Author - Sarah Denholm

24Apr

Grounded Triangle Pose

  Grounded triangle pose: a technique for you if you're nervous or know you lack presence.  When you speak it's easy to become what I call "a head on a stick". You might rush because of enthusiasm, too much content, or nervousness. You might not want to pause in case you forget your next point… or you're worried that the audience might think you've forgotten! When this happens, our centre of gravity rises: imagine an inverted triangle from your head to your core. You make it all about your thinking brain, and you won't be very well grounded.

What we want instead

What we're after...

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10Apr

Want to be a More Powerful Speaker?

Extend your vocal range.

You'd probably agree with me that one of the most crucial aspects of  an audience's ability to "hear" us is the amount of vocal contrast we use. (There are other contrast aspects too, topics for another day.) Coming across as varied enough is a key challenge that so many speakers have to face. Low vocal range equals low contrast, and low contrast leads to low engagement. We all have a natural range, don't we? Varying from very little change (almost monotone in delivery), to highly expressive...even dramatic! You can probably think of people who demonstrate very different ends of that scale! If...

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27Mar

To Sound Authentic, Use Spoken Language, Not Written

If you ever prepare a script before an event - maybe you're doing a presentation, speech, or video voiceover - you want to make sure it's created for your audience's ears, not their eyes!

I still come across many instances where clients speak but it doesn't sound natural, because they sat down and wrote what they wanted to say first...then read that out exactly as written. This often means that they push through densely packed or complicated language or sentence structure, often getting tangled up along the way. It's disconnecting and disconcerting for the audience. And potentially for you: you know as you're...

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12Mar

How strong is your mind-to-mouth connection?

One of the things we’re always aiming for when we speak is to be clear. Sometimes to be impactful as well, but definitely to be clear. 

[Video content is below, too, if you prefer to watch.] And one of the key reasons that we don’t achieve this clarity goal is when our mouth is ahead of our mind: we don't have a strong mind-to-mouth connection.  When our mouth is running the show, any of these issues can happen. I'm sure you'll recognise yourself in at least one of them! Most people do at least one of these on a regular basis. We: Ramble ...

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28Feb

Do you Prefer “I feel” or “I think” when you Speak? And Why it Matters.

Speaking with a younger client hoping for promotion this week, she was telling me about meeting a partner in her firm to discuss her concerns about a team process.

And I noticed in her retelling of the conversation with him that she was continually using “I feel” and “I felt” to describe what she was observing.  Even though there were feelings involved on her part, using this language can be a concern for a few reasons:   For us. Saying “I feel” - it’s personal. It’s closer to us. We are actually priming ourselves to attach more strongly to the idea we’re expressing. This...

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12Feb

Don’t fight reality when speaking in public

Many of my clients try to fight or deny the reality of their situation when they have a presentation or important event coming up. And I've found, interestingly, that while it’s more for fearful or anxious clients, it's also common with highly confident clients who lack the time or focus to devote to their talks or presentations. Fighting your reality plays out in three different timeframes. You may recognise all, or just one of them:

1st: leading up to the event.

You procrastinate and put off preparing your slide deck or notes. In fact you may not give yourself any thinking time at...

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30Jan

How Much Time Should You Spend on Context in an Interview?

Whether you're answering a behavioural interview question using the STAR structure (Situation, Task, Actions, Results/Reflections), or giving upfront context during a presentation or meeting: what's the best % ratio to use when you're giving that context? How can you avoid spending too long on setting the scene? I used to get bogged down in detail with this (and still have to stay alert to the danger!)  - and so do many people I work with. Getting the ratio right can make the difference between your audience tuning out and drifting to thoughts of lunch or the weekend, or staying engaged right to the end. In this video, I...

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18Jan

Why and How to Practise Speaking Under Pressure

The why - and how - to practise speaking under pressure: why it matters, and 2 super-practical tips. Do you ever get frustrated by the fact that you can practise and be fine at home or in front of the dog...but when you get into the actual space, things start to unravel? Or you feel more stressed than you thought you would, and that catches you by surprise? Here's a 2-minute video on how to put yourself under deliberate pressure in order to increase your capacity when you're actually speaking. By testing yourself in the ways I mention in the video - and there...

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12Dec

Speak to me, not ‘everyone’!

Speak to me, not 'everyone'

As communicators, we're always on the lookout for ways to connect and engage with our audience. What do you think is not ideal in these two examples? 1. An email I received this week from UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees): "Dear Sarah, Thank you to everyone who has donated to help..." 2. My weekly email from Tim Ferriss of 4 hour week fame, which begins each week with "Hi All!" and ends "Have a wonderful weekend, all." Agh!

Tell me: do these communications engage with you directly?

Do you feel connected - as an individual, just one person -...

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16Nov

The Value of Volume When You Speak

What do I mean by the value of volume?

The amount of sound we make when speaking in public has impact far beyond simply people being able to hear us. And it doesn't matter if you're highly experienced, or new and nervous: working with aspects of volume is a great way to access greater courage or presence.

1. Let's look at volume and nerves first:

If you're anxious, your system tends to shrink and contract. And you may recognise any of these as a result: low breath, low energy, mind-blanks. This contraction happens to both your mind and your body...one follows the other: and the...

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