Public Speaking for Leaders
By Colin Ryan
Public Speaking for LeadersApr 12, 2023
32 | Bestselling Author Diana Kander Discusses "Go Big Or Go Home" on the Art of Successful Presenting and Pitching
From Colin -- I've been a fan of Diana Kander ever since I read All In Startup back in 2014. Her latest book is all about pitching and presenting, and she actually charts out the proven flow of a pitch that is surprising, memorable and gets you the deal. This book taps into so many thing I consult with leaders on, I had to have her on to share Diana and her book with you!
---------Notes:
~5:00 The Mug Moment!
~7:00 The Forgetting Curve “Our research revealed that within an hour the audience forgets 50% of what you said, within a week they forget 90%. If you want them to remember more than 10% (which might not even be the 10% you want them to remember) you have to spike their emotions during the presentation.”
~21:00 The importance of being a lifelong learner… “Think of something you’re awesome at, and I challenge you to go read a book on it and not 5 things you can be doing even better. That’s how we grow. As soon as you’re satisfied, you start stagnating.”
~24:00 Colin and Diana talk about our initial exploratory/sales calls, and what we’ve both learned about how most people make this pitch in the wrong order.
~26:00 mark, there's a really cool little moment where Diana clearly thinks of something she wants to say and she swallows it to keep listening!! All kinds of meta.
~28:00 Diana offers YOU the listener, unprompted, a special surprise gift!
You can find Go Big Or Go Home, by Diana Kander and Tucker Trotter, on Amazon and at DianaKander.com.
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Colin Ryan is a humorous financial speaker who partners with universities and businesses to help more people manage money and achieve financial success.
More about Colin at: https://www.colinryanspeaks.com
Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast platform here: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/colinryanspeaks
31 | What To Say In The First 30 Seconds Of Every Pitch or Presentation
The first 30 seconds of your speech are the only chance you have to truly grab and maintain your audience's attention.
This is based on a concept by Diana Kander and Tucker Trotter's concept "The Golden Window."
Which they write about in the upcoming book Go Big Or Go Home.
I'm always committed to showing you EXACTLY what to say, so I'll give you a perfect example: how we recently made an investor pitch for a trash/recycling container ENGAGING and FUNNY.
If we can do that on that dry a topic, think how good we can make your next pitch! Go to SpeakNextWeek.com for more information.
30 | Shari Alyse Unpacks Two TEDx Talks AND How You Can Get Media Appearances
A Conversation with America's Joy Magnet, seasoned TEDx speaker and Media Appearance Coach... Shari Alyse!
“I got off the stage after my second TED talk, and I beelined it for the ladies restroom. After like 30 seconds of crying, I exhaled, and I literally put my arms around myself and I said, ‘I’m so proud of you. Not only did you do it, but you can show up for any challenge in your life.’ And the learning experience for me there was find joy in the process, the creation and the actually stepping out and doing it.” - Shari Alyse
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How are your skills in the 3 areas of leadership communication? If they're anything less than 10,10,10, feel free to check out our free 3 part video series that gives you the mindset and practical techniques to elevate your CONFIDENCE, your PRESENCE, and your INFLUENCE: ACCESS THE TRAINING BY CLICKING HERE.
29 | Inspire Your Listener to TAKE ACTION with this Trick from the Dentist
You're about to learn one of my favorite $10.00 words/phrases: Choice Architecture.
This is the overlooked key to inspiring, motivating, and influencing your people to take action.
Whether it's your team, an individual, a potential client or partner, this will definitely help you like it's helped me!
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Take a look at our rapid-results coaching programs:
Speak Next Week | Make Your Next Talk Your Best Talk (In Just One Hour)
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28 | Play the MEMOIR GAME To Improve Listening Skills
Think about the bad listeners in your life. Picturing them? **If you can't picture one, it's you ;)
Now think about the good listeners in your life. They have your respect, your appreciation, your trust.
They have influence! They lead through their ability to listen!
Here is a fun way to be one of those influential listeners in someone else's life.
There is no better feeling than when someone takes the time to truly listen to us.
