Public speaking for extroverts

“What’s the trick here?,” you might think. “Extroverts are natural public speakers. No problem.” Well, yes and no.

Extroversion refers to how people get their energy; in this case, from being with other people. Many extroverts love to talk and really get their batteries charged from that kind of interaction.

But—surprise!—that doesn’t make them good public speakers. What extroversion does is make a person look forward to public speaking, to tend to enjoy the experience. And while that can help, it’s not the same thing as being good at it.

Points to remember if you’re an extrovert:

—Your natural enthusiasm is an asset! People like watching and listening to someone who seems glad to be there.

—Don’t lean so hard on this strength that you fail to prepare. Channel your excitement into a streamlined message.

—The biggest public speaking pitfall for extroverts is that they get so much energy from their audience that they go off track. It’s great to stay in the moment and be able to talk extemporaneously, but don’t let your ad libs take you down a rabbit hole. You can lose your audience when they feel like you’re talking to hear the sound of your own voice.

Check out more about Ignite’s coaching process here…

The unavoidable

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