What 15 Years Of Being A Professional Speaker Taught Me (Full Blueprint)

VVinh Giang
ManagementAdult EducationMental Health

Transcript

00:00:00At some point in your career, all eyes are going to be on you.
00:00:03It might be on a stage in front of 500 people, it might be in a boardroom in front of just 10,
00:00:07or it might be in front of five very important clients.
00:00:10And when that opportunity arises, if you learn how to shine,
00:00:14this will completely change the way they perceive you and your capabilities.
00:00:18This is where career advancement lives.
00:00:20And this moment, it's coming for you, whether or not you are prepared.
00:00:25My name's Vin, and over the last 15 years, I've climbed the mountain that is professional speaking.
00:00:30Thousands of stages, millions of people.
00:00:33And today I'm distilling every framework, every mistake, every lesson into a complete system.
00:00:39Before the moment, owning the moment, and then beyond the moment.
00:00:44You don't need to be speaking on big stages for these lessons to apply to you.
00:00:48Stage number one, all of your fears and anxieties around public speaking,
00:00:52it's all fixed in the prep work before the moment.
00:00:55And if you watch only the first section of this video and practice it,
00:00:58I guarantee you it's going to solve 80% of the problems you experience in that moment.
00:01:02Most people just wing it when it comes to presentations.
00:01:06And they wonder why they get nervous.
00:01:08It's because you're winging it.
00:01:09Years ago, before I ever began my career as a keynote speaker,
00:01:12I took theater classes to help me improve my stage presence.
00:01:15And there was a rule that I learned from the world of theater that blew my mind.
00:01:18For every one minute you spend on stage, you rehearse for two hours.
00:01:23Let that sink in for a second.
00:01:25For every one minute, you're rehearsing for two hours.
00:01:28You're probably thinking, "Vin, that's overkill."
00:01:30Yeah, that's exactly what I thought too.
00:01:32But then I realized, "Ah, this is what it takes to be world class."
00:01:38So it made me think, and I want you to think about this too.
00:01:40Most people in life, they're not going to do the work.
00:01:43Most people just do the bare minimum.
00:01:45And I decided I'm not going to do the bare minimum,
00:01:48as I've been doing up until that point in my life.
00:01:50What if I started to do the bare maximum?
00:01:54What if I went all the way?
00:01:55What if I chose to be world class instead of just average and just being okay?
00:01:59So I did the crazy.
00:02:00I learned my speech inside out.
00:02:02I mastered my vocal delivery.
00:02:03And I perfected every single beat and every single movement of my talk.
00:02:07And I dedicated myself to this for months.
00:02:09And you know what happened?
00:02:10It paid off.
00:02:12When I delivered that presentation, I freaking crushed it.
00:02:15All thanks to the rehearsal that I put in.
00:02:18And do you know what that unlocked?
00:02:20Momentum.
00:02:21Every single speech that I did led to more opportunities.
00:02:24Bigger audiences.
00:02:26Bigger and better companies.
00:02:27Microsoft.
00:02:28American Express.
00:02:30And I've recently done a gig for one of my favorite gaming companies, Blizzard.
00:02:35They sent me one of my favorite characters, Sylvana Windrunner,
00:02:39who was a high elf who then became a banshee of the undead.
00:02:43So cool.
00:02:45Now I know what you're already thinking.
00:02:47You're thinking to yourself, "Vin, I just want to get better at running my weekly team meetings."
00:02:52Look, you don't have to be extreme like me.
00:02:54The level of rehearsal you do is dependent on the stakes of the presentation.
00:02:58If you've got a 10-minute weekly stand-up at work, maybe rehearse it between one to three times.
00:03:03And that might be enough.
00:03:04But if you know that the leaders of your organization are going to be in that meeting as well,
00:03:09maybe rehearse it at least 10 times.
00:03:11But then a 10-minute pitch to a group of investors that could
00:03:14lead to hundreds and thousands of dollars of investment for your business?
00:03:17Yeah, I'd be rehearsing that at least 100 times.
00:03:21So let me tell you how to rehearse.
00:03:23I personally do a seven-step rehearsal technique as a professional speaker,
00:03:27but this might be overkill for most people.
00:03:29So I recommend at least doing the first two steps.
00:03:32Step number one, do between five to 10 table reads.
00:03:36Print out your script and then read it out loud from start to finish.
00:03:40Not in your head, out loud.
00:03:42Here's where most people go wrong already.
00:03:44They read it quietly while pacing back and forth.
00:03:48And they've rehearsed that movement into their presentation.
00:03:52The way you rehearse is actually the way you end up presenting.
