1 00:00:00,020 --> 00:00:03,020 Carol Cox: What exactly is executive presence and why do 2 00:00:03,020 --> 00:00:04,940 you need it? That's what we're talking about 3 00:00:04,940 --> 00:00:06,860 on this episode of the Speaking Your Brand 4 00:00:06,860 --> 00:00:13,230 podcast. More and more women are making an 5 00:00:13,230 --> 00:00:15,930 impact by starting businesses, running for 6 00:00:15,930 --> 00:00:18,810 office and speaking up for what matters. 7 00:00:18,840 --> 00:00:21,090 With my background as a TV political 8 00:00:21,090 --> 00:00:23,940 analyst, entrepreneur and speaker, I 9 00:00:23,940 --> 00:00:26,430 interview and coach purpose driven women to 10 00:00:26,430 --> 00:00:28,920 shape their brands, grow their companies, 11 00:00:28,920 --> 00:00:31,560 and become recognized as influencers in 12 00:00:31,560 --> 00:00:34,920 their field. This is speaking your brand, 13 00:00:34,920 --> 00:00:37,410 your place to learn how to persuasively 14 00:00:37,410 --> 00:00:40,800 communicate your message to your audience. 15 00:00:41,400 --> 00:00:43,500 Welcome to the Speaking Your Brand podcast. 16 00:00:43,530 --> 00:00:45,120 I'm your host, Carol Cox. 17 00:00:45,120 --> 00:00:47,490 Have you ever been captivated by a speaker 18 00:00:47,490 --> 00:00:50,040 who seems to effortlessly command the room, 19 00:00:50,040 --> 00:00:52,830 inspiring everyone with their words and 20 00:00:52,830 --> 00:00:55,950 presence? That's the magic of executive 21 00:00:55,950 --> 00:00:58,440 presence combined with powerful public 22 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:01,320 speaking. Whether you're leading a team or 23 00:01:01,320 --> 00:01:03,930 an organization or a workshop, either 24 00:01:03,930 --> 00:01:06,180 internally or externally, whether you're 25 00:01:06,180 --> 00:01:10,050 presenting to 20 people, 200 people or 2000 26 00:01:10,050 --> 00:01:12,420 people, your ability to communicate your 27 00:01:12,420 --> 00:01:15,780 ideas clearly, get buy in from your audience 28 00:01:15,780 --> 00:01:18,750 and deliver with energy and confidence can 29 00:01:18,750 --> 00:01:20,490 make all the difference. 30 00:01:20,490 --> 00:01:22,920 But here's the thing executive presence 31 00:01:22,920 --> 00:01:26,430 doesn't just come about overnight, nor is it 32 00:01:26,430 --> 00:01:29,040 the exclusive domain of the naturally 33 00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:31,620 charismatic, which is what we think that it 34 00:01:31,620 --> 00:01:35,130 is. It's an art that can be cultivated, and 35 00:01:35,130 --> 00:01:37,710 one of the most powerful tools for doing so 36 00:01:37,710 --> 00:01:40,620 is honing your presentation and storytelling 37 00:01:40,620 --> 00:01:42,930 skills. That's why we're doing this brand 38 00:01:42,930 --> 00:01:45,510 new podcast series all around executive 39 00:01:45,510 --> 00:01:47,610 speaking. We're going to explore how you can 40 00:01:47,610 --> 00:01:49,560 elevate your executive presence through 41 00:01:49,560 --> 00:01:51,300 impactful communication. 42 00:01:51,300 --> 00:01:53,970 If you work at a company and are looking to 43 00:01:53,970 --> 00:01:56,760 enhance your leadership skills, this series 44 00:01:56,760 --> 00:01:58,080 is meant for you. 45 00:01:58,080 --> 00:02:00,210 Now, if you're an entrepreneur and I know 46 00:02:00,210 --> 00:02:01,950 for many of you who are listening, you are 47 00:02:01,950 --> 00:02:03,690 entrepreneurs, you're also going to get a 48 00:02:03,690 --> 00:02:05,670 lot out of this series by learning how to 49 00:02:05,670 --> 00:02:08,430 effectively convey your vision and inspire 50 00:02:08,430 --> 00:02:11,280 your team, as well as your other audiences. 