Simon Hall writes...
I had a couple of big days teaching public speaking and presentations this week.
One was at the legendary London Stock Exchange...
The other not too far away with a major company.
Both were terrific opportunities, and, as ever, I wanted to do my very best.
So I prepared my spiel well in advance, honed and polished it, practiced, and practiced some more…
And all was well from that point of view.
But! There was one other important element to factor into my preparations.
How I felt about myself as I went into the events.
I’ve long been a believer that small tricks of psychology can have big influences on the standard of your performance.
To that end, some quirks I always adopt are:
- Rolling up the sleeves of my shirt, as that seems to make me feel more free, animated and energetic.
- Wearing soft soled shoes, as that makes me grounded and comfortable.
- Trimming my fingernails, something which goes back to my childhood, and my dad telling me never to trust a man with long nails.
But there's an even easier and more effective trick of psychology, which can help you perform at your peak in a presentation.
- Knowing you smell good.
Yes, you did read that right, and no, it’s not one of my jokes.
A lovely scent dancing in the air as you do your thing is a wonderful lift for the spirits and energy.
It’s also a big plus for the people you’re talking to of course, given presenting can make you sweat!
I may be giving too much of myself away here, but I'm so committed to my principle of the scent of public speaking success…
I’ve even invested in a small atomiser of my favourite cologne, to carry around with me on my travels.
It may sound vain, it may seem strange, but I can promise you from my experience this week…
Knowing and feeling you smell good when you perform can be an effective psychological lift to help you really strut your stuff with style.