27 | An Exercise That Makes A Scary Audience Less Scary
I get it - public speaking is uncomfortable.
But have you ever turned down speaking opportunities you know would be good for you to take?
It might be because you've put that audience on a pedestal.
No matter how impressive or intimidating the people in your audience are, they shouldn't be on a pedestal.
They don't belong there!
Here is: a funny story about a shirt that doesn't fit, and a great exercise to calm your nerves and speak more effectively.
26 | Your Inner Critic is Just a HECKLER in Your Head
Happy new year!
Welcome to hustle month, where we refocus on getting our message out there and showing up in-person and online for our people.
Is there something you want to share in a talk or post on social media but your inner critic / perfectionist / impostor is getting in your way?
I was coaching a comedian turned speaker who is create his story-rich, humorous mental health keynote, when we came up with this amazing this amazing mental trick for dealing with a negative self-talk.
He has so many great stories they don't all fit in his keynote, but that little voice in his head is telling him not to share the extra stories with the world via social media in case they aren't "perfect yet."
I've been there! Have you? If you can you relate (or know someone who will), then try this!
25 | This Simple Trick Will Instantly Make You More ENGAGING
When I did a training for 13 peer financial counselors (students who provide financial counseling through one-on-one sessions and workshop presentations), I sent them a pre-training survey and almost every single student shared some version of "ENGAGING the audience is my biggest public speaking challenge right now."
Here's a great way to do it - use humor.
It'll engage your listeners.
It'll enhance your message.
And it's so much easier than you think!
Here is a simple trick to weave humor into your conversation and your presentations.... without sounding forced at all.
Enjoy!
25 | How to Nail Your Pitch by Making an EMOTIONAL Connection
Lynn had 10 minutes to speak during a 3-day learning and development conference for her entire faculty at her school.
It was a tiny window in order to recruit the faculty to be MAVENS who recommended students utilize her financial literacy resources.
Any speaking opportunity has high stakes because being forgotten is a huge missed opportunity.
So how do you stand out, be memorable, and convince your listeners so effectively that they utilize your solution AND recommend it to others?
By telling a CLIENT TRANSFORMATION STORY that sells your program for you, makes an emotional connection, and sticks in their minds long after they hear it.
Here is how created a story that did that in just one hour.
I can't wait for you to meet the main character of her pitch: Maria!
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Would you like to learn how to tell your own CLIENT TRANSFORMATION STORY?
Our free video series will help you share your WHY and communicate your message in a fun, memorable, and impactful way -- and in a lot less time than you think!
Go here to learn more: https://www.colinryanspeaks.com/sfl
24 | Two Communication Life Lessons From My Most Unforgettable Mentor
She was 4'9", she spoke 5 languages, and she was my grandma!
And she taught me two lessons that have shaped me both as a person and as a speaker.
These two lessons will show you, like they have for me, how to become a far more confident and compelling communicator and relationship-builder.
You will love these 2 hilarious stories (with a bit of heart thrown in there too)!
I hope you enjoy getting to know Edmay Henwood!
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Are you asked to speak and give presentations in your profession, or about your personal experiences? Would you like to feel confident, be concise, and inspire your audience to engage in your story and take meaningful action?
This free video series will help you share your WHY and communicate your message in a fun, memorable, and impactful way -- and in a lot less time than you think!
Go here to learn more: https://www.colinryanspeaks.com/sfl
23 | From Stage Fright to Stage Fearless - Coach Michele Ogston's Story
What if you dreamed of speaking in front of people, but were terrified of public speaking?
What if you had a vision of impact, a powerful message to share and a business ready to scale, but you were blocked by your dread at facing an audience?
When I met Michele several years ago, she was courageously told me of the extent this fear was interfering with her career.
Believe it or not, her voice shook so badly she struggled to speak up even in a Zoom meeting!
With that as our starting point, we could only go up!
After working with Michele and designing a plan for Michele to turn this key weakness into a key strength, she did the hard work and the results are truly astounding!
