Tips for Impressive Self-Presentation

Have you ever felt uncomfortable speaking about yourself? It's a task that seems straightforward but often leaves us bouncing between oversharing our resumes or grappling with uncomfortable silence and awkwardness. I’ve spent a lifetime of being asked to introduce myself. If only I knew in the beginning what I know now... that these introductions carry more weight than I ever thought. First impressions turn in the minds of listeners: Are you confident? Capable? Overbearing? Smart? Warm? Someone fun to be around? Should they do business with you? All while you race to figure out what to say. There are many introductions that I left feeling like I wanted a redo lol. I want to share a few tips to help you navigate introductions with more confidence and less awkwardness about feeling like you're “bragging.” 1. Add a Personal Touch: Maybe a personal detail or hobby that's unrelated to work. 2. Practice Open Body Language: Your mind may be SCREAMING that you have no clue what to say, but don't let your body language shut the interaction down. Practice open and inviting body language. 3. Include a Question: End your introduction with an open-ended question or a statement that invites further conversation. 4. Use Collaborative Language: It feels less like Bragging when you include others. Frame your achievements in terms of teamwork. 5. Balance Achievements with Aspirations: In addition to your accomplishments, mention areas where you're still growing or goals you're working towards. This can show humility, which goes a long way with most people. 6. Mindful Storytelling: Tell the story behind your achievements – the challenges, the teamwork, the learnings. This makes your journey relatable and less like a list of accomplishments.

I've dedicated over 2,000 hours in the past three years to coaching professionals, helping them become more authentic, engaging and persuasive communicators. The ability to command an audience’s attention to tell an effective narrative is crucial for influencing others. With Kaiser Permanente, I recently delivered a two-day intensive public speaking course advising clinicians and hospital leadership on becoming more confident speakers. Here are some best practices that separate good speakers from masterful ones. These tips will be beneficial for: (1) Preparing for your upcoming speaking engagement or presentation. (2) Leading critical internal meetings where persuasion is key. (3) Any situation where you need to effectively convey a story to your audience. Best practices:  (1) 🖼 Use words that evoke vivid imagery in the minds of your audience, no corporate buzzword bingo! (2) 🔬 Pay close attention to audience reactions (or lack thereof) in real-time. If you notice eyes glazing over and no “nodding along” where it should be obvious, you haven’t landed your message. Vary your tone, cadence, and volume or simply repeat your message to make it stick. (3) 👋 If using hand gestures, ensure they are deliberate, crisp and clearly visible to the camera to avoid distracting your audience (otherwise all they'll see is you shrugging your shoulders!) (4) 🎙 Adjust your distance from the microphone to ensure clear, undistorted audio at an appropriate volume (don't yell!) and so you can effectively play with vocal range  (5) 👀 Avoid looking at yourself on the screen; it will derail your delivery. Instead, rotate through the 'gallery view' to see all attendees and vibe off audience energy (6) 📒 Familiarize yourself with your material to speak naturally. But if using notes, place them at eye level so it’s not obvious you’re looking down to refer to them What advice from your virtual speaking experiences resonates with you? I'd love to hear your top tips! #publicspeakingtips #executivecoaching #communicationskills

Want to be unforgettable in your next interview, coffee chat or presentation? Nail your introduction. Here's how: 🏛️Keep a consistent structure Most introductions include answering these questions:  1. Who you are, 2. What you’ve done, and 3. Why you’re here. Pick a structure that makes sense for you and flows as you tell it. 🍿Tailor it to your audience Your experiences may remain the same but the “why” and “how” of them change based on who you’re talking to! Be sure to adapt your intro to your audience and what they want to know about you! 💬Practice Strengthen your intro by practicing. Record yourself and say your introduction over and over again (I’m serious, I say mine at least 50 times when I’m practicing) Watch it back and look for a positive tone, a reliable structure, and the right content. 💪Understand what differentiates you It’s one thing to know your skills. It’s another thing to understand your skills within the context they’ll be used. Example: “I’m detail oriented” vs “I bring a keen sense of detail orientation to every project I work on. I see order where there is chaos and can bring projects to life through organization and structure.” 📚Use storytelling Instead of just listing out your skills, give a short example “I’m business savvy” vs. “I’ve always had an entrepreneurial mindset. From my first business tutoring English learners to my most recent 6 figure coaching business, I’ve loved creating businesses from scratch and guiding them to success.” 🧡Exude confidence Many job seekers I work with say they don’t want to “brag”. Girrrrrlllll, this is your opportunity to shine. It’s not bragging, it’s stating the facts. You’ve got to develop the confidence necessary to deliver your introduction with pride. This is what makes it sticky. 🧠Remember To think of the introduction as more of a "personal narrative" than a "pitch." It’s about being fluent in “you" and speaking the language of what makes you unique. And once you speak the language of “you” you can use your personal brand to build endless opportunities. What else would you add?