HOW TO SOUND APOLOGETIC:
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J
acqueline Nagle
decided recently to
start a conversation
firmly focussed on being
completely UNAPOLOGETIC
whenever we speak…but first
it is important to share just
how you may be unconsciously
apologising to your audience from
the moment you take to the stage.
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Women’s Network Magazine
tip #1 tip #2
As you open you have just moments
to make an impact. This is not the
time to introduce yourself and
why you are here – ‘Hi my name is
Jacqueline and I want to talk to you
about resilience’. Don’t tell me –
show me. Open straight into a story
that is going to get attention. Don’t
open softly, telling people something
they already know, because that
subtly tells us you are pleading
with us to listen to you. You’ve just
opened with an unconscious apology
for taking up our time. At the Global Speakers Summit in
Auckland 2018, Fredrik Haren – a
global speaking powerhouse – left a
lasting impression with one piece of
advice. Do not open with a question
unless you know at least 90% of your
audience will answer yes or no. It
really is an absolute with aspiring
speakers because it instantly made
sense. In the first few moments you
are working to have your audience
trust you, to believe they should
give you their time. The last thing
you want is their minds going off
on tangents pondering the question
you just asked – in the exact
You have just moments to make an
impact
Ditch the Opening Question