Michele is the founder of Cloud 9 Life Coaching. She is a Certified Intuitive Relationship Coach & Spiritual Mentor, and thanks to her hard work, she is now a confident, powerful and in-demand public speaker at conferences across the country.
Public speaking nervousness, fear of rejection, impostor syndrome, fear of failure... all aspiring speakers and leaders wrestle with these. Which is why I'm lucky to have Michele share with you exactly what she did to go from stage fright to stage fearless.
***We geek out on Michele's coaching work till minute 13, and that's where her incredible public speaking story starts!***
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Would you like to fix your biggest public speaking barrier in one hour? Go to www.speaknextweek.com, answer a few questions, and we'll get you moving forward with excitement, confidence, and a real strategy to make public speaking not only your friend, but your secret weapon for growing your career, business, and client list.
22 | How to Share a Mistake and Seem MORE Confident
As a leader, as an expert, telling a story about a mistake, a disaster, a glorious miscalculation on your part actually makes you seem more confident, not less.
Not only that, it's going to create trust in your team and audience that leads to greater interaction in the room and a safer and more creative atmosphere.
In other words, it will create the exact kind of open communication that so critical to leadership and conveying a message that gets results.
But ONLY if you use this one technique when you tell it…
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Would you like to make your next public speaking opportunity 30% better in just one hour?
Whether it’s a talk, webinar, podcast interview, media appearance, panel guest spot, key message to your audience, or something else, we can show you how to take it from good to GREAT in just one hour.
To get support, go to www.speaknextweek.com, answer a few questions about your upcoming opportunity, and my team will respond within 24 hours.
And if you’d like to improve your public speaking skills, get paid to speak, or spread a message your passionate about, go to www.speaknextweek.com, scroll to the bottom, and grab our free guide “Mastering the 3 C’s of Great Speaking” to level up your public speaking skills today!
21 | Pro Speaker Joe Fingerhut Gets 1,000,000 People To Ask "How Can I?"
Joe Fingerhut is a friend, a fellow speaker, and a unicycle-riding Japanese-speaking juggling motivational speaking Renaissance man.
Joe shares:
What's it like speaking in front of 3,000 people.
What he tells himself the moment before he goes on stage.
The inspiration for, and evolution of, his popular and inspiring "How Can I?" message.
How all leaders and speakers can use their spotlight to shine it on others.
Learn more about Joe at JoeFingerhut.com
20 | How To Answer Questions When You DON'T Know the Answer
Here is an incredibly valuable communication lesson for content experts and leaders.... that I learned from my hilarious and sarcastic my mother-in-law!, her Alexa, and Kevin Costner.
19 | My Elevator Pitch Should Be LESS Impressive??? What?!
"Most elevator pitches are designed to impress, and they fail to intrigue."
I made that one up on the spot and I'm proud of it!
When you let go of "saying the right things" and "what I should sound like" you open up all kinds of fun and interesting lanes to engage and hook your funder or listener in a whole new way.
Here is a surprising story I helped a client create to sell her brand in a totally unique way.
18 | Write A Book Without Writing A Word??? (with Michael Delon)
"Simon Sinek doesn’t make money selling his book. Simon makes money selling his ideas through his books and his speeches. It's his books that get him invited on stages. And those stages are where he makes all of his money." - Michael Delon
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Publisher and credibility marketing expert Michael Delon shares with you how to create your book, get get booked on more stages and gain more clients.
Michael Delon is the founder of Paperback Expert.
In this interview we talk about:
- His journey out of “prison” aka a job where he sold services and made no sales to his dream job helping others make an impact.
- The role of a book in building your brand as a speaker, and getting more speaking opportunities.
- The importance of not just marketing, but CREDIBILITY marketing.
- The amazing story of how he convinced a personal injury attorney to bring his baseball glove into his next TV interview, and helped him eventually write his bestseller book.
At the end of the day, Michael’s main message in this conversation is this: “Be yourself.” It’s the most simple and also the most difficult thing to do, and always a reminder we need to hear, especially from successful and genuine experts just like Michael.
