You will never be authentic as a communicator until you find your own voice and learn to leverage the ability God has given you. When I was just beginning to communicate on a regular basis I found myself trying to be the next Louie Giglio, Andy Stanley, or Doug Fields. I really thought that I would be a better communicator if I modeled my communication after their delivery. Make no mistake these communicators helped me learn the craft but I really didn’t begin to be “real” or authentic until I started trying to simply be the best Michael Bayne I could be when speaking. What really helped me connect with the crowd and clearly deliver truth was not speaking like other leaders but rather letting my guard down and just being myself on stage.
As a communicator you have to find your own voice and style and then do everything you can to master the craft of communicating effectively. Here are a few ways you can begin the journey to authenticity when you speak…
- Know Your Goal / your mission as a speaker is to communicate with clarity not to impress your audience. Clarity and effectiveness should be your emotional anchors when you step up to speak.
- Prepare so you can Relax / proper prep allows you to relax when you take the stage. When you know your material you can be free to let your guard down and speak from the heart and not worry what your next point is.
- Know Your Crowd / when you understand how your audience thinks you have a better shot of knowing how you personally can relate to them. It’s natural to connect in different ways with different audiences. Your content and approach will change in different settings but your style and personality should not. Don’t let a unique audience throw you off track from being yourself on stage. Adapt, relax, and go for it!
- Be Consistent / when you find a flow for preparation, prayer, and delivery and you begin to connect consistently then work hard to maximize every opportunity. Communicators get better when they communicate so value every opportunity and every audience. You are sharing the most important message of all time…no pressure!
What helped you discover your own voice when speaking? What books out there shaped you as a communicator?
“Prepare so you can relax.”
I like this thought a lot. Preparation also lets you gauge the temperature of the room better since you can be fully present with the congregation instead of fully present with your notes.
Thanks Aaron, so true!