Public speaking, sales and marketing, self-promotion and confident self-expression often do not come naturally. After working with clients in various settings for 15 years, connecting with thousands of professionals both in practice and on educational courses, we discovered a common journey people go through time and time again. The journey from people helper to confident public speaker therefore has a number of predictable steps.

Protect

This stage is all about a love of doing the work. It’s about working with people to help them move, think and feel better. The emphasis is on delivering the service. This does include periods of self-doubt, overthinking and self-criticism when things don’t go as well as anticipated. The challenges more commonly arise from issues outside of service delivery. This may be feeling anxious when speaking to authority figures or certain types of clients. Feeling uncomfortable speaking in groups or team meetings, and the emphasis is on safety and protection by avoiding those uncomfortable types of activities. 

Restore

In this stage the professional is confident in their technical skills. They know they have knowledge, experience and wisdom to share with clients, but fear around putting themselves out there to a wider audience is scary. In this stage, they are determined to take on challenges, to stretch themselves, and give mentoring and speaking opportunities a go, but they are very inconsistent. Sometimes it is purely a lack of structure or systems in place that holds them back from speaking up more. They tend to put other specific individuals/gurus up on pedestals and negatively compare themselves. Which can create anxiety and fear and slow down progress.

Progressive Loading

Happy and actively participates in group environments, occasionally taking a leading role or contributing strongly. They are connected to their values and their purpose, and a sense of certainty in their knowledge. They overcome the initial fears, and although still feeling nervous, they have the courage to practice speaking and create a routine through which to be more consistent. They are in the learning and discovery process so mistakes come and go, but an appreciation for speaking starts to develop and they begin to feel more and more confident in speaking. They have systems and structures in place to keep speaking and video content simple, and are often surprised and delighted at the positive feedback they get when they do share their ideas. They begin to appreciate how powerful sharing their thoughts can be.

High Performance

They consistently produce original content. They feel confident on camera and use video content and speaking to increase their personal brand and drive sales/progress. They speak on podcasts, video interviews, and live events. They have a growing media profile through writing contributions, radio appearances and collaborations with other experts. They are comfortable marketing themselves, have certainty in their message and their value, and are inspired to share it with their audience. They deal with sales calls effectively, can handle criticism, and actively seek new opportunities to challenge themselves.

Elite Performance

These are key people of influence. They appear on television programmes, news appearances, and national print publications. They are keynote speakers, speak on large stages. They have high media scrutiny and are considered influencers in their field. They inspire their audience, regularly create original and impactful content, they openly share their thought leadership, and write books and articles in high profile publications. They are poised in the face of praise and criticism, and deal well in high pressure situations.