00:03:54This is why you see so many people when they're on stage and they're speaking.
00:03:58They walk back and forth, back and forth, non-stop.
00:04:01Here's the fix.
00:04:02Read with the same energy while you're rehearsing in your room, while you're doing the table read,
00:04:06with the same energy, same volume, and same pace as you would
00:04:09as if you were reading in front of a live audience.
00:04:12And if that's how you rehearse, that's how you're going to present and deliver on the day.
00:04:17Higher levels of energy and effort during rehearsal leads to higher levels of retention.
00:04:22You remember things more when you rehearse like this.
00:04:25And lower levels of energy and effort during rehearsal leads to lower levels of retention.
00:04:30That's why when you read things in your head, you don't end up remembering any of it.
00:04:34Just by you doing step one, that already puts you ahead of most people.
00:04:38But if you want to take things to a whole other level, let's learn step two,
00:04:42which is called improv rehearsal.
00:04:44What I mean by this is that you can still have your script in front of you,
00:04:47but you're going to try to deliver the speech without looking at the notes.
00:04:51Inevitably though, at some point you're going to forget where you're up to.
00:04:55You're going to forget what you're going to say next.
00:04:57And when that happens, don't go to your notes straight away.
00:05:00Just pause for as long as you need.
00:05:02Take a big deep breath and do everything you can to try to remember.
00:05:08After at least 10 seconds, if nothing comes, then look at your notes.
00:05:13The 10 seconds of trying to remember is the whole point.
00:05:17Because when you strain yourself to remember, and then the thought finally arrives,
00:05:21whether from your own head or from the page when you check the notes,
00:05:24that struggle is what burns the material into your mind and your brain.
00:05:29Another reason why I get you to pause for 10 seconds while trying to remember
00:05:34is now you're also rehearsing in what to do when you forget where you are.
00:05:38Most people, when they forget, they start to panic, they start to hyperventilate,
00:05:42they freak out, they flare their arms, and then they themselves.
00:05:44The reason I'm getting you to pause for that extended period of time while you're remembering
00:05:49is because now you're practicing a new behavior when you forget where you're at.
00:05:53Now, instead of panicking, in those moments, you just end up pausing.
00:05:57And because your mind and your body is more relaxed,
00:06:00you are in a state that's more likely now to remember where you're up to.
00:06:04If you think that's enough for you, great, take it and use it.
00:06:07But if you want to be world class, if you want to do what most people don't do,
00:06:11and if you want to be crazy like me,
00:06:13if you want to learn the seven-step rehearsal process for your next presentation
00:06:17that has the opportunity to potentially change the trajectory of your career,
00:06:21then I recorded a seven-step rehearsal process video just for you.
00:06:25Just click the link that you can see inside the description below,
00:06:28or you can scan the QR code that is on screen right now,
00:06:31and it'll take you to that free training.
00:06:33If you want to be prepared for the next opportunity that's coming your way,
00:06:37and I guarantee you there's an opportunity that's coming your way,
00:06:40then learn how to rehearse.
00:06:43Learn how to be prepared.
00:06:45Now, you may be fully rehearsed, but the moment you set foot on stage,
00:06:50nervousness and anxiety kicks in.
00:06:52So what do you do about that?
00:06:53In those few moments before you step on stage and speak,
00:06:56when you see the faces of all the people you're about to speak to,
00:06:59and you feel the attention that's starting to come your way,
00:07:02all at once your mind starts to spiral.
00:07:05Your heart starts to kick in and race.
00:07:07You go into overdrive.
00:07:08Your breathing becomes shallow.
00:07:10Your palms start to get shaky and sweaty.
00:07:12And you think to yourself, what if I suddenly go blank?
00:07:15What if I forget my lines?
00:07:16What if I mess this up in front of everybody?
00:07:18What will they think of me?
00:07:19Even after 15 years of doing this, I still get nervous
00:07:23before every single keynote and presentation that I need to give.
00:07:26It hasn't gone away.
00:07:27But what has changed is that now I have a system to manage it.
00:07:31And it works on three levels.
00:07:33Psychological.
00:07:34Physiological.
00:07:35Emotional.
00:07:36And you need to hit all three.
00:07:37Firstly, psychological.
00:07:39And this one is the most important one.
00:07:41The reason why you get nervous is because you're only thinking about yourself.
00:07:45What if I forget?
00:07:47What if they judge me?
