Powerful Presenting: How to Overcome One of the Nation's Greatest Fears

By Jefferson Noel

In this informational and inspirational book, Jeff Noel takes on one of America's top fears. The message of this book will motivate you to remember who you are so that you can build confidence, present powerfully, and overflow into the minds and hearts of your audience.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Jan 14, 2019
• ISBN: 9780999296134

Book preview

AUTHOR

Prologue

You would be surprised to learn what the average person fears. I am terrified of flying cockroaches, but I do not fear walking home at night in a bad neighborhood. I am (slightly) afraid of dogs that come within three feet of my personal space, but I would wrap a snake around my neck just to take a picture. The same way my fears tend to be irrational, it is hard for me to frown upon a person afraid of doing what I consider to be fun, which is speaking in public. I can almost feel the chills running down your back right now.

Through research, it is well documented that public speaking is consistently one of the greatest fears of Americans and people around the globe. If it is not ranked #1 in the phobia category, the chances are high that it is in the top five. Many people would even rank fear greater than death. That is sad. But one of the reasons why people dread presenting in front of others is because very few individuals were taught to do so effectively. Think about it; if in elementary school, middle school or in high school, we never took a course that explicitly taught us how to present in front of a crowd, how can we expect someone to bypass the social pressure of downright embarrassing oneself?

I would never barge into a foreign affairs meeting to decide diplomatic strategies in the Middle East. That is because I am not qualified to make decisions on that matter. I do not have the training, nor do I have enough experience. That is similar to public speaking. Most people do not have any formal training, and many have little to no experience. For those reasons, amongst many, the stage is one of the most feared places in the world. Luckily for you, I can be of assistance.

My first experience on the stage was at 14 years old. Since then, I have spoken in front of large audiences and small crowds, young listeners and old, presidents of colleges, dignitaries such as elected government officials and as a special guest at a youth conference in Haiti. Through Toastmasters International, I attained hundreds of hours of speech training and served as the Vice President of Education for the Orlando chapter. My home has many trophies I’ve won from speech competitions from local clubs to regional contests. I am currently serving as the senator of Communications and Journalism at Florida International University and I am a Communications Coach at FIU. In addition to that, I host many monthly events throughout the Miami community. Through all of my experiences, I have discovered strategies to become a powerful presenter.

That is the blueprint I will teach you in this book.

I must confess to you, I am humble enough to say I am not the greatest speaker of all time. I still stutter here and there. Truthfully, I stutter a lot. My voice sounds nasally sometimes from chronic nasal congestion, so, my voice is not the clearest. Yet, I manage to continue receiving invitations to speak at non-profit and community events, churches, conferences, high schools, and universities simply because I understand and apply the strategies, I will teach you in this book. Fasten your seat belts because we are going on a meaningful journey to help you become a powerful presenter!

ONE

The Game Starts at Practice

If you are a boxer, when does the fight begin? Does the fight start when you are in the ring, and the bell goes ding? What if you are an NBA player, when does the basketball game begin? Is it at tip off? Suppose you are an NFL player, when does that game start? Is it at the kick off? When the ball lands in your hands and 300 -pound men are charging towards you to rip your head off? What if you are a surgeon, when does the surgery start? Is it when the anesthesia kicks in?

The answer to all of those questions is an astounding NO! The match does not begin at the ding of the bell nor does the NFL game start at the kick off. The basketball game does not start at the tip off and the surgery does not start when the anesthesia kicks in. In the NFL, NBA, and Boxing, the competition begins during practice. The surgery starts when the surgeon decides to commit himself or herself to learning the steps necessary to perform a remarkable surgery.

One of the greatest boxers that ever lived, Muhammad Ali, said, the fight is won or lost far away from witnesses.

Before you arrive on stage, get introduced, and have the microphone in your hand, you have an obligation to begin your presentation. You must mentally prepare yourself to address your audience. Preparation is fundamental to becoming a powerful presenter.

The process you undertake before you utter a single word or phrase on stage can be the difference between a memorable presentation or a forgettable waste of time. The greatest speakers in the industry, commonly, are the ones who prepare the best. In this chapter, we will discuss concepts and ideas you must understand before you reach the stage.

One Million Equals One

Imagine for a moment you are walking onto the stage. Your eyes are closed, so you have not seen the crowd. They bring you to center stage. You can feel every beat of your heart and every breath you take. It is your time to deliver your presentation. Someone comes and hands you the microphone. You take a deep breath and your hand firmly grips the handle. You understand the material, and you are ready to begin your presentation.

As you open your eyes, you see millions of people in the audience! Immediately, everything you thought you knew, quickly escapes your mind. Everything you planned to say suddenly escapes your memory. Questions begin to invade your mind like: Why are there so many people? What if I am judged? What if I stutter? What if I say something wrong? What if my words are incoherent?