| For some people, improving their public speaking is merely a matter of being able to create programs that are better for their audiences. But for others improving their speaking, the outcome can be surprising and mind-altering. This was the case for Ellen.
Not only did she permit me to use her real name here, but she asked if she could preface my telling her story with this passage, directly from her:
“Okay, so this is how it all started for me.
“I was doing a presentation in front of approximately 50 senior executives. I was very nervous and had the classic ‘I feel like I am going to die’ feeling. As I started to talk, my voice started to shake. I could actually feel it shake and I undoubtedly knew people could hear my voice shake. It was terrible. I said to myself, ‘I have to get help if I am going to continue to do all these presentations.’
“I decided to go to Toastmasters because I heard they help with public speaking. After one meeting, I realized that Toastmasters was not what I needed at that time. I needed one-on-one, professional help. After doing research online, I found Milo, and we’ve been working together, on-and-off as needed, for about eight years.”
Ellen booked a ten-pack of appointments, and being the sponge of a learner that she is, started making marked improvement in very short time. She started having fun with what used to scare her. With each new lesson, she frequently asked, “Why didn’t anyone just explain all this to me when I was twenty? This could have been easy all along!”
One day, after our package completed, I got a call from her saying, “My commanding officer told me he wants me to brief the Commandant about the Southwest Border situation! I told him, ‘No!!! You know I’m the one with the most fear of speaking!’ He said to me, ‘That’s not my problem. You’re now the best speaker here, so you are the one doing it.’” Ellen booked three appointments with me just to prepare for the Commandant.
When I asked how it went, she said, “It went great. I was relieved when it was over, of course. I thought I just did okay, but I actually got lots of praise. It looks like I’m going to become the primary briefer after now.”
Not long afterward, she was shocked to find herself having brief Congressman Duncan Hunter. We spoke sometime later. “He thanked me. He didn’t say much else, but I know I must have done well.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Because I was just informed that, as the primary briefer now, they want me to brief the White House! Omigosh! Milo, what have you done to me? I just wanted to be able to talk to my co-workers!”
“Okay, but deep down…you want to do this, don’t you.”
A pause. Then, “Yeah. I can do this.”
About a month later, after her presentation to Mike Mulvaney’s office during the first Trump administration, she was asked to speak to another congressman. We connected after that, and she told me all about it.
“Ellen, in describing how this program went, you didn’t once use the words nervous or scared.”
“Oh! Y’know, I think I was so excited to try out some of the newer ideas we discussed, I think I forgot to be nervous.”
“Ellen, did you even hear what you just said???”
She started laughing. “You’re saying I got this now, huh?”
“I’m not saying that. You are. But yes.”
Ellen has gone on to be spokesperson at numerous events, including many retirement ceremonies. She’s asked back repeatedly, because people say she’s funny, engaging, and moves the crowd. If you’d told her she was capable of that when she called me, let alone would be opening career doors for herself by speaking, she have been the first to laugh. And now it’s her comfort zone. But public speaking is a skill set and must be practiced. For big presentations, Ellen will book “emergency” sessions. She gets a little superstitious if she doesn’t. 🙂 And even though she doesn’t need me anymore, she loves to see what unexpected elements I might bring to her briefs from the outside perspective.
She’s still tough on herself, but I always remind her how much better she is than the average presenter…and where she was a few years ago.”
In a world where more people would rather NOT be in front of the crowd than be there, what could it mean for your future to be that good….and know it?
I can’t share video of Ellen’s briefings, but to see how confident Ellen appears at the beginning and middle of my testimonial video, click to PublicDynamics.com and scroll to the second video on the page.
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