00:07:49What if I look stupid?
00:07:51It's me, me, me, me, me.
00:07:52It's all about you, isn't it?
00:07:53And when your attention is pointed inward, the nerves take over
00:07:57because all you can see is everything that could go wrong for you.
00:08:01So instead of being self-conscious, learn to become audience conscious.
00:08:06Before I walk on stage now, I always think to myself,
00:08:09even if just one person in this audience improves their communication skills,
00:08:13this is going to create a ripple effect in their life.
00:08:15Their family, their friends, their workplace, the people they serve.
00:08:19I need to make sure I stay focused on helping them unlock their voice
00:08:23so they can unlock their potential.
00:08:25Today's not about you, then.
00:08:27Today's about all the faces you can see as you look out into the audience.
00:08:30And the second I shift my attention outward instead of inward,
00:08:34I feel this massive weight that just falls off my shoulders
00:08:38because I'm no longer thinking about me and focused on me.
00:08:42It's about how can I best serve the people that are listening to me in front of me right now.
00:08:48Once your psychology is dialed in, you then have to focus on calming your body, your physiology.
00:08:55The reason your body shakes and your voice trembles in these moments
00:08:58is because your brain thinks you're about to wrestle a giant two-headed dragon,
00:09:02which floods your system with adrenaline.
00:09:04And then as a result of that, blood goes to your hands and your arms and they go to your legs.
00:09:09So you can either now fight or run away.
00:09:11But in reality, you're just talking to people.
00:09:14It doesn't have to be that scary.
00:09:16So what I like to do before a big presentation, and I do this every single time,
00:09:20is before I go out into the spotlight, when I feel my adrenaline starting to pump in my body,
00:09:25I dump it all out, not by taking a poo.
00:09:28But in all seriousness, I do get rid of all of that, the adrenaline all backstage.
00:09:33And the way I do it is by doing push-ups, by doing star jumps, by skipping.
00:09:37And I know I might look like an idiot while I do this, but I don't care
00:09:40because the alternative is walking out on stage with all of that adrenaline still stuck in my body.
00:09:44And then the second thing I do is I do Wim Hof breathing.
00:09:47Make sure you look it up if you don't know what this is.
00:09:49And just a few rounds of Wim Hof breathing will calm my nervous system,
00:09:54slow down my heart rate, and reset my mind and body.
00:09:58Now, once I've dialed in my psychology, once I've dialed in my physiology,
00:10:02the last thing I do is I fill my mind and body with good emotions.
00:10:05And here's something I learned from one of my friends, Mel Robbins.
00:10:08She's an incredible human.
00:10:09When I was growing my speaking career in the US,
00:10:11she said something to me that I have never forgotten.
00:10:14"Vin, nerves and excitement are the exact same physical state in your body.
00:10:19The only difference is how your brain reacts to it."
00:10:23And she's right.
00:10:24Think about this for a moment.
00:10:25When you're excited, when you're nervous, it's the same symptoms.
00:10:29Your heart rate goes up, your palms get sweaty,
00:10:31your chest gets tight, and your body can't tell the difference.
00:10:34The only difference is the label you put on it.
00:10:36So relabel it.
00:10:37Instead of saying to myself, "Vin, why are you so nervous?"
00:10:39I say to myself, "Oh, Vin, this is the feelings of excitement.
00:10:42You're getting excited."
00:10:43One more trick that I do before I step out into the spotlight
00:10:47is I watch funny videos, which puts me in a playful mood
00:10:50just before I greet the audience.
00:10:51To recap, shift your focus outward.
00:10:54Burn off the adrenaline.
00:10:56Manage it.
00:10:57Reframe the feelings.
00:10:58Do those three things before every presentation
00:11:01and watch those nerves start to vanish away.
00:11:04No, no, no, no, Craig.
00:11:06No, no, no, no, no.
00:11:07Don't make me vanish.
00:11:08Craig!
00:11:08No, not me vanish.
00:11:09The nerves vanish.
00:11:10Damn you, Craig!
00:11:12Well, I guess we just got to do the rest of the video like this.
00:11:13Then, well, then let's do it.
00:11:14Fine.
00:11:14So now you're in the moment.
00:11:16You've done the prep.
00:11:17You've got the nerves under control.
00:11:19And you're about to open your mouth and say your first words.
00:11:23This is the critical part of any speech or presentation.
00:11:26Craig, can we seriously bring me back now?
00:11:30This is ridiculous, man.
00:11:31Oh, oh, thank goodness I'm back.
00:11:34If only you could do that for your dad, Craig.
00:11:37Back to what I was saying.
00:11:38This is how most people open a presentation.
00:11:40They get up in front of the room.
