2-Minute Tip: Practice Breathing
Breathing is, of course, an essential step in speaking. After all, it’s how we make sounds. But it’s more than that.
Getting adequate air into our lungs calms us down. It helps us counter act the nerves many speakers experience. It ensures our brain has the oxygen it needs to stay on task. And it enhances the volume and confidence with which we speak.
To practice breathing:
- Place 2 hands on your chest so your fingers barely touch.
- Inhale deeply until your fingers separate.
- Exhale
- Repeat 4 more times
Do this exercise 5 times a day for several weeks and your body will get used to breathing in a way that maximizes effectiveness in speaking
We go back to the same principles all the time. Think about the audience. Think about what it is that they need to know from you. — Kim Baillie ( @TalkingInPublic ) #PublicSpeaking #2MTT Click To Tweet
Post Tip Discussion: Meet Kim Baillie
Kim Baille fell into public speaking, like many of us do, by simply not hating it. In many fields, being willing to speak means that colleagues will ask us to speak
Kim lives in Australia where she acquired her 30 years of experience coaching engineers, architects, senior executives, and now floral designers in public speaking. Her focus is combining their expert knowledge with practical tips to increase their impact as presenters of information.
Kim cohosts the Inside-Exec Podcast with Fulyana Orsborn, a former Citigroup Executive and wealth management expert. Together they help today’s corporate executives learn from managers outside the traditional corporate world.
I honestly find that the bigger the crowd, the more comfortable I am because I can't focus on any one person, and I don't feel like I'm needing to get feedback from any small group. — Kim Baillie ( @TalkingInPublic ) #PublicSpeaking… Click To Tweet
Pre Speech Warm-Up
Kim talked about doing vocal warmups before going on stage. This is probably more common among singers and voice actors. It’s helpful for speakers, too, because you still need to tune your instrument.
To me the real value, though, is in how it shifts your mindset. It puts you in a position to go out and speak. It’s a ritual that helps you refocus your mental energy on the speech you are about to deliver.
And when it successfully does that, it has the added benefit of knocking down the nerves
Yes, you will get nervous and there are ways that you can manage the symptoms of your nervousness, but never think that they will go away. — Kim Baillie ( @TalkingInPublic ) #PublicSpeaking #2MTT Click To Tweet
Inside-Exec Podcast
Kim talked about one of the most popular episodes of her podcast.
That episode is called “What are the similarities between elite athletes and executives?”
Kim and Fulyana interviewed triathletes Josh and Krystle Hockley. You can listen to the episode here.
Their message was set the goals for you because you're the one that has to carry them out and you should be the one that benefits from the fact that you set those goals. — Kim Baillie ( @TalkingInPublic ) #PublicSpeaking #2MTT Click To Tweet
Links
| Kim’s Website | http://TalkingInPublic.com |
| Kim’s Podcast | http://Inside-Exec.com |
| What Are The Similarities Between Elite Athletes and Executives? | https://inside-exec.com/what-are-the-similarities-between-elite-athletes-and-executives/ |
| Kim on LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-baillie-presentation-coach/ |
| Kim on Twitter | https://Twitter.com/TalkingInPublic |
Call To action
- So check out Kim’s site Talking in Public to learn more about her programs.
- Explore Kim’s Podcast, Inside-Exec in your favorite podcast app.
- Share this episode with a friend, colleague, or relative by giving them the link http://2MinuteTalkTips.com/Kim
- Don’t get best…get better
So I did what I now advise everyone else to do. And I just read a sentence at a time and what to me, felt like huge pauses in between each sentence to the audience was so warming and so welcoming and so engaging that I actually won… Click To Tweet