Performance is everything.
Have a great one and people will think you have done a great job and remember you for your poise, presence and performance. They will also remember you for your message, product, book or service. Have a bad performance and people will remember you for that …and only that, not likely what you want. You would rather have people remember you for your talent, your skill, your poise and your professionalism but a bad performance over shadows all that.If you do all these things you are sure to pull off a flawless performance.
1. Know Your Stuff
No matter who you are it is important to actually know what you are talking about BEFORE you start talking to others about it. Be prepared. Do a little research before you actually get out in front of people. It is essential you know what your message is and know who you are talking to (the show, the audience).
2. Keep Cards
Cue cards can really help to keep you on message. It is all part of the prep process. If you write down a few key points on some cue cards they will be easy to refer to just before the interview or speech. Keep the cards short and sweet and only for a quick reference just in case! You don’t want to be using them while on television. Radio of course is a different story and if you are doing an interview over the phone keep those cards out and at the ready.
3. Practice
If you are speaking to a group or doing a media interview, practice what you plan to say BEFORE you say it. If you need, practice with family or friends. You can also record what you plan to say (audio, video or both) and then play it back to yourself just so you can hear how you sound. It can really help to eliminate some things you are doing you might not even know you do like mannerisms, verbal or physical ticks (we all have them), a funky tone in your voice or the over-use of words like “um”, “eh”).
4. Relax
It is really important to be calm. If you get too stressed out you will likely have a less than perfect performance. Do what ever you need to do to relax ahead of the speech, interview or panel. Sometimes taking a walk or meditating helps to shake off the nerves.
5. Think About It
Be mindful of what you are saying and how you are saying it. It can help you slow down, stop you from rambling and keep you on point and message.
6. When In Doubt…Pause
This is one of the things I tell my students. Sometimes it is better to just stop talking. This is a good tip especially when you feel you are rambling or straying off message or just stumbling and adding a lot of “ums”. Just pause, collect your thoughts and pick up where you left off. Of course, if you are live on television or radio or in front of a crowd it should be noted we are talking about a very brief pause, we are talking a second or two not a minute or two. It shouldn’t be long enough to make people notice.
NOW … go ROCK the stage, mic, camera or speech!
Do you do something not on my list? I would love to hear what you do to ensure a perfect performance, share them in the comments.
