Put Your Heart Where Your Words Are.

Naturally, every article about public speaking states that you should be natural, speak without reading a script, but how can you really achieve this goal? One of the last articles I read about this topic and really caught my attention was an article I found in the Women in Business blog. I learned that you can only put your heart where your words are when you speak about something you truly believe in. And after lecturing at dozens of companies, universities and institutions in the Americas and Europe, I always remember my youth when I prepare a conference. I truly suggest that when you prepare for a speech you remember those first dates you had with your significant other. Can you recall that incredible feeling of power and joy? The way in which you looked at each other and expressed your feelings, and saw yourself in the other’s eyes? That’s the way you have to approach an audience. You have to be captivating. And you only do that when you truly speak about the things you know, you master, you believe in with all your heart. If you want to practice your Spanish you can hear me talk about media, social responsibility and politics at the Florida International University Mayor´s Conference held in Miami, last May. So one of the fundamentals of public speaking is relating to something you know by heart with your heart. People can always come to the internet and receive your report with numbers and graphics. But you can only express the genuine feeling of a business chart if you can express with your heart and soul what this chart, what these numbers mean to you, how working in this company changed your life, and how you achieve your daily goals and overcame your challenges. So next time you read a report about public speaking and the item number one is “be natural”, think about being yourself. And dedicate more time to expressing short ideas in cards to have them handy, and less time trying to figure out how to include bubbles in your Power Point. Actually, include more images and photos to anchor your concepts and reduce the amount of data.

By Lara Bersano