51 00:02:11,280 --> 00:02:12,870 I'm going to share with you some things that 52 00:02:12,870 --> 00:02:14,790 you can think about regarding executive 53 00:02:14,790 --> 00:02:16,950 presence. And I'm also going to share about 54 00:02:16,950 --> 00:02:19,320 a speaking workshop we recently held for 55 00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:22,110 women who are running for office, what we 56 00:02:22,110 --> 00:02:24,780 saw and what they learned, which I know is 57 00:02:24,780 --> 00:02:26,370 going to help you as well. 58 00:02:26,370 --> 00:02:27,930 If you're new to the Speaking Your Brand 59 00:02:27,930 --> 00:02:30,060 podcast, I'm so glad that you're here. 60 00:02:30,060 --> 00:02:32,100 We work with women entrepreneurs, 61 00:02:32,100 --> 00:02:34,980 professionals, and leaders to clarify their 62 00:02:34,980 --> 00:02:36,870 brand message and story, create their 63 00:02:36,870 --> 00:02:38,880 signature talks, and develop their thought 64 00:02:38,880 --> 00:02:40,230 leadership platforms. 65 00:02:40,230 --> 00:02:41,940 Through our proven framework, we've 66 00:02:41,940 --> 00:02:44,310 empowered countless women to step into their 67 00:02:44,310 --> 00:02:46,440 power and make their voices heard. 68 00:02:46,440 --> 00:02:48,630 We know that we want to see more women in 69 00:02:48,630 --> 00:02:51,090 positions of influence on boards, on 70 00:02:51,090 --> 00:02:53,550 leadership teams, in business and in 71 00:02:53,550 --> 00:02:56,700 politics. Executive presence matters. 72 00:02:56,700 --> 00:02:58,140 For that to happen. 73 00:02:58,140 --> 00:03:00,210 Before we dive into the main part of this 74 00:03:00,210 --> 00:03:02,400 episode, I invite you to take our free 75 00:03:02,400 --> 00:03:04,680 speaker Archetype quiz as speaking your 76 00:03:04,680 --> 00:03:06,900 Brand.com slash quiz. 77 00:03:06,900 --> 00:03:08,970 This quiz will help you to discover your 78 00:03:08,970 --> 00:03:11,790 unique speaking and communication style, and 79 00:03:11,790 --> 00:03:14,550 how you can leverage it to enhance your 80 00:03:14,550 --> 00:03:16,890 speaking and your executive presence. 81 00:03:16,890 --> 00:03:18,960 It only takes a few minutes to take the 82 00:03:18,960 --> 00:03:20,970 quiz. It's ten fun multiple choice 83 00:03:20,970 --> 00:03:23,430 questions. Again, go ahead and pause right 84 00:03:23,430 --> 00:03:25,890 now. Go take the quiz at speaking your 85 00:03:25,890 --> 00:03:29,310 brand.com/quiz. Get your results and then 86 00:03:29,310 --> 00:03:30,600 come back and listen. 87 00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:32,400 Now let's get on with the show. 88 00:03:32,400 --> 00:03:34,890 Have you ever found yourself delivering a 89 00:03:34,890 --> 00:03:37,800 presentation, especially in presentation 90 00:03:37,800 --> 00:03:40,500 internally at work, or say at an industry 91 00:03:40,500 --> 00:03:42,930 conference or even an academic conference 92 00:03:42,930 --> 00:03:45,450 and it's packed with data, or it's packed 93 00:03:45,450 --> 00:03:48,720 with information only to see your audience's 94 00:03:48,720 --> 00:03:50,220 eyes glaze over? 95 00:03:50,220 --> 00:03:52,590 Or even worse, they start picking up their 96 00:03:52,590 --> 00:03:55,770 phone, or maybe they even leave the room. 97 00:03:55,770 --> 00:03:58,380 Or have you ever found yourself delivering a 98 00:03:58,380 --> 00:04:00,480 meeting and you're going through item and 99 00:04:00,480 --> 00:04:03,960 item on the agenda, but you've lost the rest 100 00:04:03,960 --> 00:04:06,180 of the team members. Not only have you lost 101 00:04:06,180 --> 00:04:08,820 their attention, but you've also lost their 102 00:04:08,820 --> 00:04:11,670 enthusiasm. Or on the flip side, have you 103 00:04:11,670 --> 00:04:13,740 been an attendee at a meeting and thinking 104 00:04:13,740 --> 00:04:16,410 to yourself, well, this could have been an 105 00:04:16,410 --> 00:04:18,630 email. The person leading the meeting is 106 00:04:18,630 --> 00:04:20,940 just passing along information, maybe 107 00:04:20,940 --> 00:04:22,740 answering questions from a few people. 