How Kamala Harris reduces her presentation nerves.
In my previous blog I described how Kamala Harris gathered with some teenage girls after one of her public speaking performances. One of the girls approached Kamala with the question: “How are you so good (in public speaking)?”
Kamala answered: Think “It is not about you”.
What does Kamala precisely mean with this?
Why can this be such a good way to reduce your nerves?
To understand this, the picture down below can be helpful.
On the left-hand side in orange, you can see an orange square, here you speak from a place of suffering. On the right-hand side you see a blue square. Here you speak from a place of freedom.
In short, are you speaking from fear, or are you speaking from freedom?
On the left-hand side you can see I surrounded the words “sluier van zelfbewustzijn” with a red circle. This freely translate to “that while you speak a veil of self-consciousness lies over you”.
And this happens often.
What do I mean?
While presenting you are preoccupying yourself with, how do I come across? Do I say the right thing now, or should I have said it another way? Do I sound ok? Ohh my gosh, I see this person looking on his iPhone. I am probably not doing a good job here. Should I use my hands more or is it better to keep them where they are?
The consequence of this, is that you are less focused when you speak. You could say you are actually elsewhere.
Now back to Kamala. What is it that she does with her mantra: “it is not about you” when you speak?
With one decisive tug, she removes, this veil of self-consciousness. So, that it is no longer in the way and does not lay over her, like an old, musty blanket, when she speaks.
By doing this, she can totally focus on what is key, namely her story! “What does the audience need to know, what I know” as she later explains.
It makes her “connected”, “present” and “focused” when she presents. There is no scattered attention on side issues that are not key.
“It gives her more grip mentally. And her sneakers give her the needed physical grip ;-)”
In short: “it is not about you”.
Do not pull this musty blanket of “over consciousness” over yourself when you speak. Decide to throw it off, so you can focus on what truly matters when you speak. Your story.
This refocus, “it is not about you” reduces your nerves and will make you a better speaker at the same time.
Up to you to decide to remove the veil!
Good luck!
Do you really want to know how to do this?
Then apply for one-to-one coaching “Presenting on Sneakers” where you will learn how to present with more grip, impact and pleasure.
Want to know more? Mail to: info@presentingwithimpact.nl
Or look at the footage.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HSy-ykDgL0
Mabel