SHARING YOUR STORY - PITCHING AND PUBLIC SPEAKING - TASTER BUSINESS COURSE

Summary

This taster session on public speaking and pitching emphasizes the importance of effective communication in professional and entrepreneurial journeys. It covers key skills like mobilizing resources, coping with ambiguity, and handling the nervousness often associated with public speaking. The session outlines different types of speaking opportunities, including sales pitches, interviews, and presentations, while offering practical tips on overcoming barriers and structuring your pitch with a clear beginning, middle, and end. It encourages individuals to embrace public speaking as a powerful tool for networking, business growth, and personal development.

Takeaways

• 😀 Public speaking and pitching are essential enterprise skills for communicating ideas, passions, and projects to others.
• 😀 Mobilizing resources and coping with ambiguity are two key skills that public speaking helps develop.
• 😀 Public speaking is present in many aspects of life, including business pitches, awards, job interviews, and celebrations.
• 😀 Nerves and the 'fight, flight, or freeze' response are common when public speaking, but these moments are learning opportunities.
• 😀 Overcoming nervousness requires understanding its root causes, such as past experiences, physical symptoms, or stress impacts.
• 😀 Public speaking is a key tool for networking, making connections, and creating business opportunities.
• 😀 It is important to focus on your purpose when speaking in public, especially if you represent an underrepresented group.
• 😀 Storytelling is crucial in structuring a public speech or business pitch—beginning, middle, and end must be clear.
• 😀 The emotional impact of your speech matters—consider how you want your audience to feel and how you can control that.
• 😀 Structuring a pitch around a central theme and considering the emotions you wish to evoke can make your speech more effective.
• 😀 Public speaking opportunities can build resilience, and with practice, the fear associated with it can be reduced.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the session described in the transcript?

The session focuses on public speaking and pitching, specifically how to tell your story, build a pitch, and overcome the challenges of speaking in front of an audience.

What are the two key enterprise skills discussed in the session?

The two key enterprise skills discussed are mobilizing resources (communicating your ideas to gain support) and coping with ambiguity, uncertainty, and risk (dealing with unexpected questions or situations during public speaking).

What does the session aim to achieve in terms of the learner's journey?

The session introduces learners to the journey of developing enterprise skills, starting with a taster session and providing pathways through courses that help uncover ideas, pursue business ventures, or even master advanced business concepts.

What types of public speaking opportunities are highlighted in the script?

The script highlights various public speaking opportunities, including winning awards, sales presentations, job interviews, giving speeches at celebrations, delivering workshops, and using platforms like LinkedIn for public speaking.

What is the main advice given for dealing with nervousness in public speaking?

The advice given for dealing with nervousness is to recognize the body's fight, flight, or freeze response, understand its cause, and focus on reframing negative memories and emotions to progress and build resilience.

How should one structure a pitch or presentation according to the script?

A pitch or presentation should be structured with a clear beginning, middle, and end. The content should flow logically, and the key themes (or golden thread) should be identified to provide coherence throughout the presentation.

Why is public speaking considered a critical skill for business success?

Public speaking is considered critical because it helps with networking, pitching ideas, and presenting projects. It provides opportunities for building relationships and credibility, which are essential for business growth and professional development.

What strategies are recommended for dealing with personal barriers to public speaking?

To deal with personal barriers, it's suggested that individuals reflect on past experiences, identify triggers, and understand their physical symptoms (like shaking or stuttering). Recognizing and addressing these can help overcome fear and build confidence.

How does the script suggest handling the fear of public speaking?

The script suggests reframing fear as an opportunity for growth and learning, reminding speakers that most audiences are sympathetic and impressed by the act of speaking rather than focusing on mistakes or stumbles.

What is the 'golden thread' in the context of public speaking and pitching?

The 'golden thread' refers to the key theme or central message that runs through a speech or pitch. It's the core idea that ties together the beginning, middle, and end of the presentation, ensuring coherence and clarity.