In July of 2008, I set out on a quest to put some muscle on my “scrawny”, 6’3, 188lb frame. Over a period of 18 weeks, I managed to gain 22lbs … most of it muscle. In those 18 weeks, I learned that gaining muscle and becoming stronger is a lot like becoming a more powerful presenter. Here are the lessons I learned during my journey.
Lesson #1 – Do a self-analysis before you begin
Before I began my “real” workouts, I did some self-assessments to determine my overall levels of flexibility and strength. When I did the assessment, I was quite surprised to find out there were some exercises I couldn’t do. I was also less flexible than I expected in certain areas.
If you want to become a more powerful presenter, a self-assessment is absolutely necessary. You need to find out where your strengths lie and what your distracting habits are. The only way to do that is by recording a presentation on video. I know how much people hate watching video of themselves, but it’s valuable.
I recently coached a speaker who is normally bubbly and energetic, but the energy disappeared when she gave a formal speech. After seeing the video, she sent me an email and said it was a cure for insomnia! Although I had told her she needed to pick up her energy, the video told her more forcefully than I ever could have.
Lesson #2 – Do a corrective phase … start small
Once I had a clear picture of where I was, I did what most gym rats would consider “dinky” exercises. My exercises were the equivalent of having to sit at the kids table during holiday events even though I felt old enough to eat with the adults.
As much as I hated those dinky exercises, they were good for me. If I had simply tried to jump to the “adult” exercises without balancing out my body, I would have put myself at much greater risk of sustaining an injury. It was learning to handle the little loads that prepared me for the big loads I would face in the following 14 weeks.
A corrective phase is just as important in polishing your speaking skills as it is in gaining muscle. I see far too many speakers trying to use advanced presentation techniques when they haven’t even mastered the basics. The result is often painful to watch.
Once you’ve figured out what your bad habits and distractions are, work on correcting those before trying to head to the “adult” speaking techniques. Start small and work your way up.
Lesson #3 – Stick to a proven program … and only one!
You can’t imagine how embarrassing it was to walk around the gym with a HUGE book that said “Scrawny to Brawny” on the cover. Okay, maybe you can imagine it. I did my best to cover the title, but you could see people craning their necks trying to read it.
Predictably, whenever people learned I was trying to gain muscle, they wanted to give me advice. Even skinny people were trying to tell me how to put on muscle! Had I listened to all the advice I received, it’s possible I would have gained some muscle, but I’m sure I would have been more confused than anything else.
Everyone had a different method!
I was turned on to the “Scrawny to Brawny” program by a personal trainer. He told me it would be the best $35 I would ever spend in my life. I won’t say it was the best $35 I’ve ever spent, but it was pretty damn good. The authors, Michael Mejia and John Berardi, used to be scrawny and had transformed themselves using the same program.
It gave a comprehensive workout plan that included a time line and eating plan. Because it was an unconventional way of gaining muscle,Mejia and Berardi kept imploring me to trust them and not do any more than the program suggested. I took that to mean I shouldn’t follow the advice of others.
The same principle holds true when you’re working to become a more powerful speaker. Everyone will want to give you advice … even the “skinny” presenters! Don’t listen to them. Choose one proven program and stick to it. Just make sure the program is geared to your specific needs.
If you’re a brand new speaker, Toastmasters may be just what you need. Toastmasters provides small steps, but their program is proven.
If you’re an experienced speaker, you may want to take an advanced presentations skills course from a trusted trainer. You may also want to consider working with a presentation skills coach who will work to bring out the “authentic you” when you speak.
Whichever path you choose, choose it with conviction. It will be much easier to stick it out in the long run if you trust your program.
I’ll follow up with more lessons in my next post.
