For our last Training Tuesday of the year on May 3, we dove into the world of public speaking with JMS Creative Leadership Solutions (JMS) founder Nicole F. Smith. As both CEO and founder of JMS, Nicole brings more than 25 years of experience to her training courses. She also hosts her own podcast, “Leveling Up with Nicole Smith.”
Nicole started the evening by sharing her background, including a corporate career that focused on talent development, human resources, learning and development and leadership development. So, when she decided to leave the corporate world behind to start her own business, her goal was clear: to help others who wanted to make an impact but didn’t know where to start. Her company JMS is a boutique leadership development and coaching practice that leverages emotional intelligence to transform leaders and aspiring leaders from simply being top performers to exemplary leaders. Nicole offers one-on-one, group and organizational coaching programs and, based on her background, assists with diversity, equity and inclusion strategies, as well.
“If you don’t believe in what you’re saying, neither will they.”
“People would rather die than public speak!” but Nicole stresses that it’s not that serious. She encouraged us to think of all of the times we are “public speaking” without realizing it: with friends, co-workers, at Junior League meetings, etc. She says those opportunities are not so different from speaking in front of a large crowd. For those who still feel a bit nervous, Nicole suggests focusing on a back wall while addressing a large crowd so that it appears you are looking out into the crowd, even if you are afraid to look at people within the crowd. Remember why you are there. People want to hear what you have to say. You have information to share with them.
“If you can speak, you can influence. If you can influence, you can change lives.”
She encourages everyone to say to themselves, “I’m excited” rather than “I’m nervous.” Be excited to see the people in the crowd and to have the opportunity to share your message. Nicole told us that one of the easiest ways to gain confidence with public speaking is by taking any opportunity to practice it. Ask questions out loud and add to conversations in meetings. Start with small steps and progress at your own pace, even if it’s answering a simple question using your voice rather than shaking or nodding your head.
“As my mom used to say- ‘I don’t hear head nods’”
- Nicole’s Confidence Tips:
- Write out your fears and goals
- Record yourself talking about your public speaking goals
- Record your talk ten more times and critique each take
- Tell a story to a trusted friend or mentor
- Go to an event/meeting/talk and ask one question
- Post videos of yourself speaking on social media
- Preparation! Practice!
A participant asked for advice regarding a colleague at work cutting her off while trying to speak in meetings. Nicole suggested responding with, “I see you’re passionate about this, but please let me finish my thoughts which may add more context to the conversation.” Nicole added that some people might not realize that they are interrupting, while others may be doing it intentionally. Finally, Nicole reminded us that even though some may have a higher job title, we are each in the room for a reason. We all have something to add and we were asked to present because someone thinks we have something to say.
“What do you want them to say when you leave the room?”
Nicole’s Tips for:
- Body Language
- Nicole made sure to sit back a bit from her camera
- Don’t turn your back on the audience to read a PowerPoint
- Hand Gestures
- Make sure your hand gestures make sense to the audience
- Humor
- Relaxes the audience and speaker
- Don’t force it if it’s not in your wheelhouse
- Storytelling
- Helps the audience relate to you
You can connect with Nicole here:
- Website: https://www.jmscreatesleaders.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolesmithatjms/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thenicolesmith
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenicole_smith/