You can find out more about Michael at: www.paperbackexpert.com
17 | Snag One of These Storytelling Tricks that Pixar Swears By
No one tells stories better than Pixar! Wall-E. Up. Toy Story. Ratatouille. Pixar's stories connect us with at every age, they move us to laughter, tears, and we can still picture them years later.
As a presenter, a leader, an educator, telling stories is an incredible way to create trust, connection, and have your message remembered. It's also a lot of fun, and a totally learnable skill!
I was inspired by this article "22 Rules of Storytelling Pixar Follows in their Movies" and so today I'm breaking down 11 actionable storytelling tips, using examples from some of the most memorable and meaningful movies Pixar has made.
Do you have a storytelling tip you'd love to share with our audience? Send it to info@colinryanspeaks.com or leave it as a voicemail here.
16 | How To Read Your Audience's Minds & Say Exactly What They Hope You'll Say
In your next presentation, pitch, or meeting with prospective clients, do THIS and you'll know exactly what to say to earn your audience's trust and their business.
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Want to assess your executive presence skills right now AND get proven tips on how to communicate powerfully? Go to 15feet.com for free resources.
If you want to nail an upcoming public speaking opportunity, craft your signature story, turn boring content into brilliance, master your authentic sense of humor, become a better listener, and learn to communicate with the confidence and authenticity others can’t help but follow, email us at info@colinryanspeaks.com for free, personalized advice.
15 | Your Speaking Confidence Skyrockets When You Identify This
After I gave a training on pitching your work to clients, a graphic designer named Todd came up to me.
"Here's my problem… When I'm presenting work concepts to clients, I get rattled. I feel like they're judging me, and they think graphic design isn't really that important. It's arts and crafts. I end up feeling like they're the adults in the room, and I'm the kid who needs to prove myself."
This is very relatable! Here's what I said to Todd, something that all of us need to be reminded of, in order to show up as authentically and effectively as possible....
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Free resource for you to create GREATER SPEAKING CONFIDENCE!
Our mini-course Complete Speaking Confidence will help with the mental game of public speaking - silence an inner critic, erase public speaking nervousness, and know exactly what your prospect/client/listener needs to hear to give you their trust.
Email colin@colinryanspeaks.com and mention the title of this podcast episode, and we'll send you a code to access the course FOR FREE!
14 | How We Streamlined Ryan's Pitch From SIX Minutes to ONE Minute (with Ryan Dunphy)
Clarity and certainty are essential when you are packaging your talk and positioning yourself as a thought-leader!
This is also key to persuading your audience to believe in the strength and value of your message.
"Evidence shows people will remember one thing you say. When you speak for an hour, it's going to be something different for each person. But when you speak for a minute, you get to decide what that one thing is."
My guest is Ryan Dunphy -- the founder of the Adventurous Entrepreneurs Community. Ryan is incredibly passionate about his subject and about speaking to his audience. This can create the challenge of condensing his message into something more bite-sized when he wants to share his passion about being a speaker.
Ryan is one of the most supportive people I've ever met. So today I'm supporting him! And you in the process!
This live demo of my pitch coaching session with Ryan will show you how to use a simple 4-step framework to share your message quickly, powerfully, and persuasively. This story format allows you to teach without being preachy, serve without sounding salesy, and tell one memorable story that supports, and flows clearly into, your main idea.
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If you would like to use this story framework to craft or strengthen your message, here are free resources to get you started: www.15feet.com.
13 | Ted Lasso and Inspiring Your Audience to Believe
"It's been said that every sale is nothing more than getting someone to believe the solution you offer is the solution they need."
"The reason you create belief is so they feel within themselves that the person they want to be is the person they can be."
"Ask yourself, what is the belief that you want to create for your listener?"
What is the belief that you want to create for your listener? Schedule a free 15-minute call with Colin to find out how to tell the one-minute story that makes it happen.
12 | An Honest Conversation about Mental Health (with Christine O'Neill)
This is a great one!
Christine O’Neill, MMSc, PA-C, ACC is a burnout interventionist, executive leadership coach, and medical clinician (and my friend!). She’s passionate about helping overwhelmed professionals learn how to make a difference while having a life by using values-based prioritization and neuroscience-informed self-coaching techniques. She specializes in professional burnout prevention/recovery, and executive coaching for people-centered leaders.