108 00:04:22,740 --> 00:04:24,000 And that's it. 109 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:27,390 These are classic examples of falling into 110 00:04:27,390 --> 00:04:29,880 what I call the expert trap. 111 00:04:29,880 --> 00:04:32,400 So what is missing in these examples? 112 00:04:32,400 --> 00:04:34,830 Well, the first thing is that the person 113 00:04:34,830 --> 00:04:36,720 presenting the information, whether it's to 114 00:04:36,720 --> 00:04:39,030 an audience externally or in a meeting 115 00:04:39,030 --> 00:04:41,850 internally, what's missing is getting buy in 116 00:04:41,850 --> 00:04:44,880 from the people there by painting a picture 117 00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:47,730 of the bigger vision, the bigger why? 118 00:04:47,760 --> 00:04:50,070 Also engaging the audience very 119 00:04:50,070 --> 00:04:52,740 intentionally and deliberately throughout 120 00:04:52,740 --> 00:04:55,920 and sharing personal stories, creating an 121 00:04:55,920 --> 00:04:57,360 emotional connection. 122 00:04:57,360 --> 00:04:59,340 And I know for so many of you, when you think 123 00:04:59,340 --> 00:05:01,350 about personal storytelling and business, 124 00:05:01,350 --> 00:05:02,820 they do not go hand in hand. 125 00:05:02,820 --> 00:05:05,070 It feels like oil and water. 126 00:05:05,070 --> 00:05:06,540 But as we're going to talk about a little 127 00:05:06,540 --> 00:05:08,490 bit in this episode, but much more in next 128 00:05:08,490 --> 00:05:10,740 week's episode, sharing personal stories. 129 00:05:11,270 --> 00:05:14,990 Especially in a professional or business or 130 00:05:14,990 --> 00:05:17,210 academic environment, is more important than 131 00:05:17,210 --> 00:05:20,270 ever. As leaders, we have a wealth of 132 00:05:20,270 --> 00:05:22,490 knowledge and we have a wealth of expertise 133 00:05:22,490 --> 00:05:24,590 and insights. And of course we want to share 134 00:05:24,590 --> 00:05:27,140 it. However, too much information can 135 00:05:27,140 --> 00:05:29,780 overwhelm your audience and dilute your 136 00:05:29,780 --> 00:05:32,660 message and therefore lessen your impact. 137 00:05:32,660 --> 00:05:34,910 This idea of the expert trap is when you 138 00:05:34,910 --> 00:05:37,880 focus so much on showcasing your expertise 139 00:05:37,880 --> 00:05:40,910 by delivering an overload of information 140 00:05:40,910 --> 00:05:44,090 that you miss the opportunities to provide 141 00:05:44,090 --> 00:05:46,640 your audience not only with insight, but 142 00:05:46,640 --> 00:05:48,200 also with transformation. 143 00:05:48,200 --> 00:05:50,540 It's not just about the data, it's about 144 00:05:50,540 --> 00:05:52,400 what that data is going to do for them. 145 00:05:52,400 --> 00:05:55,130 After all, your goal as a speaker or as the 146 00:05:55,130 --> 00:05:58,730 person leading the team is to inspire action 147 00:05:58,730 --> 00:06:01,610 and change not just to inform, not just to 148 00:06:01,610 --> 00:06:03,770 pass along information. 149 00:06:03,770 --> 00:06:05,900 Transformation is about creating a 150 00:06:05,900 --> 00:06:07,220 meaningful impact. 