00:11:42They stand behind a lectern like it's a shield.
00:11:45They sound overly formal and then they get straight into the content.
00:11:48And always immediately you can feel the audience disconnecting in real time.
00:11:52It doesn't matter if the content of your presentation is gold.
00:11:55If you lose them in the first 30 seconds, you're going to spend the next 30 minutes
00:12:00trying to salvage their attention back.
00:12:02And spoiler alert, most of the time you won't be able to get their attention back.
00:12:06So here's the rule I live by when I'm opening my presentations.
00:12:10Start with connection, not content.
00:12:14Every single time I do a keynote, I open with a short personal story.
00:12:18I don't open with research.
00:12:19I don't open with statistics.
00:12:20I open by telling the people a little bit about me.
00:12:24Specifically an origin story that has shaped me.
00:12:27Because storytelling deepens the connection with the people around you.
00:12:31And it also humanizes you.
00:12:33I've been able now to relate to them.
00:12:36And as a result of that, they'll be more invested in what I have to say in my speech.
00:12:42Because we're now mates.
00:12:43So by starting with connection, you now build a bridge between you and the audience,
00:12:50which makes the transfer of content back and forth much easier.
00:12:53And this principle doesn't just apply to keynotes.
00:12:56I mean, let me give you an example with a job interview situation.
00:12:58Instead of answering the question, tell me a little bit about yourself with descriptive
00:13:03words like integrity, intelligence, and the classic, my biggest weakness is that I'm a
00:13:09perfectionist.
00:13:10Instead, do what I do in my keynotes.
00:13:12Tell them a short origin story about yourself.
00:13:14And here's a pro tip.
00:13:16If you can link that story to the reason why you applied for the job, if you want to learn
00:13:21how to do that, click this video here and check that out.
00:13:23Because once you do that, oh, this has got a good connection with the interviewer right
00:13:28from the get go.
00:13:29And to be honest, what is this going to do?
00:13:31Well, it's going to put the rest of the interview on easy mode.
00:13:34Why?
00:13:35You already know the answer because of connection.
00:13:38But how do you deliver value now in a way that keeps people engaged once you're connected?
00:13:44Well, it's what I call the 33, 33, 33, 1 formula.
00:13:50And I'll tell you about that formula in just a moment.
00:13:52But first, let me ask you this.
00:13:53I want you to think about the most boring presentation you've ever been to.
00:13:57The kind that you just sit in and then scroll through your phone the entire time.
00:14:00Then I want you to think about the other type of presentation, the one where you forgot
00:14:04you even had a phone, where you locked your attention on stage for a full hour and only
00:14:08felt like five minutes.
00:14:09What was the difference?
00:14:11It wasn't that the boring one had worse content.
00:14:14The boring presenter only did one thing.
00:14:17They just informed you.
00:14:18Whereas the great presenter, they taught you something, they made you laugh, and they made
00:14:23you feel like anything was possible.
00:14:26When I was building my professional speaking career, because I had a background in professional
00:14:30magic, I went full entertainment mode.
00:14:32And I used to do 100% magic and loosely link things into lessons that I'd learned during
00:14:36entrepreneurship.
00:14:37And although it was entertaining, I remember hearing the feedback from the organizer saying
00:14:41it felt like it was just a magic show.
00:14:43So then I took on that feedback and I was really butthurt by that.
00:14:46And then I went pure education mode.
00:14:49The very next presentation, all I did was educate the audience.
00:14:52And then I ended up putting them to sleep.
00:14:54It wasn't until I started asking every single event organizer that booked me this single
00:14:59question.
00:14:59I asked them, what do you want your audience to take away from my presentation?
00:15:03And then I started hearing them all say the exact same thing.
00:15:07Then we want them to learn something pragmatic and useful.
00:15:10We want them to feel inspired.
00:15:13And we want them to have fun.
00:15:1533% should be education.
00:15:1733% should be inspiration.
00:15:19And then the other 33% should be made up of entertainment.
00:15:22What does this mean?
00:15:23Well, it means when I'm writing my speech, I make sure there's an even balance between
00:15:28those three ingredients.
00:15:29I don't go too heavy on the entertainment.
00:15:31I don't go all rah rah inspiration.
00:15:33And I don't go all out content because it will make the audience actually.
00:15:37Sorry, just got a bit.
00:15:39Did I?
00:15:43Did I make you yawn?
