As I scrolled through my LinkedIn the other day, I saw that a contact of mine had posted a terrific new op-ed. I complimented her on one of the points that she had made, closed my laptop, and then I reflected on our relationship over the years.
We are professional colleagues, but I started thinking about how she had helped me once upon a time. She really had gone above and beyond to offer advice and consolation at one of the lowest points of my career. This lead me to think about when we first met, at a meeting of Pacers Toastmasters a few years before that.
It was then that I remembered a photo I had taken that I have looked at from time to time over the years when I need a boost. It was a simple, two-word compliment that I have carried with me in my heart and my mind ever since. She had written it in response to one of the first speeches I gave as a member of that club:
There it was. Long before I ever started this business, when I was “too junior” to be considered truly great, I remembered that someone had recognized my legitimacy as a storyteller. I honestly don’t remember what I said in that speech - or even what it was about - but it obviously made an impact on her.
This is an important lesson for every one who ever speaks publicly, whether it’s their first time on stage or their millionth. Nerves and anxiety are real, but so is impostor syndrome. Both can be damaging for your content - not necessarily the words on the page, but the connection that you have to them. This, in turn, affects the connection your audience will have to them.
What are the best ways to combat this phenomenon?
First, spend time with your own story: It’s important that the audience knows which parts have meaning to you, but you can’t always anticipate which parts will have meaning to them. You don’t know which parts of your story will have meaning.
There’s a famous quote in the world of marketing from John Wanamaker: “Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don’t know which half”. I prefer to think of this from a “glass half full” perspective - some parts of your experience will be more impactful than others. You can prepare but often times not predict. It’s best to take the journey along with your audience as authentically as possible.
Second, think from the audience’s perspective. Aside from speaking authentically, the best way to speak to an audience is by translating specific knowledge and expertise into stories.
Stories are the tools that lead your audience from beginning to end. In a world where knowledge is easily acquired but not correctly applied, the audience is looking to you. Please don’t confuse this with “dumbing down” any of your material. I have worked with clients that have described very detailed procedures in their presentations. This gives the audiences context and clues to your intent and purpose, even if they don’t understand every single technical term.
If you’re able to spend time with your own story, and then successfully balance your expertise with solid storytelling, you can achieve “gifted” status - even if it’s in the mind of just one audience member.