151 00:06:07,220 --> 00:06:09,080 It's the difference between knowing 152 00:06:09,080 --> 00:06:11,900 something and actually being motivated to 153 00:06:11,900 --> 00:06:13,220 act on that knowledge. 154 00:06:13,220 --> 00:06:15,620 I know for so many of you who are going out 155 00:06:15,620 --> 00:06:17,900 there speaking to audiences, whether it's at 156 00:06:17,900 --> 00:06:20,510 lunch and learns business conferences or 157 00:06:20,510 --> 00:06:23,570 industry association groups, that not only 158 00:06:23,570 --> 00:06:25,040 do you want your audience to learn 159 00:06:25,040 --> 00:06:26,990 something, but you want them to act on that 160 00:06:26,990 --> 00:06:28,070 knowledge. And that's where this 161 00:06:28,070 --> 00:06:30,320 transformation piece comes in. 162 00:06:30,410 --> 00:06:32,540 If you are in corporate and you're at an 163 00:06:32,540 --> 00:06:35,090 executive or manager level, your ability to 164 00:06:35,090 --> 00:06:37,790 drive transformation through your words can 165 00:06:37,790 --> 00:06:40,340 significantly influence your organization's 166 00:06:40,340 --> 00:06:42,230 and your team's success. 167 00:06:42,620 --> 00:06:43,670 So how can we do this? 168 00:06:43,670 --> 00:06:45,560 How can we escape the expert trap, 169 00:06:45,560 --> 00:06:47,180 especially when we're thinking about 170 00:06:47,180 --> 00:06:48,590 executive presence? 171 00:06:48,590 --> 00:06:50,600 And especially for those of you who do work 172 00:06:50,600 --> 00:06:52,820 in corporate. So here are things that you 173 00:06:52,820 --> 00:06:56,000 can do. The first thing is simplify your 174 00:06:56,000 --> 00:06:59,120 message. Cut, cut and cut some more. 175 00:06:59,120 --> 00:07:01,490 I know it's so hard to think about it 176 00:07:01,490 --> 00:07:04,400 because you and you know, and you're and 177 00:07:04,400 --> 00:07:06,200 you're probably right that all of the things 178 00:07:06,200 --> 00:07:07,790 that you want to convey, all of the 179 00:07:07,790 --> 00:07:09,680 information is really important. 180 00:07:09,680 --> 00:07:11,360 And it probably is really important. 181 00:07:11,360 --> 00:07:13,580 But your audience can only handle so much 182 00:07:13,580 --> 00:07:15,020 information at a time. 183 00:07:15,020 --> 00:07:18,020 So think about can some of this information 184 00:07:18,050 --> 00:07:20,450 be sent as an email or be sent as a 185 00:07:20,450 --> 00:07:22,580 document, something in some other medium, 186 00:07:22,580 --> 00:07:24,770 not just through speaking to them as an 187 00:07:24,770 --> 00:07:26,840 audience or in that team meeting? 188 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:28,820 So focus on the key points that will 189 00:07:28,820 --> 00:07:30,890 resonate most with your audience. 190 00:07:30,890 --> 00:07:34,070 What do they need to know to understand what 191 00:07:34,070 --> 00:07:35,960 you're sharing with them, to understand that 192 00:07:35,960 --> 00:07:37,700 bigger vision and those ideas that you're 193 00:07:37,700 --> 00:07:40,040 sharing? And not only that, but what do they 194 00:07:40,040 --> 00:07:42,260 need to know to actually act on your 195 00:07:42,260 --> 00:07:43,910 message? I think that's so important to 196 00:07:43,910 --> 00:07:45,290 really think about, not just the 197 00:07:45,290 --> 00:07:47,210 understanding, but also the action. 198 00:07:47,210 --> 00:07:48,830 So simplify your message. 199 00:07:48,830 --> 00:07:51,080 This is why here at Speaking Your Brand, we 200 00:07:51,080 --> 00:07:54,110 love working on those ten minutes Ted style 201 00:07:54,110 --> 00:07:56,780 talks, because it is such a creative 202 00:07:56,780 --> 00:08:00,350 challenge to distill a message into only ten 203 00:08:00,350 --> 00:08:01,970 minutes. But here's the thing. 