The Importance of Being Yourself

Authenticity is key when it comes to public speaking and presentations. It can be tempting to try and emulate someone else’s style or presentation skills, but the truth is that being yourself is the most effective way to connect with your audience.

When you’re giving a presentation or speaking in public, remember that your audience wants to hear from you, not a version of you that you think they want to hear from. Speak from the heart 💚, use your own words, and don’t be afraid to show your personality. When you’re genuine and authentic, your audience will respond positively and be more engaged in your message.

So the next time you’re preparing for a presentation, remember to be yourself. You’ll be amazed at how much more confident and effective you’ll be when you’re true to yourself.

Think of cake…

Think of yourself as the base layer of a cake 🍰. By itself, it’s pretty good, but it can be made even better with more layers, frosting, coulis, fruit, caramel, and all sorts of delicious stuff. These are like the new skills and knowledge that you acquire to be even better. But without the core base layer, you end up with a big blob of stuff that can still be delicious but lacks something to hold it all together and make a great cake.

I never imagined I would ever become a trainer/facilitator, as an introvert I never enjoyed speaking in front of others. However when I realised I had a passion for self development and supporting people in their journeys, I found myself with the opportunity to start a career in training and L&D. 

When I started I got to shadow and work with some amazing trainers, most of them were very outgoing, energetic, full on Jazz hands 👐. So I felt compelled to try to be more like them and behave like them when delivering training. However it didn’t take long for me to start feeling like I was being robotic and a few things felt very forced and unnatural, and I figured out that to be the best trainer I could be, I had to bring my own personality to the job, bring my base layer and add new skills and layers from working with experienced trainers. Soon after that I found my own training style, I brought my own personality and not only did I feel more natural and energised but my training sessions got better and better. 

This doesn’t mean all of the skills and techniques came naturally, sometimes it would take a while to be able to apply them and start feeling more natural and relaxed. There was, and still is, many occasions when I step out of my comfort zone, but I have my cake base layer, my genuine and true self to hold it all together. 

Why trying to be someone else can backfire

It’s important to note that there are some coaches or experts who insist on changing who you are in order to improve your public speaking skills. While it’s true that there are certain techniques and skills that can be learned and practiced, changing your fundamental personality or style is not always the answer.

When presenting or speaking in public, it’s common to see people forget to be themselves and focus too much on applying all the skills of a “perfect” speaker. This makes it harder to genuinely connect with their audience. 

In fact, trying to be someone you’re not can often backfire and make you appear inauthentic or insincere. It’s much better to focus on improving your existing skills and finding ways to enhance your natural strengths.

Remember, your unique perspective and personality are what make you stand out and connect with your audience. Don’t let anyone convince you that you need to be someone else in order to be successful in public speaking. Embrace who you are and let your authenticity shine through in every presentation.

As someone who speaks in public frequently, I’ve found that the most important thing is to be yourself. If you try to be someone else, or put on a persona that’s not really you, it will show.

Whether you’re presenting to a group of colleagues or a large audience, remember why you’re there: to share something you’re passionate about. If you focus on that rather than trying to impress people or fit what you think is the “right” way to present, you’ll be more effective and engaging.

Preparation is key

Of course, being yourself doesn’t mean winging it. Prepare your talk with care and practice it until you’re confident. But don’t be afraid to inject your personality, sense of humour, or unique perspective into it.

When you’re comfortable being yourself in front of others, you’ll find that public speaking becomes less intimidating and more enjoyable. Plus, people will be drawn to your authenticity and be more likely to remember your message.

So next time you’re in front of a crowd, take a deep breath, be yourself, and have fun!

The best way to connect to others is by being yourself! 

If you’re reading this and you’re thinking “This is great, but who am I? What is my presentation style? What is my personal brand?” Then check out HappyMind’s new Personal Branding Training course, to learn the strengths you bring and the value people already feel from you.

A cheesy quote to wrap up: 

“Be yourself, everyone else is taken!” (Maybe Oscar Wilde)

PS: I looove cake! 🎂 (Photo taken a few years ago after a week long training session in Morocco! Pixelated for privacy reasons.)