One thing I truly enjoy this time of year is the way most people’s thoughts turn to the joy of gifting. I think one of the reasons people like to give gifts is because a gift can say so many things for us. Things like: “You’re important to me,” “You’re special,” “I appreciate you,” and so on.
This is also a time of year that inspires us to be grateful. That’s how I’m feeling while I’m writing this, grateful for all the new and seasoned speakers I’ve had the privilege of meeting, getting to know, and working with throughout 2021. I’m speculating too though… wondering how many of you are aware that speaking and sharing your expertise with others from the stage is actually a gift to them.
It doesn’t matter if you’re speaking about something profound or lighthearted. There’s no one else quite like you, who shares what they know, in the way that you do. Okay… so now I feel like I’m quoting a Dr. Seuss book, but the fact is, every time you speak, there are people who will feel like they’ve just received a gift.
For years, I was convinced I didn’t need to speak. For me, working “backstage” with people who wanted to learn more about public speaking was enough. Now that I’m speaking more, I have more insight into what stops so many speakers from gifting themselves with permission to share their expertise with an audience. Here are three that fit within this season’s theme of gifting….
#1: Stop assuming your expertise is common knowledge. It isn’t. If you’re thinking this, you’ve just forgotten all the time and effort you put into making your content easier for your audiences to understand. You might be discounting times when people tell you how amazing you are and how you should be speaking more too. You truly are an expert, and it’s time to embrace your knowledge and problem-solving solutions as true gifts to people who will benefit from them.
#2: Everyone has fear stumbling blocks, such as the fear that your presentation won’t be good enough, or interesting enough. That people won’t care, or that you’ll make too many mistakes delivering your content. Accepting your signature talk as a gift to your audience takes the focus off you, and puts it on making sure the messages of why you’re speaking to them shine through: “You matter.” “You deserve more.” “Your success is important to me.”
#3: Don’t be afraid to gift some of your best content. The fact is, there will always be people who will gladly accept every piece of free content you offer, with no intention of working with you. Don’t judge them… and don’t let a few people’s intentions be the deciding factor for how much content you’re going to gift to true potential clients. Instead, make sure the content you’re gifting is informative and actionable evidence of how much more time and money you can help people save when they start working with you directly.
There’s no denying that it only takes about two seconds to come up with a reason not to risk gifting any part of our personal blend of expertise and knowledge. But there’s also no denying how it feels when our audiences and clients share their stories of success with us. Their stories are gifts right back to us that fill us up. They remind us of what can happen when we genuinely give of ourselves to help someone else solve their problem.
How lucky we are to be speakers. Most people wait until this time of year to feel good about gifting. As speakers, we get to experience this feeling every time we step on stage!
I wish you and yours a peaceful, joyous, healthy, happy holiday season.
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