204 00:08:01,970 --> 00:08:05,000 I find those ten minute talks to be just as 205 00:08:05,000 --> 00:08:07,690 effective, if not more effective, than a 30 206 00:08:07,690 --> 00:08:09,560 minute or 45 minute talk. 207 00:08:09,560 --> 00:08:11,960 That's why one of the things that we do in 208 00:08:11,960 --> 00:08:14,090 our Thought Leader Academy is that the 209 00:08:14,090 --> 00:08:15,620 clients work with us to create their 210 00:08:15,620 --> 00:08:18,230 signature talk in that one on one VIP day, 211 00:08:18,230 --> 00:08:20,150 and then they work to flesh out the talk, 212 00:08:20,150 --> 00:08:22,730 and they actually practice delivering it in 213 00:08:22,730 --> 00:08:24,680 our group zoom calls during the Thought 214 00:08:24,680 --> 00:08:27,410 Leader Academy. And then we have them create 215 00:08:27,410 --> 00:08:29,450 a ten minute version of their talk, and they 216 00:08:29,450 --> 00:08:31,760 deliver it on a LinkedIn live. 217 00:08:31,760 --> 00:08:33,560 And we've done that. Some of these recently. 218 00:08:33,560 --> 00:08:35,060 I'll include links to the show notes, but if 219 00:08:35,060 --> 00:08:37,460 you scroll back in your podcast feed, find 220 00:08:37,460 --> 00:08:39,230 the ones where it says like live signature 221 00:08:39,230 --> 00:08:40,940 talks from our Thought Leader Academy grads, 222 00:08:40,940 --> 00:08:43,010 and you can hear their ten minute versions. 223 00:08:43,490 --> 00:08:45,770 The second thing to do to escape the expert 224 00:08:45,800 --> 00:08:48,740 trap is highlight the impact of your 225 00:08:48,740 --> 00:08:50,570 message. So instead of drowning your 226 00:08:50,570 --> 00:08:52,970 audience in details in a minutia, again, 227 00:08:52,970 --> 00:08:55,100 save that for a document or for an email. 228 00:08:55,100 --> 00:08:57,650 Emphasize the impact of your ideas and the 229 00:08:57,650 --> 00:08:59,600 benefits of your message. 230 00:08:59,600 --> 00:09:02,030 How will your proposal or your insight 231 00:09:02,030 --> 00:09:04,730 change their situation for the better? 232 00:09:04,730 --> 00:09:07,490 I really want you to get into the heads of 233 00:09:07,490 --> 00:09:08,960 the people that you're talking to again, 234 00:09:08,960 --> 00:09:11,120 whether it's your team, its executives that 235 00:09:11,120 --> 00:09:12,800 you're presenting to, or it's a larger 236 00:09:12,800 --> 00:09:15,590 audience, what does that audience want? 237 00:09:16,100 --> 00:09:19,340 Validate what that particular audience wants 238 00:09:19,340 --> 00:09:22,490 and how you can find a common vision. 239 00:09:22,490 --> 00:09:23,870 What are their goals? 240 00:09:23,870 --> 00:09:25,850 What are those obstacles standing in the 241 00:09:25,850 --> 00:09:29,150 way? And how could your proposed idea or the 242 00:09:29,150 --> 00:09:30,560 insight that you're sharing? 243 00:09:30,560 --> 00:09:32,960 How can it change their situation for the 244 00:09:32,960 --> 00:09:35,210 better? Really find that common ground with 245 00:09:35,210 --> 00:09:37,820 them? The third thing is engage with your 246 00:09:37,820 --> 00:09:39,770 audience. And I know you already know this. 247 00:09:39,770 --> 00:09:41,810 Ask questions whether it's show of hands 248 00:09:41,810 --> 00:09:43,850 questions or questions that they can answer 249 00:09:43,850 --> 00:09:46,400 out loud. Invite participation. 