I’m willing to bet that when you think about public speaking, you get nervous or at least a bit uncomfortable. The great Google says it is one of the top fears that most of us share. And who can argue with Google? I remember the first time I gave a water treatment speech in front of some of my father’s clients. It was not very good.
In fact, it was downright bad. However, that was my first, not my last. To date I have spoken hundreds of times on water treatment topics. And… many actually pay me to do it (it’s a good thing they didn’t see that first presentation.) Don’t ever make first into the last. I cannot tell you how many times I did not make a great presentation, but I can tell you that ever presentation I make is better than the one that came before it. Embrace the felling of fear, it means you are challenging yourself to grow.
Fast-forward to today and I love to speak (a good quality to a podcast host.) I still apply the same philosophy of I get better at everything that I do because I challenge myself to not only keep doing it but do it better the next time. Any one that listens to episode one of Scaling UP! H2O can see that practice makes you better (please don’t listen to episode 1…)
My guest today is Dez Thornton, a public speaking coach. Dez work with CEO’s, sales people and everyone in between to make them be able to better get their message across. I know because he has helped me. Dez can deconstruct what and how you speak to make you speak better. Join me as I interview Dez and he leads us all down the path of communicating better.
A lot of people would rather take a beating than get up and speak in front of a group. But with a speaking coach like Dez, before you know it … you’ve chiseled out a tight outline, told a great story, had a few belly laughs and realized you’ve got the audience eating out of the palm of your hand.
Professionally trained at the University of South Carolina and Dale Carnegie, he is a past president of the Georgia Chapter of the National Speakers Association and the winner of Speak Tank, a speaking competition hosted by the NSA. He has been a speech coach for TEDx Peachtree, coached hundreds of professionals and corporate clients, and even taught a public speaking class for 7 years at a federal prison.
At the tender age of nine, Dez forgot his lines in a church play but he never forgot the embarrassment and humiliation that followed. Since then, he’s dedicated himself to learning and teaching the art of speaking and helping thought leaders say the right words in the right way when they matter most.
Timestamps
Fears on Public Speaking [0:02:58]
How to become a good communicator [0:07:16]
Public Speaking Myth [0:10:11]
Strategies on getting your audiences attention [0:11:09]
Problems on Public Speaking that we have to deal with [0:13:53]
Understanding your audience [0:19:56]
Things you need to accomplish on public speaking [0:21:04]
What to expect|goals? [0:29:41]
How to do presentations? [0:32:43]
How to plan ahead for a presentation? [0:41:02]
Tips from Dez [0:43:01]
Starting you presentation with a Powerpoint is a NO [0:46:50]
Sales and Communication [0:48:38]
Quotes
“Everybody’s fear is to get in front of bunch of other people and start speaking.” – Trace Blackmore
“The more I have done it, it does not make me as nervous. But the less I am prepared the more nervous I am.” – Trace Blackmore
“One of the main objective when you are speaking is CLARITY!” – Dez Thornton
“Every presentation needs to have that one thing that the communicator wants the audience to get” – Dez Thornton
“Everything matters when it comes to presentations. It’s home-run or nothing!” – Dez Thornton
“Starting you presentation with a Powerpoint is a NO! Here’s why… ” – Dez Thornton
“You need to analyze what does your audience needs to know before you start speaking to them.” – Dez Thornton
Links Mentioned
