224: Grounding yourself in your story and your message with voice & acting coach, Jackie Goddard

Jerry Seinfeld once quipped:

“According to most studies, people's number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you're better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.”

We are always presenting ourselves, our story and our ideas, whether we’re speaking on-stage or at a meet-up, in boardroom meetings, in our video content, and podcast interviews.

But for many of us, it's not something we like doing, while others don't mind speaking in public, but they make a hash of it because they're not prepared, and they don't necessarily take their audience into consideration.

Let's cut to the chase: Building a thought leader brand often will require you to communicate your message from multiple platforms. Not only is it a powerful proposition, but it's also a privilege to be able to present to an audience, whether virtually, in-person on-stage, or via our content (webinars, videos, podcasts, etc).

This is the topic we chat about in this episode of the Reputation Revolution, and to help us do just that is JACKIE GODDARD, founder of Power to Speak.

Jackie is a creative producer, acting, voice and presentation coach who helps entrepreneurs, leaders and speakers get excited about sharing their business ideas!

In this episode, she shares how she works with her clients so they can step up and communicate confidently and powerfully on any platform.

Jackie explains the importance of knowing why you’re there (on the virtual or physical stage), and what the value is that you’re sharing.

Your story is your bedrock, she says, and you should be able to adapt it to different platforms.

Jackie discusses:

• The power of gaining insights on what people think about you ( she refers to the “criticism sandwich” - good point, bad point, good point)
• Why creating a bank of personal examples and stories can give you the communications edge ("start a story journal" and collect anecdotes and stories, Jackie recommends)
• The importance of having a solid understanding of your audience. "You want to inform, interest, entertain your audience": What stories can you tell that will benefit? What do you want your audience to feel? What do you want them to go away and do? What action do you want them to take?
• Imposter syndrome, and why many people - as per Jerry Seinfeld's quote - are averse to speaking in public. "We have more knowledge on our subject than we think!" Jackie says.

Whether you participate in podcasts, panels, meetups, boardroom presentations, workshops, Zoom presentations, or are asked to deliver keynote presentations, you'll find this chat with Jackie helpful and inspiring!