250 00:09:46,400 --> 00:09:48,860 It really creates an interactive experience, 251 00:09:48,860 --> 00:09:50,630 but it also shows your audience that you 252 00:09:50,660 --> 00:09:53,420 care. You care about hearing what they 253 00:09:53,420 --> 00:09:56,000 think, what they think about those ideas, 254 00:09:56,000 --> 00:09:58,610 other things that they have to contribute as 255 00:09:58,610 --> 00:10:00,410 well. Instead of them being passive, which 256 00:10:00,410 --> 00:10:02,450 is where they lose focus, they lose 257 00:10:02,450 --> 00:10:05,630 attention and they lose enthusiasm instead, 258 00:10:05,630 --> 00:10:08,180 get their input and their buy in along the 259 00:10:08,180 --> 00:10:12,100 way. The fourth thing to do is to connect 260 00:10:12,100 --> 00:10:13,150 emotionally. 261 00:10:13,150 --> 00:10:15,310 And I know again, it feels very 262 00:10:15,310 --> 00:10:17,740 counterintuitive to do this in a business or 263 00:10:17,740 --> 00:10:20,410 professional or academic environment, but 264 00:10:20,410 --> 00:10:22,840 sharing stories that resonate emotionally 265 00:10:22,840 --> 00:10:26,020 with your audience can make such a huge 266 00:10:26,020 --> 00:10:28,690 difference. When people feel connected to 267 00:10:28,690 --> 00:10:31,690 your message and they find their connection 268 00:10:31,690 --> 00:10:34,060 to your message, that's when they're more 269 00:10:34,060 --> 00:10:36,940 likely to be inspired and motivated to act. 270 00:10:36,940 --> 00:10:38,470 And we're going to talk a lot more about 271 00:10:38,470 --> 00:10:40,540 storytelling for leaders in next week's 272 00:10:40,540 --> 00:10:44,470 episode. So finally, always include a clear 273 00:10:44,500 --> 00:10:46,510 call to action. What do you want your 274 00:10:46,510 --> 00:10:48,490 audience or your team to do? 275 00:10:48,520 --> 00:10:51,640 Make it specific and make it actionable so 276 00:10:51,640 --> 00:10:53,860 that there is no guessing what you want them 277 00:10:53,860 --> 00:10:57,130 to do. Let's recap now what you can do to 278 00:10:57,130 --> 00:10:59,260 escape the expert trap and focus on 279 00:10:59,260 --> 00:11:02,110 transformation rather than just information. 280 00:11:02,110 --> 00:11:04,120 The first thing simplify your message. 281 00:11:04,120 --> 00:11:06,190 Focus on those key points that are going to 282 00:11:06,190 --> 00:11:07,750 get your audience to act. 283 00:11:07,780 --> 00:11:09,280 Highlight the impact. 284 00:11:09,280 --> 00:11:11,590 Validate what that audience wants and how 285 00:11:11,590 --> 00:11:13,330 you can find that common vision. 286 00:11:13,330 --> 00:11:15,640 Number three engage with your audience. 287 00:11:15,640 --> 00:11:17,710 Number four connect emotionally. 288 00:11:17,710 --> 00:11:20,560 And five always include that very specific 289 00:11:20,560 --> 00:11:21,670 call to action. 290 00:11:21,850 --> 00:11:24,670 We recently hosted an in-person speaking 291 00:11:24,670 --> 00:11:26,740 workshop for some women who are running for 292 00:11:26,740 --> 00:11:29,590 office here in the Central Florida Orlando 293 00:11:29,590 --> 00:11:31,630 area. So these are Democratic, pro-choice 294 00:11:31,630 --> 00:11:33,580 women who are running from everywhere, from 295 00:11:33,580 --> 00:11:35,890 U.S. Congress to state House and state 296 00:11:35,890 --> 00:11:38,320 Senate, county Commission, and so on. 297 00:11:38,320 --> 00:11:40,330 And it was so fun to be with them. 298 00:11:40,330 --> 00:11:43,000 We were there for about 2.5 hours, and so we 299 00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:45,790 brought them in. We had our workbooks so 300 00:11:45,790 --> 00:11:47,620 that they could work on some things, but one 301 00:11:47,620 --> 00:11:49,180 of the things that I asked them towards the 302 00:11:49,180 --> 00:11:51,550 very beginning was not only what did they 303 00:11:51,550 --> 00:11:54,130 want to get out of the workshop, but I asked 304 00:11:54,130 --> 00:11:57,670 them how they wanted to feel when they were 305 00:11:57,670 --> 00:12:00,310 speaking to their audiences, whether they 306 00:12:00,310 --> 00:12:02,380 were speaking to warm audiences so people 307 00:12:02,380 --> 00:12:04,630 who were likely to support them, or maybe 308 00:12:04,630 --> 00:12:06,520 they were speaking to mixed audiences and 309 00:12:06,520 --> 00:12:08,590 they weren't sure who was in the audience. 