Concerned your umms and ahhs are undermining your credibility?
In this week’s episode I’m answering a listener question about training yourself OUT OF saying ‘ummmm’ and ‘ahhhh’, and also providing my thoughts on whether umms and ahhs are really as bad as we think.
Listen in to hear:
Why you might want to ‘chill out’ when it comes to your use of umms and ahhs
How silence, and ‘speaking to your full stops’ can be a useful way to stop using filler words
Some alternative filler words or phrases that will engage your audience and give your mind time to ‘catch up’
My controversial take on another key question that some speaking coaches says undermines your credibility
Why being on message is more important than any umm or ahh you might use
Want my full lesson on how to stop umming and ahhhing? Visit -
Want to ask a question for a future podcast - connect with me on LinkedIn or Instagram here.
Join my Impact Club for high touch support, guidance, coaching and community for humble leaders.
‘How much of yourself do you share?’ and ‘how to make a speech engaging’ are the questions I’m answering in this week’s episode.
Storytelling, particularly lived experience storytelling, is easily THE BEST way to make your speeches engaging. But how personal is too personal, how much of yourself do you share?
Listen in to hear:
How to balance the line between misery porn or self-indulgence, and stories that inspire and empower
Why framing your stories through the lens of the audience is incredibly important
How to tell your stories to take your listeners on an emotional journey that leaves them ready to take desired action (rather than leaving them a broken, helpless mess)
How to manage that doubt of ‘do people really want to hear my stories?’
Where to find other lived experience stories
Join my IMPACT CLUB if you’re an impact-minded humble leader, looking for support on messaging, strategy and mindset as you work to make your dent in the universe, in your way.
For more on how to showcase your talents in your lived experience stories, listen to episode 140.
And for that episode on misery porn (thank goodness it exists!), check out episode 60, Authenticity, Misery Porn and Stories of Happiness.
Ever rocked up to speak at an event, expecting a lectern, or a certain kind of microphone, and the set-up was NOT as you expected?
Or you were forced to use a headset mic that just felt weird, or a lapel mic that kept slipping?
Well, in today’s episode I’m talking about how to manage just these situations!
Listen in to hear:
The pros and cons of using a lectern
What you want to consider if you choose NOT to use a lectern
How to ‘show up’ if you are using a lectern, particularly if you’re ‘vertically-challenged’
The different kind of microphones and how to prepare not just your presentation but your outfits so they work on the day
How to prepare for your stage WELL ahead of presentation day!
Join my IMPACT CLUB if you’re an impact-minded humble leader, looking for support on messaging, strategy and mindset as you work to make your dent in the universe, in your way. Get all the details here.
Want to know how to pitch to speak at a TEDx talk?
Listen up, because that’s the exact question I’m answering today.
A listener has set herself a challenge of speaking at a TEDx event and wants to know how to pitch her talk.
Listen in to hear:
Whether a TEDx event is the right platform for you
If it is, how to pitch yourself
How TEDx speaker selection really happens, and what you need to do to be noticed
Other events that might serve your purposes better
How to pitch for them
Links mentioned in this episode:
The Impact Club - where thoughtful business owners, community leaders and corporate hippies are supported to make their dent in the universe, in their way.
Why I don’t like TED talks - episode 3.
How to find stages to speak on - episode 51.
How to pitch yourself for speaking opportunities - episode 135.
Are you hiding, or not speaking up, because you’re concerned people might disagree with you?
Well, chances are, someone will! After all, if they already agreed with you, you wouldn’t need to say what you have to say, right?
So in this episode I’m sharing some techniques to manage disagreements and conflict.
Listen in to hear:
Why disagreements are not as bad as you think
How conflict is NOT tied to your professional value, though, how you manage it could very well increase your professional reputation
How to pace out objections to dissipate conflict before it happens
How to use agreements frames to manage and acknowledge differing opinions as they arise
Why getting comfortable with conflict is a really powerful skill to have if you want to influence change
Book NOW for the Goldilocks effect.
Ask me a question here and I’ll answer in an upcoming episode.
Listen to episode 97 - Building the confidence to NOT be liked, a fabulous interview with Kate Toon.
Ever feel like you’re tired of the sound of your own voice? Or the sound of your message? But you’re still not making the impact you want?
Yep, I get it.
Influence and making a difference is an endurance sport, so in this episode I’m sharing my top 3 ways to have making long term impact feel easier.
