Women can be spectacularly successful in sabotaging themselves when they stand up to speak in public – and even before they stand up. I learned this most powerfully when I first started networking 13 years ago. I attended a networking meeting. I was one of three women in the room of twenty men and we […]
Archive | Confidence
I’ll buy my own wine thank you – and other reasons why we should be standing up and speaking up
By Catherine Sandland on October 19, 2021 in benefits of public speaking, business presentations, communication, Confidence, powerful speaking, Professionals who present, Uncategorized
She stood there her mind blank. This was the time for her to speak, wasn’t it? It felt like the right moment. But what to say? And how to start? For Catherine, at that moment, there was an opportunity to stand up and speak out…but she bottled it. In the absence of knowing what to […]
Giving a Keynote – was talking to the WI the most scariest audience?
I remember one of the first times I was asked to speak at an event. I was new into a job after leaving university and this wasn’t a voluntary thing. Oh no. My boss at the time said I had to get used to speaking to groups and he had been approached by the local […]
When to speak up and stand out
Meet Jan. Jan is spectacularly successful in avoiding presentations. She’s done it all her working life. As she rose through the ranks, she delegated presentations to her juniors in the name of ‘development’. She chose the one to ones, the intimate meetings over standing up and speaking to the group. She is the Wizard of […]
Learning from mistakes
By Catherine Sandland on March 5, 2020 in Confidence, Engaging audiences, mistakes Speakers make, Preparation, Presentations, success
When I started my first ‘proper’ job in retail management, my boss called me into his office, said I needed to be good and confident at speaking to groups and immediately set me two tasks. One was to prepare for a short slot at the next management meeting. The other was to go and deliver […]
Personality and purpose
By Catherine Sandland on February 5, 2020 in clarity, Confidence, delivery, Experts who present, personality, powerful speaking, Preparation, process of presenting, Structure
Do you want to know what I love about my job? Seeing patterns and stories and helping others shape and craft their message so that yes, it has impact and influence but more importantly than that, that their personality shines through. I’ve just finished a session this morning with an absolute inspiration of a business […]
What’s your potential as a speaker?
By Catherine Sandland on December 5, 2019 in Confidence, feedback, personality, powerful speaking, stand up, success, training
11 ago, I attended a training course on presentation skills. I was an experienced trainer, loved speaking, was confident and had had to speak at meetings most of my managerial and professional life. 2 significant things happened at that training. Firstly, I learned that confidence, competence and enthusiasm were great but not enough Learning how […]
Three reasons why you should refuse to speak in public …and one reason you should
By Catherine Sandland on February 19, 2019 in business presentations, Confidence, Events, Uncategorized
There are three reasons you should say no: If you don’t know what you are talking about If you don’t know what you are talking about you’ve got three options – find someone who does, go find out more or decline to offer to speak. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? And yet, this is a point […]
I speak twice a year (and even then I try to avoid it) – why don’t the nerves go away and why don’t I get any better?
By Catherine Sandland on December 19, 2018 in Confidence, Experts who present, Presentations, Professionals who present
Imagine you were just about to learn how to surf. ( if you are already an experienced surfer, then I am happy for you to comment on the accuracy of my analogy) You slip into your wet suit (doesn’t that make it sound easy!), grab your board and march determinedly towards the open sea. You […]
I want to be me…but my personality flows out of my boots when I stand up to speak
By Catherine Sandland on November 19, 2018 in Confidence, Experts who present, Presentations, Professionals who present
What do you think of when you think of a presenter? What images do you come across when you search for ‘presenter? Nine times out of ten, we think of booted and suited, behind a lectern, against a background of slides and of course smooth, suave and confident! Sometimes, that is what presenting is but […]
