I'd rather die than...

Welcome to the OPPO FLOW Storybook.

Exactly one week ago, I arrived in Tucson, AZ. 🌵

I drove down the two hours from Cave Creek, AZ for a five minute speaking engagement.

FIVE MINUTES?!

Why the heck would you drive all that way for five minutes, you ask?

Well… When I was approached to be one of the 11 featured speakers for this event, and talk about achieving a SUCCESSFUL MINDSET in the workplace, it was a pretty quick and resounding YES.

WHY? 🤔

Because of the OPPORTUNITY.

This talk provided the opportunity to…

• Make an impact by sharing the OPPO FLOW message.

• Collaborate with other speakers and event planners.

• Find out what this speaker world is all about.

• Challenge myself on purpose.

You see this was the first time I was tapped for an outside speaking engagement at an event and I was beaming with excitement.

It was a unique approach, leveraging the IGNITE format. 🔥

This format is a 5 minute talk, with exactly 20 presentation slides, that auto transition every 15 seconds. ⏱️

WHAT??!! 😱

5 minutes is SO FAST, 💨 so you have to be ON POINT 🎯 with the transitions to make an impact with your story.

Usually when I do a workshop or a talk, it’s anywhere from 45 minutes to 3 hours, depending on the client needs, so there’s room to breathe, pivot, and go with the flow.

P.S. If you’re interested in learning more about the these OPPO FLOW workshops/talks look like…CLICK HERE

But not this one…

…and I loved all 360 seconds of it. 🤗

For many people, speaking in front of a group is their biggest FEAR. 😨

• Sweaty palms…

• Stomach in knots…

• Heart palpitations…

Sound familiar? 🫡

You ask yourself questions like…

• What if I stumble over my words or forget what to say?

• What will the audience think of me?

• What if it’s a complete failure?

Putting yourself out there is scary…

…but when you build the confidence to speak or give a presentation in front of a group, more often than not great things happen and I KNOW you can do it.

To help get you started, here are four thoughts/ideas to get comfortable with being uncomfortable feeling with public speaking.

And over time it won’t be so uncomfortable. 😉

Just like with everything… this is where it STARTS.

If you ever played sports as a kid, you know the feeling you get right before a game… BUTTERFLIES! 🦋🦋

You’re not nervous because you think you will fail, but because of the anticipation and excitement of playing.

You have no idea how the game is going to play out and you leveraged those nerves to create adrenaline once the game started.

Well… if you have a pulse… 💓

I promise you that feeling is NORMAL. 😊

… and that’s the same feeling everyone gets going into a speech, talk, presentation, pitch, or any other form of communication in front of a live audience.

It’s because you CARE.

You care about what you do.

You care about making an impact.

You care about making a difference.

You care about bringing value to others.

Pro Tip: Start your talk off with a good joke or impactful story to get into the groove and grab the attention of your audience right away.

Also, when you’re ready to get in front of a room, remember to hydrate and eat something healthy beforehand.

Oh man… I’ve been there and there’s nothing worse when you’re low on energy, dehydrated, or too full from of a big greasy meal.

Give your body fuel. ⛽

When your tank is full, your mind is clear.

Preparation is key. 🗝️

When you’re prepared, you’re confident.

When you’re confident, you’re able to deliver.

I’m a firm believer in creating your own presentations or talks.

I understand that it is time consuming, but IMO if you have someone else put it together for you, you lose the opportunity to stamp the presentation into your brain.

Similar to writing your goals down instead of just thinking them.

It makes it more real and authentic when you put it together.

Once you know the topic, start by jotting down bullet points and build the flow of your talk.

If you need to write out every word of what you want to say, feel free…

…but don’t lean on trying to memorize it.

Writing it down is leveraged more for flow and clarity.

If you’re using presentation slides, use less words or small bullet points to get your point across.

LARGE TEXT, images, or video brings your presentation to life, and helps you stay on track, but the point of the talk is to share your experiences with others verbally, and not read directly from a screen.

If you’re not using any supporting slides, then don’t be afraid to use flashcards or notes during your presentation if you need to.

No one will care that you referenced something in your hand to keep your presentation flowing.

Once you have your sweet little talk ready…

PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE… 🗣️

After you’ve gone through it a handful of times or more in your head and out loud to yourself, ask someone else if you can present to them for feedback.

Having a good support circle or accountability group helps BIG TIME.

I can’t tell you how many times, my mind went blank during a talk, but my preparation saved me.

If you forget what to say… take a pause, make it natural…

And trust in your preparation that your brain will pop in the next thing to say.

But you MUST put in the work to be fully PREPARED to make an IMPACT. 💥

The audience will know if you come in winging it.

The talk or presentation is not about you.

This is a time where you don’t focus on yourself and you instead focus on the audience.

Read their mannerisms, reactions, smiles, laughs, eyes, or expressions.

When you find someone who is engaging with what you’re saying, lean into them and engage back.

Make eye contact and talk to them.

Have a conversation with them.

Pretend no one else is in the room.

Keep flowing and span across the room to make it natural for the whole group, but continue to come back to them, until you start seeing others engage as well.

Your whole purpose of a presentation or talk is to make an impression on the people in the room in the way you’re trying to achieve.

Remember, you’re not going to trigger everyone in the room, but the goal is to trigger someone in the room.

If you get one person to VIBE with what you’re saying, then others will notice.

When others notice, they start to vibe too. 💃🕺

It makes it acceptable for them to join in because it is now desirable when someone else has already accepted.

There is a theory about this, called the First Follower Principle.

Check out this article and snippit below from the Indeed Editorial Team that dives into this principle from a workplace perspective.

“They help influence others to join in more readily than a manager might on their own. The more people accept a new idea or an initiative, the harder it can become for individuals who haven't yet accepted it. It then becomes the norm, rather than an abnormality.”

This applies to any audience.

Keeping this principle in mind, your number one goal is to find that one person to engage with, then it becomes MUCH easier to engage with the rest as they start…

…picking up what you’re putting down. 👊

This is the most important aspect.

Just be yourself up there and have fun!

No matter what happens, the audience is there to learn from you and hear your stories.

They want to develop perspectives and new ideas that they can implement in their own lives.

Whether it’s a 5 minute talk or an hour long sales presentation…

Be authentic and share real experiences.

Don’t make stuff up or try to be someone else.

The audience will see right through that, even if they don’t know you.

Public speaking is all about AUTHENTICITY and if you can get that part right…

…only the moon is the limit for what you’re trying to achieve with each speaking opportunity you get. 🚀

Create a mindset of challenging yourself on purpose, prepare for your endeavors, and JUMP IN! 🦘

Maya Angelou said it best…

“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

This goes for speaking engagements meant to inspire and motivate in front of a large audience…

…or a sales presentation designed to solve a customer’s problem…

…or at a networking group to share with others what you do.

No matter what it is that calls for you to get in front of a room…

Don’t pass on the opportunity because you’re too afraid.

Jump at the opportunity to find out what’s possible.

This is the MINDSET SHIFT. 🤯

Until our next FLIGHT, check out our latest episode of the SuccessFlow Podcast.

Please like, subscribe, comment, and share. 🤗

Episode 46: Opportunity Cost

FULL EPISODE

Remember, Opportunity is Everywhere!!

Cheers! Steven

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