Christine has worked in healthcare for nearly 30 years, gaining deep experience in direct patient care, hospital leadership, nonprofit board leadership, and grassroots political advocacy. Fun fact -- She bought a camper van in 2020 and looks forward to visiting as many National and Provincial parks in North America as possible.
Christine's prioritization exercise: https://www.christineoneill.co/prioritize-your-life
The Approachable Expert Sequence will help you create deeper connection with your listeners, increase your impact, tell better stories, and go from intimidating to approachable. Would you like to know more? Check out our free resources at: www.15feet.com.
11 | Reminder -- Stories That are Hard to Tell Are Stories They NEED To Hear
To be clear, Storytelling IS personal development. And Storytelling IS professional development.
Because there are times where the toughest story for you to tell is the most powerful story for your audience to hear.
Here is what you'll need to know in order to a) be comfortable & authentic when telling this kind of story, and b) achieve the results you want when telling it.
Do you want greater impact and income through your speaking/presenting? Schedule a free 15-minute call with Colin or start with our free speaking resources.
10 | How to Manage Nervousness While Public Speaking
A racing mind can strike at any moment, and try to ruin a really fun thing like presenting. Here's how to invite that nervousness out of your brain and out of your life.
Want to up-level your speaking confidence, content, impact, or income?? Schedule a free 15-minute call with Colin or start with our free speaking resources.
09 | How to Go from Workshop Presenter to Keynote Speaker
It's all about a technique I like to call Human-Expert Positioning.
Want to improve your speaking confidence, content, impact, or income?? Schedule a free 15-minute call with Colin or start with our free speaking resources.
08 | The 3 Stories Your Presentation Must Have
Storytelling will make your next presentation an unforgettable presentation, but only if you tell these 3 stories.
Want to improve your speaking confidence, content, impact, or income?? Schedule a free 15-minute call with Colin or start with our free speaking resources.
07 | Do You Know Who Your TWO Audiences Are?
Here is a business growth strategy that will increase the impact of your message and generate more speaking opportunities.
Want to improve your speaking confidence, content, impact, or income?? Schedule a free 15-minute call with Colin or start with our free speaking resources.
06 | Become a Better Speaker By Learning How to PAUSE
Show Notes: https://www.colinryanspeaks.com/the-power-of-silence-when-presenting/
Let's explore using pauses as a technique in your presentations, inspired by a lesson I learned IN FRONT OF 1,000 people at a Moth storytelling performance.
I had the opportunity to perform my story for a very large crowd, in a beautiful theatre, amidst a roster of talented storytellers and a celebrity host. There’s a tremendous amount of pressure to do well.
Put another way, there’s a tremendous amount of pressure not to mess it up.
You’re speaking in front of a lot people, and it’s black-box theater lighting. The audience is completely dark, just a faceless energy out there somewhere. You’re standing in the middle of a 100 feet wide stage, staring into blinding spotlights, and pretending you haven't been thinking about this moment this for weeks.
I launch into my story, and soon enough I’m in the rhythm of it. I’ve crafted every word, memorized every line and practiced it over and over again. Two thirds of the way through, my mind goes completely blank...
What’s the #1 thing you want speaking to add to your life? Let’s make a plan on how you’ll get there. Schedule a free 15-minute No-Sales-Pitch call with Colin or start with our free speaking resources.
05 | How to Promote Yourself to Speaker ASAP (with Lindsey Lathrop)
Lindsey Lathrop is a certified business & negotiation coach, and a Top 100 Global Facilitator with Google’s #IAmRemarkable Initiative.
Lindsey is not only my wife and favorite person in the world, she has also been my personal negotiation coach throughout my speaking career, and someone who instinctively and tirelessly adds value to the people around her.
In this conversation we talk about:
· How Lindsey turned a childhood wound into a superpower to help others. And because she’s such a talented coach, she presents a unique way you can do the same when clichés like “Just love yourself” don’t seem to solve anything.