310 00:12:08,890 --> 00:12:10,300 How do they want to feel? 311 00:12:10,900 --> 00:12:13,690 And what was so fascinating was that all of 312 00:12:13,690 --> 00:12:15,040 them talked about. 313 00:12:15,870 --> 00:12:17,130 Stuff in their head. 314 00:12:17,160 --> 00:12:19,230 They talked about information. 315 00:12:19,380 --> 00:12:22,650 They completely missed how they wanted to 316 00:12:22,650 --> 00:12:24,810 feel in their bodies. 317 00:12:24,810 --> 00:12:26,430 And this is why, if you've been listening to 318 00:12:26,430 --> 00:12:28,620 this podcast, especially for the past year 319 00:12:28,620 --> 00:12:31,020 or so, I've been talking a lot more about 320 00:12:31,020 --> 00:12:32,880 not only just the information we're 321 00:12:32,880 --> 00:12:34,080 conveying to our audience. 322 00:12:34,080 --> 00:12:36,450 Again, that expertise and those insights 323 00:12:36,450 --> 00:12:38,880 that are in our head, but how we feel in our 324 00:12:38,880 --> 00:12:42,030 bodies and how we're energetically conveying 325 00:12:42,030 --> 00:12:43,740 that to our audiences. 326 00:12:43,740 --> 00:12:46,020 And at the speaking workshop for these women 327 00:12:46,020 --> 00:12:48,210 political candidates, we also talked about 328 00:12:48,210 --> 00:12:49,530 taking up space. 329 00:12:49,530 --> 00:12:51,960 So literally taking up space. 330 00:12:51,960 --> 00:12:54,690 As women, we are often brought up and 331 00:12:54,690 --> 00:12:57,870 socialized to be smaller, so we kind of 332 00:12:57,870 --> 00:13:00,450 scooch in to have let someone have room to 333 00:13:00,450 --> 00:13:03,270 sit next to us, or we oftentimes get small 334 00:13:03,270 --> 00:13:05,340 also, so that we're not we're not as 335 00:13:05,340 --> 00:13:07,140 visible. Sometimes it's a safety and a 336 00:13:07,140 --> 00:13:09,870 protection mechanism, but these messages get 337 00:13:09,870 --> 00:13:13,320 subconsciously reinforced over all of these 338 00:13:13,320 --> 00:13:15,900 years, so we're less likely to take up 339 00:13:15,900 --> 00:13:18,690 space. So we don't take up space with our 340 00:13:18,690 --> 00:13:19,800 arms or our legs. 341 00:13:19,800 --> 00:13:21,720 We don't move around the room or move around 342 00:13:21,720 --> 00:13:23,490 the stage as much as we should. 343 00:13:23,490 --> 00:13:26,010 So at this workshop and at our in-person 344 00:13:26,010 --> 00:13:29,460 retreats, we always have a dance parties and 345 00:13:29,460 --> 00:13:31,050 half of the women love it. 346 00:13:31,080 --> 00:13:34,380 Half of the women groan about it because, 347 00:13:34,380 --> 00:13:37,230 you know, they feel embarrassed or they feel 348 00:13:37,230 --> 00:13:39,360 self-conscious, and that's why we make them 349 00:13:39,360 --> 00:13:42,030 do it. So we put on some fun music with a 350 00:13:42,030 --> 00:13:44,130 good beat, some popular songs, and we just 351 00:13:44,130 --> 00:13:46,080 dance around and we make everyone dance 352 00:13:46,080 --> 00:13:49,050 around. Use the whole room, use space, use 353 00:13:49,050 --> 00:13:51,750 our arms up above our heads, really get into 354 00:13:51,750 --> 00:13:53,910 it and have fun. This is the same reason we 355 00:13:53,910 --> 00:13:56,310 do improv activities at our in-person 356 00:13:56,310 --> 00:13:57,780 workshops and retreats. 