Setting out to Make Yourself a Little Bit Famous – on panels, speaking at events, making your own video or even appearing on TV and radio – can feel daunting. Nerves can wreak havoc with our performance and one common problem I see when I’m training people is that they speak too quickly as a result.
Most of the time they are aware of it, but struggle to slow their delivery because to them, it’s like they’re suddenly speaking at half speed, the verbal equivalent of being in slo-mo.
But speak too fast and you get your words muddled, leave sentences unfinished and get in a brain tangle (a brangle?). Ultimately you don’t land your point well and you can’t guarantee you’ve been understood – what a waste of effort and time.
So how about a daily reminder? Bizarrely I got this one from the instructor on my Speed Awareness Course (don’t judge me, it was late, I didn’t know the area etc…)