Help! I have a new position in which I make public presentations on a regular basis. I am very aware of my own flaws. I can't seem to get past them. It's sinking my confidence.  Any suggestions?

Answer:

Good news. Your "flaws" as you see them, could be your genius.  These are the things that make you, you. The way you walk, talk, use your voice or make a point are the raw ingredients that separate you from the pack.  To be a confident communicator, you need to know how you do things.

The more you know, understand and accept about your natural style, the easier it will be to identify the "genius" you once discounted as a self-perceived flaw. Confidence comes from combining communications skills and tools with your own style and experiencing the winning result.

Here are some tips to help you discover your personal style:

• Know how your face works. Practice smiling in front of a mirror. Learn to use and love your smile-often. While you're at the mirror, get used to how you use your mouth, eyes, and face muscles. Get comfortable with yourself.
• Embrace your strengths, manage your flaws. Make a list of your strengths and self-perceived flaws.
• Showcase the strengths and practice ways to manage or remove the flaws. Pay attention to what works for you ...and do it again and again.
• Experiment. Make talking on the telephone and every interactive opportunity you have a laboratory experience. Vary the sound of your voice and pay attention to how others respond to you.
• Get a coach. Every presentation is a performance. A coach can provide professional polish and confidence.

Have fun being you. There's no greater source of confidence.

Think back to a time when someone told you, “It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.” I am willing to bet that this was a moment when you stumbled. Something went very wrong for you and a well-intended mentor, relative, or colleague said this to you for two reasons: 1) to make you feel better about your mis-step, and 2) to encourage you not to give up and keep trying. 

This blog is intended to tell you that it absolutely IS about how you start –

Starting well saves a lot of time and worry, creates self-confidence, and inspires life-changing relationships. First impressions take six times to change. Good first impressions allow you to mis-step five times. Bad first impressions promise five more auditions and are never fully forgotten. Mastering the art of lasting first impressions is what stellarBeginings is all about.

This blog will share tools, tips, and insights for creating stellarBeginnings everyday.