Listen in to hear:
How you can plan out your long term influence using the same techniques you might use for a presentation
How I influenced elected officials and other stakeholders through the smallest of conversations
Why connecting your personal elevator pitch and ‘what you do’ stories to your long term impact outcomes can be a powerful way to weave your message in everything you do
How to shift from feeling like your nagging your teenagers to being powerful and impactful in your messaging
Why patience and self-compassion is required, in spades, to make long term impact
Book NOW for the Goldilocks effect.
Ask me a question here and I’ll answer in an upcoming episode.
Episode 140 - How to showcase your talents (and make long term influence) with the storytelling canvas.
How do you recover a presentation where your slides don’t work, you’re not feeling great, and when you see audience members sleeping during your presentation?
Well, that’s exactly the scenario Lauren experienced recently, and so I’m providing some guidance and answers to help her feel a little better about the whole thing … and what to do if it ever happens again.
Listen in to hear:
How to hack your preparation if you’ve been unwell or just don’t have time to prepare
My hot tips for slides that work that I’ve learned the hard way after years and years of tech hiccups
How to wake up sleepy audience members - really - without sounding like a cranky school teacher
Engagement techniques to beat the post-lunch, post-conference-drinks slump
Book NOW for the Goldilocks effect.
Ask me a question and I’ll answer in an upcoming episode.
Other episodes mentioned
Episode 164 - How to Engage Your Audience
And
Episode 74 - the powerful frame your thinking method (how to write your speaking notes)
In honour of World Smile Day today I want to share the simplest, and most under-rated way to boost your confidence …
Yes, SMILING
Before you think, ‘oh, that’s ridiculous, if it were that simple … ‘
Consider this a little gift to you to make you smile today.
Listen in to hear:
Why smiling really does make you feel more confident
My little experiment, that you can do while listening to prove the power of smiling
The backstory of world smile day, and how it’s a thing
Why sometimes, it’s the simple things (like smiling) that are often the best ;)
Register NOW for my Goldilocks Effect workshop.
Other episodes mentioned:
Episode 158 - How to ground yourself before a gig.
Episode 11 - How to calm your nerves, once and for all.
Ask me a question, and I’ll answer it in an upcoming episode. Send me a DM on Instagram.
Does it ever feel like your brain and mouth are out-of-sync? You know what you want to say but your mouth just doesn’t play along?
That’s exactly the experience that’s been described by a regular listener, and they’ve asked me for some tips:
“You know, as much as I prepare myself to aid my confidence, it always feels like the right words won’t come out when presenting. Of course I am nervous, probably more than most but I know that presenting clearly is so important ( perhaps this thinking makes it worse?)
Anyway, I’ll do what I can to calm my nerves and tell myself to relax but what my brain thinks versus what comes out are just not in sync!
I end up constantly correcting what I said which completely destroys the message.
Either I’m losing my mind or I just need some advice or skills to almost switch into gear before presenting”
This is SUCH a common challenge!
Listen in to hear:
The biggest mistake we make when this happens, and what to do instead
Why it’s actually not about the words
How to shift your focus to what your audience needs and wants from you, rather than obsessing over the perfect words
Why you don’t want to ‘correct’ yourself, instead, focus on connection (don’t correct, connect)
Why you can trust that you know your stuff
If you’d like me to answer your question on a future episode, chat with me on instagram.
Get my weekly newsletter here.
And if you’re listening before 12.30pm AEST on Thursday 25 September, register for my Elevator Pitch Practise Session here.
Ever been in the audience at a conference, asked a question of one of the speakers, and got completely tangled up in giving context?
Well, that’s EXACTLY what I’m addressing today - how to ask questions FROM the audience in a way that elevates you, gets the answer you want and doesn’t get you all tangled up.
This is in response to a listener question who said
Many times I hear questions in presentations be asked with a lead-in that links some of the themes of the talk to the question about to be asked. However each time I try to do this I really seem to make a mess of the lead-in and then by the time I get around to asking a question the speaker is so confused about what I’m asking so we just have this awkward exchange where I repeat the lead in and question but get super nervous which makes things seemingly worse.
Listen in to my (slightly rambly) answer to learn:
How to frame a question in your mind, first
How to connect it to what the speaker was saying
Why it’s easy to over-think our questions, and how I do it too
The difference between a general question that will benefit everyone in the audience, vs an advice question that relates to you
How asking these kinds of questions is a powerful networking and profile building strategy
Register for my Elevator Pitch Practise Session here.
