Brenden Kumarasamy
I have a confession: I hate giving presentations to my colleagues at work. It has nothing to do with them. They are all kind, good-hearted people. But there’s something about the material I’m asked to present that fails to motivate and excite me. To me, my presentations feel laborious and irrelevant. By the time I’ve finished, I feel drained.
Ironically, I’m a good speaker. While on stage, I appear relaxed and confident. My insides, however, are freaking out. My heart is running; my stomach is flipping, and my armpits are weeping.
I’ve been speaking and performing in front of audiences since I was a small child reciting Easter poems at church. Still, over thirty years later, I feel nervous.
Brenden Kumarasamy from Matertalk understands people’s fears surrounding presentations. In our conversation, he shares how he mastered public speaking and how we can do the same. Here are my five big takeaways from our discussion.
- Communication has very little to do with presentations and speeches. It’s all about every interaction you have with every human being in your life. Rather than thinking of public speaking as a mammoth task for charismatic people, consider answering this question: How would the world change if you were a better communicator?
- Instead of asking, “How do I get people to like me?” ask “Who I want in my life?” Pining for everyone’s approval is impractical and exhausting. Focus on attracting people who share your values and interests. Your communication skills will develop naturally and become more meaningful.
- Take action; then your message will come. Clarity follows action. If you want to grow as a public speaker but don’t have a platform or message yet, try a few ideas. See what works and feels good. Your venue and message will become more apparent once you take action.
- Let your audience show you the way. Talk to your audience and find out what they need. Then help alleviate their pain points. Doing so will help to clarify your message.
- Constantly rethink and repeat your presentations. It’s easy to give a presentation once and forget about it. But one of the best ways to grow is to revise and repeat your presentation as often as you can. Your confidence will boost; your skills will sharpen, and your presentation will shine.
How do you feel about public speaking?
