Remember last year, when you gave a talk, that public talk, & it was terrible, just genuinely awful- the worst talk ever?
And to be clear, this was not one of those- “Are you sure it was that bad? Maybe you’re just being hard on yourself…” For reals, it honestly was that bad.
You flew through 2 hours of content in 45 minutes. You read every single word that you spoke from your notes. You never did settle in, slow down, or take it in stride. You looked up only at the very end to see where you were going to walk off stage. And your audience consisted of four people— including your mother & one of her friends. It was your first live presentation & the thought that anyone from anywhere could be watching at any time terrified you. Your performance showed as much.
A few hours (days, hours, whatever) later, you were able to put down regret & pick yourself back up. You listened to Brené Brown’s talk about vulnerability hangovers, reminded yourself that it’s a thing, & found solace in the realization that you would likely never give a talk that badly ever again. Probably. It was over now; it wasn’t pleasant, but you survived.
Fast forward a year later. You have a fantastic opportunity to give not one but two talks. While your audience is limited, it’s still possible that anyone from anywhere could watch at any time, but this thought no longer terrifies you. Instead, you are calm, cool, and collected. You are prepared; you BRING it.
Why? What’s different?
For one, as previously mentioned, you chose to believe you could never give a talk as bad ever again, & you created this reality for yourself.
Also, you remember that if you ever did have a similar experience, you would be OK; you’d survive. So, even if it feels like it, you will not actually die from giving another talk. And while not desirable, you are willing to feel that bad again because you know you will be OK.
Most importantly, you’ve learned how to get crystal clear on the value you provide to others.
You “mine” the evidence by asking yourself:
Why are you the right person for this?
Why is this the right audience?
Why is this the right information?
What is the right dose or amount of information (how deep do you want to go)?
What is the right route (how do you want to deliver this information)?
Why is this the right time (why now)?
Why is this the right reason, or why does this audience need this information?
What is the right response you want the audience to have?
Regarding right documentation- ASAP after the talk, do a quick evaluation: what went well, what didn’t go so well, what would you do differently- so you have straightforward suggestions for next time!