If you’d like me to answer your question on a future episode, chat with me on instagram.
Get my weekly newsletter here.
“Is it realistic to do a 20 minute speech without notes?”, that’s the question I’m asking in this week’s Speaking with Confidence podcast.
It’s a myth that we need to memorise our speeches, and it’s also a risk to take a stage with a script or highly detailed notes. The more details in our notes the more we’re looking at the lectern, instead of connecting with our audience.
Regular listeners will be familiar with my ‘post-it note’ method, where I encourage the use of a handful of post-its to keep you on track and on message, while giving you space to flow with your presentation.
Listen in to hear my answer to Sharon’s question, including:
Why saying LESS really is more
How to use your time in a 20 minute presentation
Why what you say at the end of your presentation is actually more important than what you say in the middle
Why it’s actually a mistake to focus on your content, and what you want to focus on instead
How to craft a presentation that connects with your audience, delivers your key messages well and keeps it all focused for maximum impact
Register for my Elevator Pitch Practise Session here.
If you’d like me to answer your question on a future episode, chat with me on instagram.
Get my weekly newsletter here.
To learn more about my post-it note method, listen to episode 74 - The Powerful Frame Your Thinking Method.
And to learn more about the power of ‘cropping’ your message, listen to episode 85 - Cropping for Focus and Impact.
I was recently asked this question:
“How to engage the audience? I love watching speakers who engage the crowd but don't put people on the spot?’
Putting people on the spot is NOT an engagement technique and it can often have negative impacts on the audience.
So, in this week’s episode I’m sharing my top tips for engaging your audience without singling people out, or putting them on the spot.
Listen in to hear:
How to build rapport and engagement in your opening statements
My technique for asking questions that your audience WANTS to respond to
Important body language and hand gestures that invite responses (for both stage and online conversations)
How to phrase your questions to elicit audience responses
How to build engagement momentum
Curious about my Impact Club, the collective for humble leaders? See if it’s for you, here.
Have a question you’d like to ask me? Chat with me here on Instagram.
That episode about your opening 2 questions? Episode 163 - How to make my audience relax (it’s the episode immediately before this one!)
In this episode of Speaking with Confidence with Cat Matson I’m answering another community question: “How can I make my audience relax, and maybe even laugh 😅?”
This is such an insightful question … if your audience isn’t relaxed they’re not going to be open to what you have to say.
Listen in to hear:
My simple technique that you can use in your opening 2 lines to build rapport with your audience and therefore put their minds at ease
Why some simple housekeeping announcements can be really powerful when it comes to putting your audience at ease
My tips for making your audience laugh (and no, it’s not bad dad jokes)
Why you need to relax, yourself, if you want your audience to relax
Want to join my FREE SpeakEASY elevator pitch practise session? Register here.
Can’t make this one but want to know about the next one? Subscribe to my weekly newsletter, here.
Have a question you’d like me to answer? Ask me here.
“How do you quickly prepare when you’re put on the spot?”, that’s the question I’m answering in today’s episode of Speaking with Confidence with Cat Matson.
I was recently asked,
“How to prep in 2 minutes - I went to a networking event recently and once I got there the host said "ok, we're going around the room and everyone will come up to the front and introduce yourself, your business, and why you're here today"
-- pro: I didn't have days to agonise over messing it up, like I would if I knew ahead of time
-- con: I was there more to socialise and was totally unprepared to promote my self/business
How do you not garble it all up?”
Such an AWESOME question!
Listen in to hear:
How to quickly understand the ‘What’s In It For Them’ (WIIFT) of the attendees at the particular function … and how to introduce yourself in a way that’s relevant to them
Why you then want to check in with your WIFFM - your’s ‘What’s In It For Me’ in this particular context
How to use your elevator pitch, or your ‘I Am … ‘ story to connect their WIFFT with your WIFFM
Why a rigid elevator pitch is NOT the way to go
Why you ALWAYS want to be ready to talk about yourself and your business … and how you can do that with ease
My SpeakEASY Elevator Pitch Practise Session is happening Friday 29 August. Register now.
Can’t make this one but want to know about the next one? Subscribe to my weekly newsletter, here.
It’s my birthday … it’s a big milestone birthday … as such, this episode is a little bit different to normal episodes.
As I reflect on my career, my business, and my work, the themes of imposter syndrome, humility and authenticity have been percolating … and I wanted to share some of those thoughts today.