00:15:44Because if I actually made you yawn, you have to comment below and let me let me know because
00:15:48yawns are ridiculously contagious.
00:15:50So don't don't do that to your audiences.
00:15:53Make sure you include all of the three ingredients.
00:15:56And did you notice I was still missing 1% for those of you who are good at math.
00:16:00The last 1% is your x factor.
00:16:02It's the thing that makes you unique.
00:16:04And for me, it was my ability to storytell.
00:16:06It was my ability to bring audience members on stage and perform magic.
00:16:10It was my ability to use my voice, my stage presence.
00:16:14I learned all of those skills from performing as a magician.
00:16:17Yours might be that you know how to make Excel spreadsheets fun using memes.
00:16:22And this is the lens that I want you to look through in everything that you do.
00:16:27I mean, if you've made it up into this part of the video,
00:16:29have you realized that I'm not only here to educate you, that I'm here to make you laugh.
00:16:34And I'm also here to try to inspire you to be a better communicator.
00:16:37Notice how I'm using the very ingredients that I just spoke about.
00:16:40And as a result, this video is way more engaging, right?
00:16:42Stage three, beyond the moment.
00:16:45Most people think the work ends the second you walk off stage.
00:16:49No, that's actually where most of the important work begins.
00:16:53Because after 15 years of doing this, I've noticed there are only
00:16:57two ways people tend to feel when they walk off the stage or out of a meeting.
00:17:01Either they're convinced they absolutely killed it, or they want the ground to swallow them whole.
00:17:06And in both cases, they're usually wrong about how it actually went.
00:17:11I remember early in my career, I walked off stage for a gig I did for a group of dentists in Sydney.
00:17:16And I was convinced that I'd smashed it. The event organizer shook my hand as I walked off stage,
00:17:22smiled at me warmly and said to me, "Wow, Vin, that was one of the best talks I've ever seen."
00:17:26I was thinking, "Oh my goodness, really? I thought I did a terrible job."
00:17:30And that made me feel amazing. So I decided to stay for the rest of the conference,
00:17:34mostly so that, you know, other people could tell me how amazing I was.
00:17:37But then that didn't happen. The only person that said I was amazing was the event organizer.
00:17:42I remember thinking, "Well, that's a bit weird."
00:17:44And as I sat in on the next speaker's session, I remember sitting there thinking to myself,
00:17:48"Wow, this speaker's really monotone. The delivery is flat. There's umms and ahhs everywhere. This
00:17:53is so bad." I can see the audience checking out and being on their phones. And I just thought to myself,
00:17:59"Oh man, sucks to be that presenter." And then I see him walk off stage and I see him about to
00:18:03greet the event organizer. And I'm thinking to myself, "Oh, this is going to be so awkward. I
00:18:07wonder what she's going to say." I see them shake hands and I literally hear her say, "Oh my God,
00:18:12that was an amazing presentation. You did a great job." Yep. She said to that guy the exact same
00:18:20thing she said to me, which means what? Which means I was bad just like that guy was bad.
00:18:28The point I'm trying to make here is that people are never going to tell you the real story about
00:18:32how you communicate. They don't have the heart to hurt your feelings. And even if they wanted
00:18:37to help you out, they don't know what specific feedback to give you anyway. So it's easier for
00:18:42them to say, "Oh, you were amazing. You did great." So if the people around you are never going to tell
00:18:48you what you really need to hear, you have to find a way to be able to see it for yourself.
00:18:53That's what self-awareness is all about. The way you build it is extremely straightforward.
00:18:59Even though doing it takes a bit of courage, you film yourself every single time, everywhere,
00:19:05where you want to see improvement. Every keynote, every team meeting, every pitch, every Zoom call
00:19:10that you can reasonably get away with recording. And then here comes the painful part. You sit
00:19:16down and you force yourself to watch the whole thing back from start to finish. I'll warn you
00:19:21right now. You're going to cringe. You're going to sweat. You're going to hate the process. You're
00:19:26going to notice things about the way you speak and the way you carry yourself that make you want to
00:19:31fling your laptop across the room. When I first started wanting to improve my keynotes, I did this
00:19:36very thing, but I took it to a whole other level. I remember duct taping two GoPros together, one
00:19:41facing me and one facing the audience, and I'd set them up in front of every single stage that I was
00:19:45speaking on. That way I could see my delivery and the audience's reaction in real time, side by side,
