How to give a talk with confidence
At the end of 2020, I listened to the book The Practice by Seth Godin. The most repeated phrase that helped me was, “Trust the process’. It is by having a process that people become exceptional at what they do. Whether you are a writer, a fitness coach, or a pastor; the process is your best friend.
As I listened to this book, it gave me the extra nudge I needed to write these blog posts as I realised I already had a proven process I was using as a content creator for over 25 years. I needed to trust that this same process would work for me as I write articles or give a speech.
All across the world leaders and pastors have had no choice but to go online to reach their audiences. It has highlighted two problems for us that will make us better communicators when acknowledged and addressed.
No energy from the room
There is something very reassuring and powerful when you give a live speech in front of an audience as they are ready and willing to push you to do your best. As a speaker, you can feel that energy and even follow the flow in the room. This, of course, is gone when you have to preach to a camera. Sure, you may receive some comments in the chat, but this is not the same as looking into the eyes of those you are speaking to and watching your words land and connect with them.
No place to hide
For those who would use a lectern, it now means you have no place to hide. It means you must now give extra attention to your body language, your attire and your quoted content. There is currently no room for those dodgy quotes and stats that you heard at some conference from some other speaker, who heard from someone else. You know what I mean! You must know what you are saying, as this is going live to the world to watch and listen.
Now, don’t panic as Seth Godin says, “Trust the process”!
At this point, I am writing this from the perspective of a church Pastor, but the process will work in other contexts as well, for example, youtube videos or podcasts. So keep reading.
In this article, I want to give you the tools you need to -
Be able to deliver a speech with confidence and conviction.
Be able to talk without using a script (notes) to help you come across more trustworthy.
The process works, so work the process
Please, please, please don’t leave your talk to the last minute as your audience deserves the best. I would typically start two weeks out in my preparation if possible. As a Lead Pastor, I knew what it was like to speak nearly every week in the year and how much preparation this requires, so starting two weeks out was not always possible. I now have the privilege of being part of a wider team of speakers at IKON church, and so two weeks is now easier.
However, even when speaking numerous times per week, I would never leave this to the last minute. I would always plan at least 12 months in advance on the big headlines, then month by month for the more details, finally one week out I would create the talk.
Research
Two weeks out (6-8 hours)
Your research should start two weeks before your speech is due and should be around 2 hours for every 10 minutes you plan to speak. Trust me when I say no shortcuts allowed! Especially if you want to deliver your speech with confidence and conviction. During this preparation stage, you will get to know your content well and then be ready to include or eliminate what you don’t need for the up and coming talk. In my experience research time is never wasted as what you don’t use this time you will most likely use again.
REMEMBER, no shortcuts allowed!
Write
One week out (5-6 hours)
It would help if you did this at least one week out from giving the talk. I would typically do this on a Monday morning from 7 am - 1 pm. It is essential to set a time frame as you work and have some clear focus as what Cal Newport calls, “Deep Work”. Content creators are real artists who do not know when to stop. It may not be an issue if this is all you are doing in the church. However, this is often not the case, and sermon preparation is usually one of many things that will be on your schedule.
Here are the five stages that every talk should include to communicate with confidence and conviction before the camera or a live audience.
Opener
Tension point
Solution
Application
Vision for the future
If you are unaware of the above, make sure you read my next blog post to cover these five stages in-depth.
Review
Three days out (1-2 hours)
Thursday is an excellent time to review what you have written to ensure you are on track for what you need to say. You could find yourself at this point removing content or even adding some into the talk. This review is useful as you will become more familiar with what you want to say and how you want to say for the best results. Your review should take no longer than two hours to complete.
Reread
Two days out (1 hour)
On Friday you should know your content very well, and now you want to reread what you have written and be thinking of how you will deliver this to your listeners. No matter how amazing you are when it comes to public speaking, I still think you should reread your talk so that you can now deliver this without a script in front of you. Here is a couple of things that I like to do to help with this.
Practise giving the talk and think about your audience in the room or online.
Use a text-speech app to read your notes aloud as it allows you to get an idea of the flow and make sure you have not missed out any key content.
Rehearse in the theatre of your mind
One day out (1 hour)
I like to take time to rehearse (not memorise) on Saturday. To think about the space, where I will give the talk, how I will give the talk, and to whom. I will create a mental image in the theatre of my mind - go over the speech repeatedly, so it becomes part of me. I will consider my voice initiation, body language and what I aspire to accomplish. TBH, I tend to do this from the moment I start my research and the Saturday before the talk is the final visualisation of my desired outcome. This technique is known as visual-motor rehearsal VMR and has been used in the sports arena for the last couple of decades.
“Research has shown that cognitive and other psychological skills can increase the effectiveness of athletes. One systematic training program that takes advantage of these factors is visual motor behavior rehearsal.”
Re-tweak
On the day (30 mins)
If I am giving this talk on a Sunday, I will now be so immersed in what I want to say that it gives me the space to consider any last-minute tweaks or directions I may need to take. By this stage in my prep, I could stand up without notes and deliver what I want to say with confidence and conviction.
Wrapping Up
Now, it is up to you! I know for sure that this process works as I have worked this process for many years. I would recommend that you follow the following tips and techniques.
Top tips:
Ditch your last-minute preparations
No short cuts allowed.
Your audience deserves the best.
Trust the process and work the process.
The Process:
Research - 2 weeks out
Write - 1 week out
Review - 3 days out
Re-read - 2 days out
Rehearse - 1 day out
Re-tweak on the day (only if essential) Otherwise relax and enjoy the process.
By doing this, you will be able to share anywhere with confidence and conviction and ditch your long manuscript, so you come across more trustworthy.
Thanks for reading.
Recommended reading for further insights*
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Over the last 25 years, I have given thousands of talks, and I've helped others like you do the same. If I can help you with content creation or public speaking, get in touch or leave a comment below.
