Top tips I’ve learned the hard way when speaking to groups either remotely or in-person:
Before:
- Prepare your content & tailor to the audience. Prepare, then trust your ability.
- Remember you have a body. Drink some water, move gently to energise rather than holding nerves as they build before you start.
- Breathe deeply with a steady rhythm beforehand to move your attention to your body.
- Less coffee. Too much for me causes increased excitation in my body which could be misunderstood to be anxiety as I’m speaking.
During
- Speak to one person at a time. Don’t try speak to a group. It’s impossible & you won’t connect authentically.
- Virtually: look at the camera as much as you can so it feels like eye contact.
- In-person: make eye contact around the room, not just the friendlies.
- Don’t forget to breathe.
- Don’t draw a box with your feet. Ground yourself through even weight distribution between both feet.
After
- Appreciate the opportunity. I move on too quick afterwards. Pause and reflect.
- Be kind in your reflection, you will focus on bad, others won’t have noticed most of what you notice.
- Ask for feedback & referrals if applicable.
- Update content based on what you learned or heard so your content connects more deeply.
Happy to be wrong!