I’ve been asked to explain the idea of “staying inside your presentation.” It sounds sort of like a new age thing but it’s actually a concept that is as old as time… It means to stay focused on the present… the here and now. Not allowing your mind to race ahead or to play sideline commentary. It is the most important part of listening, as well as speaking, and probably the hardest for anyone to do, as it takes discipline and concentration.
The reason:
We have what’s called “thought speed” this is where our brains process information about three times faster than we speak. In essence, we have the ability to finish someone’s sentence and drift off into other subjects of greater importance, (such as what we need to pick up from the store,) way before the person actually finishes their idea.
The bottom line:
It makes us lazy listeners. Instead of using that “thought speed” time more productively by controlling our desire to drift and daydream while others our speaking, we usually just spend that time thinking about what we are going to say next.
In public speaking, the same problem occurs. Our brains can finish our thoughts much faster than we speak, allowing us to race ahead or to start engaging in self-talk. The problem is that our brains really can’t be in two places at once, at least not with respect to communication. As soon as any of us leave the present conversation, we have broken our concentration. More than any other reason, this is why people get lost when they are speaking in front of other. Not because they don’t know how to finish ideas but because they allowed their thoughts to race ahead.
A strategy:
Maintain your concentration on the very real here and now. Pay attention to how often you drift and daydream while others are speaking and challenge yourself to come back to the present.
“Onlee Bowden is very talented and gifted speech trainer. Her training has proved invaluable to me when I speak publically or when I wish to eloquently express my opinion in a small meeting.
“In my work I regularly present research findings to CEO’s and senior managers of local and national businesses. I began working with Bowden and Associates to strengthen the form and delivery of these presentations. The results were almost immediate. I was able to deliver findings more clearly and with greater impact. This change has helped my company as well as my clients, leading to improved client satisfaction. As an added bonus, our company’s new business pitches have gotten stronger. Our close rate is higher and our bottom line is showing the wisdom of the investment in Bowden and Associates.”
“What an amazing experience! My career has been spent presenting. From large corporate groups to just a handful of vital clients around the conference table. Although the anxiety that never left me may not have been apparent, it fogged my ability to be 100% in the moment. Onlee’s training guided me toward taking full control of the process on every level. As a direct result, I better retain not only what I say, but those crucial responses from the audience that allow you to form strong relationships. Dynamic, energetic, and systematic. I will recommend Onlee to everyone that I know.”
“My experience with Onlee was extremely enjoyable. I’ve taken public speaking courses in the past walking away feeling picked on and inadequate. Onlee’s teaching techniques makes learning how to be interesting, comfortable, relaxed and fun while speaking seem so easy. After working with Onlee, in just five private sessions, I received the highest compliments from my peer’s imaginable. She is a fantastic teacher and coach.”
“I found myself at a crossroads in my career knowing that public speaking opportunities, participation on boards of directors, and committee involvement would greatly enhance my professional growth and the success of my team. Speak For Yourself has given me the confidence and skill set to tackle these challenges and maximize these opportunities.”
“Onlee Bowden has a true gift for breaking down the basics of how to give a dynamic presentation. I have taken several other speech classes before and this was by far the most effective. If you are interested in overcoming your fear, improving your presentation skills or just feeling more confident in a meeting, this class will teach you techniques you can begin using immediately.
“From my point of view, I perceived public speaking to be more terrorizing than the thought of being chased by a grizzly bear. I had a very personal memory of an unpleasant highschool experience in public speaking that awakened me multiple times at night in a pool of sweat. I enrolled in Onlee’s public speaking course to work through these memories. Onlee was able to provide me with tools from her toolbox of public speaking skills to replace this memory with multiple successful speaking memories. Onlee adds value to you as an individual as well as to all of the participants in her class. She has mastered the success of empowering people to work through their speaking strategies with a tangible framework. I am a better one-on-one communicator with my patients as well as speaking to larger groups at educational seminars. I highly recommend her program for personal and professional growth.