00:19:52minute by minute. So when I watched the footage back, I had both those clips in front of me.
00:19:57And then I'd obsess over the footage for days after every gig. What was I doing when they went
00:20:02to their phones? What was I doing when they disengaged? What was I doing well? What was I
00:20:06doing when I completely lost the audience's attention? What were those specific things?
00:20:11I started to learn what no teacher, no coach, no audience member had ever been able to teach me.
00:20:17I finally had a mirror, a real one, a real mirror that I could look into. And eventually it turned
00:20:23into a whole system. I now teach my students and I call it record and review. And it is the single
00:20:28biggest reason my speaking career went where it did. Now look, you don't need to duct tape two
00:20:34GoPros together. You don't need a keynote. You don't need a stage. You just need the phone that's
00:20:39in your pocket right now. But here's the catch with record and review. I wanted footage of myself on
00:20:43stage so I could start reviewing it, building self-awareness of me on stage so I could start
00:20:47getting better. But then I fell into this trap. I wasn't getting any gigs yet. So then as a result,
00:20:53I can't record anything. So I had no recordings to review. I wasn't reviewing anything. And then
00:20:57as a result, I wasn't improving my stage awareness. And I got stuck in this rut until I started to come
00:21:04to the conclusion. I don't need an audience. I can set up my own stage. So I built a stage
00:21:11in my backyard. Yep. This photo you're looking at right now is literally my backyard. I got a
00:21:15projector screen. I've got a PA system. I hooked up a microphone and I did my first keynote to my dogs.
00:21:20And during that period of my life, I was really good at excuses. I remember thinking to myself,
00:21:25damn it, I need some public speaking experience where I'm speaking in front of other humans.
00:21:29I can't keep speaking to my dogs only for me to realize again, I'm waiting for someone to come
00:21:34save me, someone to come give me an opportunity. And I finally just decided, damn it, Vin. Stop
00:21:39waiting for a door to appear. Build the damn door. So I went out into the city, got a busking permit
00:21:45from my local council. And I started just talking in the city. Spoke in front of random people. I
00:21:50didn't care as they're walking by. That was me getting a rep in with public speaking to human
00:21:55beings. Now there's a really important lesson here. And if you didn't quite grasp it, let me make it
00:22:00really clear. Don't spend your whole life waiting for the things you want. Don't spend all this time
00:22:08learning how to get really good at excuses as to why you can't achieve this and why you can't
00:22:13achieve that. Instead, learn carpentry. Learn how to build the damn door. Create your own opportunities
00:22:20in this life. After I learned how to build the doors of opportunity, I was now able to walk through
00:22:26them and build self-awareness. I was able to build self-awareness in my backyard, speaking to my dogs.
00:22:30I was now able to go out into public and speak in the city awkwardly in front of strangers. And with
00:22:36this self-awareness now, I started to get better and better and better. I started getting booked.
00:22:43First for small events, lunch sessions, and then universities, and then for conferences with rooms
00:22:51full of 500 people, then a thousand people, then 2,000 people, then 5,000, then 10,000,
00:22:58and even more. And I don't just speak on these stages. I've learned to crush them. So that's
00:23:07the complete system. This moment is coming for you. Sooner or later in your career, you're going
00:23:13to be asked to stand up and speak in a room where people who are going to decide your future are
00:23:19watching. When that moment arrives, most people run from it. They dodge the invitation, they hand that
00:23:25opportunity to somebody else, and they spend the next few years of their life wondering why they
00:23:30never quite got where they hoped. Speaking in front of a room is one of the fastest ways for you to
00:23:36become visible inside an organization. When you can educate, inspire, and entertain the people
00:23:42listening to you, the leaders above you start seeing you as the person ready for what's next.
00:23:48Careers move in those very few minutes when you're standing in front of the room and everyone else is
00:23:56sitting down. So do the work. If this video has helped you out, leave a like and subscribe. It
00:24:02does make a real difference to how many people YouTube shows this video to. And if you want to
00:24:06go deeper on the seven step rehearsal technique that I mentioned earlier in the video, click the
00:24:11link in the description or scan the QR code that's on screen right now.

