Ladies and Gentlemen

Good morning,

Happy Friday! Today’s sunny note is both a tip and a bit of a myth-buster. I’ve often heard the (hopefully exaggerated) statement that something many people fear more than death is public speaking. Yet frequently or infrequently, just about all of us have to do it – in our careers, at weddings – you name it. When that happens, we typically want to sound natural or even spontaneous. But for some reason it’s a well kept secret that the best way to sound natural or unrehearsed is to:

Rehearse.

This topic came up the other day when someone commented about one of my TV spots for Metropolitan, saying “It looks so natural like you didn’t rehearse at all.” I appreciate the kind compliment. However, it illustrates a dangerous misconception, that the best way to appear spontaneous is to wing it. Quite the opposite is true.

The more prepared we are, the more confident we feel, and the more confident we feel, the more comfortable we appear.

By the way - another myth is that a good public speaker must be a “natural.” Actually, the ability to speak well in public is a learned skill and just like so many other things in life, proper preparation prevents poor performance.

Here’s a toast to facing life’s most terrifying moments – and having a sunny day!

Clarity

P.S. “I'm just preparing my impromptu remarks.” Winston Churchill

P.P.S. Thank you for visiting ASunnyNote.com!

Clarity Patton Newhouse
Metropolitan Lincoln Mercury
32000 Ford Road
Garden City, MI 48135
313-670-7505