357 00:13:57,780 --> 00:14:00,840 Also, yoga is a really good thing to do to 358 00:14:00,840 --> 00:14:02,970 get more into your body as well. 359 00:14:02,970 --> 00:14:04,800 And also thinking about meditation and 360 00:14:04,800 --> 00:14:07,740 visualization exercises so that you can get 361 00:14:07,740 --> 00:14:10,410 more in touch with your breath and with how 362 00:14:10,410 --> 00:14:11,730 your body is feeling. 363 00:14:12,520 --> 00:14:14,500 So again at the speaking workshop. 364 00:14:14,500 --> 00:14:16,510 So not only did we talk a lot about taking 365 00:14:16,510 --> 00:14:18,220 up space and how we wanted to feel in our 366 00:14:18,220 --> 00:14:20,650 bodies and using our bodies, but we also 367 00:14:20,650 --> 00:14:22,600 talked about those things that I just listed 368 00:14:22,600 --> 00:14:25,630 above, simplifying their message, 369 00:14:25,630 --> 00:14:28,330 highlighting the impact, validating what 370 00:14:28,330 --> 00:14:30,430 that particular audience wants and how you 371 00:14:30,430 --> 00:14:33,310 can find common ground and a common vision. 372 00:14:33,310 --> 00:14:35,680 And of course, leading with story. 373 00:14:35,680 --> 00:14:38,860 Oh my gosh, when we had the women change 374 00:14:38,860 --> 00:14:41,260 their stump speech to lead with a very 375 00:14:41,260 --> 00:14:44,500 specific and very personal and emotional 376 00:14:44,500 --> 00:14:45,790 story. Wow. 377 00:14:45,790 --> 00:14:48,970 You could feel the difference in the energy 378 00:14:48,970 --> 00:14:50,830 of the room once they change that. 379 00:14:50,830 --> 00:14:52,660 And again, we'll talk more about that in 380 00:14:52,660 --> 00:14:54,220 next week's episode. 381 00:14:54,580 --> 00:14:57,340 Executive presence, I hope you can see now 382 00:14:57,340 --> 00:14:59,200 isn't an innate quality. 383 00:14:59,200 --> 00:15:01,120 It's not that, oh, that person was born that 384 00:15:01,120 --> 00:15:03,280 way, or that person is just charismatic. 385 00:15:03,280 --> 00:15:05,440 It's a skill that can be developed and 386 00:15:05,440 --> 00:15:08,380 refined, especially through consistent 387 00:15:08,380 --> 00:15:09,580 public speaking. 388 00:15:09,580 --> 00:15:12,340 By focusing on transformation and not just 389 00:15:12,340 --> 00:15:15,010 information, by understanding your audience 390 00:15:15,010 --> 00:15:16,900 and engaging with them, by using 391 00:15:16,900 --> 00:15:19,360 storytelling and by mastering body language 392 00:15:19,360 --> 00:15:21,880 and taking up space, you can enhance your 393 00:15:21,880 --> 00:15:24,610 executive presence and become the speaker 394 00:15:24,610 --> 00:15:26,830 and the leader you aspire to be. 395 00:15:26,830 --> 00:15:29,050 Don't forget to take our free speaker 396 00:15:29,050 --> 00:15:30,070 Archetype quiz. 397 00:15:30,070 --> 00:15:32,800 You'll discover what your speaker archetype 398 00:15:32,800 --> 00:15:35,230 is so you can leverage your natural 399 00:15:35,230 --> 00:15:37,720 communication strengths and then add to them 400 00:15:37,720 --> 00:15:40,330 to make you an even more dynamic speaker. 401 00:15:40,330 --> 00:15:42,370 You can take that quiz as speaking your 402 00:15:42,370 --> 00:15:44,440 Brand.com slash quiz. 403 00:15:44,440 --> 00:15:46,330 If you've enjoyed this episode, share it 404 00:15:46,330 --> 00:15:48,430 with a friend or colleague who you think 405 00:15:48,430 --> 00:15:50,080 would get a lot of value out of it. 406 00:15:50,080 --> 00:15:52,510 Until next time, thanks for listening.