If you asked the coaches at Ty Boyd, Inc. what is the hardest thing for most clients to overcome, they would probably say unlearning the belief that perfectionism is a reasonable goal. Our coaches encourage excellence and do everything in their power to coach our clients in the skills that will help them attain personal excellence, but the drive for perfection is a barrier to excellence.
Making mistakes, then building on those mistakes and becoming comfortable with them is called progress. And that's what we encourage in the clients that we coach - progress, not perfection. The need to be perfect creates rigidity, paralysis and lack of passion - all the things that can wreck our ability to connect with an audience.
Here's how our coaches can help:
- They can demonstrate the distractions that make any speaker less effective and they can teach the skills that shut down those distractions.
- They can provide the practice tools for discovering your own authentic style.
- They can help you find your common ground with any audience - of one or one thousand - as well as how to make quick connections under any circumstances.
- They can help you listen more effectively, help you to tolerate - and put to work - silences, and help you give clear signals that you're listening.
- They can make you comfortable with the actor's tools of eye contact, smiles, varied facial expressions, purposeful movement and effective gestures.
- They can help you organize an effective presentation.
- They can help you with effective techniques for rehearsal, how to own the territory wherever and whenever you speak.
- They can help you learn the truth about fear, relaxation techniques for managing it, and how to turn that fear into your ally.
- And they can give you a taste of the power of finding and feeding your passion.
Our coaches can help you prepare and plan for a presentation. But that is not a guarantee that you'll never fail again. Things don't always go your way, the best-laid plans don't always succeed, and sometimes there is nothing you can do about it. But here's what you can do: stop giving so much mental energy to the fears of being perfect. Instead of thinking "what if" - what if my audience doesn't like me, what if this isn't a life-changing event for them, what if I don't provide all the information they expect, what if they aren't entertained or enlightened? Instead of "what if" think "so what"? So what if they can tell that I'm nervous? So what if they discover I'm human? So what if I lose my place or my voice? So what?
Stop giving the members of your audience a power that they don't want to use - the power to judge or destroy you. Turn your mental energy toward being in the moment with your audience.
Hands-on Training
Excellence in Speaking Institute (ESI) is Ty Boyd, Inc.'s signature course. Participants are given proven techniques for preparing and delivering effective presentations; greater confidence in their presentation skills ability; and new tools for effective communication. Click below to learn more about upcoming courses held in both Charlotte, NC and Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.