Listen in to hear:
FREE SpeakEASY Elevator Pitch Practise Session - Friday 29 August - register here.
The Impact Club - where humble leaders are supported to make their dent in the universe, in their way.
“How To MC an Event” is the question I’m answering in this week’s episode of Speaking with Confidence … a question asked by Louise in my community.
MCing is my favourite speaking format … so I LOVED answering this question!
Listen in to hear:
What is the role of an MC (and what many people get wrong)
How to do an Acknowledgement of Country that is meaningful and DOESN’T sound tokenistic
Why as MC you want to make the experience enjoyable for the audience, and how to do that
What to do with those extra long speaker bios
How you can leverage the opportunity to build your profile while you’re MCing
To join me for the upcoming SpeakEASY Elevator Pitch Practise Session, click here.
If you have a question you’d like me to answer on this podcast, do so over on Instagram.
How do you end your talk so that your audience takes the next step with you? And how do you end your talk so you’re memorable?
This week I’m answering just those questions - questions asked by my community.
Listen in to hear:
How to craft a call to action that moves your audience closer to working with you
How to manage questions at the end of a presentation and STILL finish with impact
Why your call to action needs to be really simple and actionable … and how to do that
Just how many messages can you deliver in your close?
Want to master ‘the Goldilocks Effect’ of Speaking - saying not too much, not too little but just the right amount to land your message with impact? Register NOW for the Golidlocks Effect workshop on Wednesday 30 July.
Other episodes mentioned:
“What are your grounding hacks before a speaking gig?” is the question I’m answering in this week’s episode of Speaking with Confidence.
Grounding isn’t always about nerves, sometimes it’s about getting present to where you are and what you’re about to do.
Listen in to hear:
What I do when nerves hit just before I walk on stage
My ‘standard start’ that lets me settle, ground and get present
How I connect with my audience, before going on stage and as I’m on stage to ground and calm
My little tip for making eye contact with your audience (even when it’s a big one)
Are you a rambler, a over-sharer, a data-dumper with a side of rabbit holes? Join me for my Goldilocks Effect of Speaking on 30 July. All the details here.
Have a question you want me to answer on the podcast? Ask away on Instagram.
In this episode I’m giving you my top tips for speaking on camera, and getting over that reluctance to record when it’s just you and the camera.
I record A LOT of video content - this podcast, for one, as well as course videos, Instagram reels and stories, and I’ve picked up a few tricks along the way to move past that reluctance to hit record and just do it.
Listen in to hear:
Why it’s perfectly normal to struggle with speaking to a camera without an audience.
Why creating content quickly can help maintain momentum.
How to quickly plan the content of your video (not your script) to get you moving
Why authenticity in video content is more engaging than perfection.
Why I’m a big fan of recording once and publishing
The only part of your video I suggest you practice
My hot tip for connecting with an absent, invisible audience
Master the ‘Goldilocks Effect of Speaking’ - join me at my upcoming online workshop to learn how to say not too much, not too little, but just the right amount to land your message with impact, every time. July 30 - register here.
Want some more social media tips? Listen to episode 63 - How To Not Suck at Social Media Videos.
Got a question you’d like me to answer on the podcast? Tag me in a post, or DM me on Instagram.
In this episode of Speaking with Confidence, I’m discussing the importance of strategic communication and how to effectively contribute to conversations that matter.
I’ve been noticing my own ‘desire’ to contribute to ALL THE CONVERSATIONS, but actually, realising I need to focus on my own circle of influence and control, and the value of thoughtful contributions over mere opinions. The episode also touches on the challenges of moral outrage in the digital age, with an invitation to be mindful of your energy and impact.
Listen in to hear:
How being more strategic contribution can enhance your influence.
Why not every opinion needs to be shared; choose wisely.
How moral outrage can detract from meaningful dialogue.
Why it’s powerful to focus on areas where you can make a real impact.
How you can conserve energy for significant contributions.
Join me at The Goldilocks Effect Online Workshop - get your ticket here.
Not receiving my juicy newsletters yet? Subscribe here, and get your FREE copy of my How To Stop Rambling ebook - https://www.impactfulpresenters.com/f/how-to-stop-rambling
Want another episode? Ep 58 The Curse of Moral Outrage and Righteous Indignation.
Got a question you’d like me to answer on the podcast? Tag me in a post, or DM me on Instagram.