· How she came to realize that workshop presenting IS speaking, and what she learned from giving 50 (!) workshops in 2020.
· The results she achieved by acknowledging that the world is probably not going to put a microphone in your hands and dub you a speaker, but you don’t need it to. So she went ahead and did that for herself, and has seen significant business growth.
Lindsey is powerful proof that you can promote yourself to speaker, do the minutes to become a more confident and charismatic presenter, and then watch how it changes your life and business.
Learn more about Lindsey at her website, and follow her on Instagram at @coach_lins.
04 | A Helpful Lesson From A Speaking Disaster
Show Notes: https://www.colinryanspeaks.com/episode-4-curate-your-feedback/
In this episode, Colin tells a story he's never made public: the story of the biggest speaking backfire of his career.
And more importantly, what it can teach us about managing emotions, choosing your path, and protecting your courage.
10+ years of speaking will create a ton of amazing opportunities and experiences. But that willingness to put yourself out there is both a competitive advantage and a predictable risk.
"When you present, you put yourself in public. Which means you put yourself in the fragile and precarious spot where almost anyone you're in front of can give you feedback of any kind."
Come for the great lessons, stay for the schadenfreude.
What’s the #1 thing you want speaking to add to your life? Let’s make a plan on how you’ll get there. Schedule a free 15-minute No-Sales-Pitch call with Colin or start with our free speaking resources.
03 | How to Make Dry Content Exciting (with Kelsa Dickey)
Show Notes: https://www.colinryanspeaks.com/episode-3-kelsa-dickey/
Kelsa Dickey, along with her husband Michael, are the founders of Fiscal Fitness PHX and Financial Coaches Unite, and has been featured on CNN Money, USA Today and MSN Money.
Kelsa is as sharp as they come and has helped countless people through her coaching, yet she is quick to show real candor and authenticity about her own mistakes and journey. This makes her an approachable expert, something all presenters should be striving for.
In our conversation we talk about: why business-owners bootstrap (and how to recognize when it’s leading you away from joy and toward burnout); ways you can motivate your audience/listener to take action when that action won’t pay off for a long time; the surprising results you get when you serve your audience with both your content expertise and a beginner’s mind at the same time
Kelsa also has a podcast, and two episodes in particular made me want to interview her for Courageous Presenters. Those episodes are: Coach Kelsa’s Top 5 Money Mistakes & How Money Changes the Way You Think & Feel
02 | Here are Stage Fright Tips that Actually Work (with Ken Fleisher)
Show Notes: https://www.colinryanspeaks.com/episode-2-ken-fleisher/
Ken Fleisher is the creator of Stage Fright Relief, and helps people overcome public speaking nervousness.
In our interview, Ken talks about:
- the types of performance anxiety that show up in lots of arenas of life beyond just public speaking; why there's so much unhelpful advice out there about overcoming pre-presentation jitters; specific ways you can calm yourself when nervousness hits; and the moment it all changes for his clients (which also happens to be why he does this work!).
For Ken's website and and to get your own stage fright assessment, go to: Discover.StageFrightRelief.com.
What’s the #1 thing you want speaking to add to your life? Let’s make a plan on how you’ll get there. Schedule a free 15-minute No-Sales-Pitch call with Colin or start with our free speaking resources.
01 | How to Make An Impression Without Saying A Word (with Tavia Sharp)
Show Notes: https://www.colinryanspeaks.com/episode-1-tavia-sharp/
The podcast begins! This episode I'm talking with Tavia Sharp. Tavia is an image consultant for men and the founder & CEO of Styled Sharp.
Tavia gives advice anyone (not only men) can apply, and talks about: Overcoming her fear of public speaking, only to overcome it again to start virtual speaking; A tip to connect when the audience is different from you; Why you should be using your image to differentiate yourself rather than to blend in.
Check out Tavia's work at styledsharp.com or on social at @styledsharp.
What’s the #1 thing you want speaking to add to your life? Let’s make a plan on how you’ll get there. Schedule a free 15-minute No-Sales-Pitch call with Colin or start with our free speaking resources.