If this article peaked your interest, go to free public speaking consultation. I will help you get a headstart on your power grab.