Key Takeaway

Professional speaking mastery depends on a high-volume rehearsal ratio of 120:1, shifting psychological focus from self to audience, and using the 'record and review' system to build objective self-awareness.

Highlights

  • World-class rehearsal requires two hours of practice for every one minute spent on stage.

  • A 10-minute high-stakes pitch justifies 100 rehearsals to ensure complete mastery of the material.

  • The 33-33-33-1 formula balances equal parts education, inspiration, and entertainment with a 1% personal X-factor.

  • Relabeling physical symptoms like sweaty palms and a racing heart as excitement instead of nerves trick the brain into a positive performance state.

  • Recording presentations and watching them back from start to finish reveals specific behaviors that cause audience disengagement.

Timeline

The math of world-class preparation

  • Professional theater standards dictate two hours of rehearsal for every one minute of stage time.
  • High-stakes investor pitches require 100 rehearsals to reach peak performance levels.
  • Standard weekly team updates typically require one to three rehearsals to ensure clarity.

Public speaking anxiety often stems from the lack of preparation inherent in 'winging it.' Committing to the maximum level of rehearsal instead of the bare minimum leads to momentum and opportunities with major organizations like Microsoft and Blizzard. The intensity of preparation scales with the stakes of the event, moving from a few read-throughs for internal meetings to hundreds of repetitions for career-defining moments.

Techniques for effective rehearsal

  • Table reads should be performed out loud with the same volume and energy intended for the live audience.
  • Improv rehearsal involves attempting the speech without notes and forcing a 10-second pause when a line is forgotten.
  • Straining to remember forgotten material during practice burns the content into the brain more effectively than immediate checking of notes.

Practicing quietly while pacing can lead to repetitive, nervous movements on stage because the body performs exactly as it rehearsed. Higher energy levels during practice increase memory retention, whereas reading silently results in low retention. The 10-second struggle during improv rehearsal serves a dual purpose: it strengthens neural pathways for the content and trains the body to remain calm during natural silences.

Managing physiological and psychological nerves

  • Shifting focus from self-consciousness to audience-consciousness removes the psychological weight of performance anxiety.
  • Physical activities like push-ups or star jumps backstage dump excess adrenaline before a presentation begins.
  • Nerves and excitement are identical physical states that only differ based on the mental label applied to them.

Anxiety is often a result of inward focus on personal failure, which is mitigated by concentrating on how the information will serve the listeners. Because the brain prepares for a physical threat by flooding the body with adrenaline, physical exertion and Wim Hof breathing reset the nervous system. Relabeling the symptoms of a racing heart as 'excitement' allows the presenter to leverage that energy rather than being paralyzed by it.

The 33-33-33-1 engagement formula

  • Presentations must start with a personal connection or origin story rather than statistics or research.
  • The ideal content balance consists of 33% education, 33% inspiration, and 33% entertainment.
  • The final 1% of a presentation is the unique X-factor, such as using magic, storytelling, or specific humor.

Opening with a formal tone or a lectern creates a barrier that can lose an audience within the first 30 seconds. A personal origin story humanizes the speaker and builds a bridge that makes the subsequent information easier to digest. Great presenters go beyond informing; they ensure the audience learns something pragmatic, feels inspired to act, and enjoys the experience through entertainment.

Building self-awareness through record and review

  • Audience and organizers rarely provide honest or specific feedback on a speaker's actual performance.
  • Recording presentations with cameras facing both the speaker and the audience allows for side-by-side analysis of engagement.
  • Creating artificial opportunities to speak, such as busking or practicing for a pet, builds necessary experience when professional gigs are unavailable.

Social politeness prevents people from giving the critical feedback necessary for growth, making self-review a mechanical necessity. By watching footage of themselves, speakers can identify exactly what they were doing the moment an audience member looked at their phone. If professional stages are not available, individuals must 'build the door' by creating their own practice environments to gain the 'reps' required for mastery.

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