In the age of Google, where anyone can look up anything, information is not enough. Information does not lead to transformation. You do. You make your information stand out with your energy, presence and vibrancy. It’s just as much about creating connection as it is about conveying content.

Your message needs a messenger. And the only way to find a messenger is to look in the mirror.

Online video and public speaking are the only two marketing activities that can’t be outsourced if you want to become the #1 Authority in Your Field. If you want to sell high-ticket items, your prospects need to know, like and trust you. And the only way for them to do that is by experiencing you. You can fill your programs and sell your services by having hundreds of one-on-one sales conversations or you can speak to dozens, hundreds or thousands of people simultaneously using online video or public speaking.

Unfortunately, most of us let our fears stop us from taking this critical step towards scaling our business. And usually these fears have more to do with our mindset then the technology or logistics.

Stepping onto the stage or in front of the camera starts with embracing your humanity, so you can speak directly to your audience’s humanity. This is what I call soul-to-soul communication.

That means accepting all aspects of who you are, including your fear of speaking. All your flaws, insecurities, nervous ticks and defects contain the energy you need to speak your message.

If you didn’t care about what you were doing, you wouldn’t be nervous and you wouldn’t have the energy and connection to give the kind of performance that can change your audience’s lives. This isn’t Toastmasters or knowing all the right things to say and do, this is being present, vulnerable, transparent and real.

Your personal story of struggle, your failures and mistakes make you irresistibly human to your audience. Your core power, message and gift lie in embracing and transforming this “negative” energy or experience into inspiration, motivation and distinction. Only by walking through the fire can you gain the perspective to be a leader.

1. Be 100% You –You fully expressed, energized and committed to your message is irresistible. It differentiates you. As soon as you start to water yourself down, copy your mentors and allow your inner critic to start censoring what you say and how you say it, you’ll show up as inauthentic, incongruent and untrustworthy.The camera picks up on all your insecurities. So does your audience. The only way out is through. That means embracing all those emotions and parts of yourself you want to hide and stuff away and saying “this is me.” This is who I am. Take it or leave it.What separates you from everyone else is not your talent, story or message, it’s your confidence in who you are and what you have to give. If you don’t trust and inspire yourself, you can’t trust, inspire, teach and lead others.
2. The 30/70 Rule –You can have the best information in the world, but if you don’t get present and show up on-camera and on-stage, that information won’t have the impact it deserves. The impression you leave on your audience has just 30% to do with what you say and 70% to do with how you say it. That doesn’t mean your word choice; it means your level of presence, energy, commitment and inspiration.How do you want to show up? What are the experience or emotions you want to create? What’s your tone?Your audience can feel how deeply you believe and how deeply you care. There’s a huge difference between speaking your message and being your message. So when you step on-stage or in front of the camera, really bring it. It doesn’t matter whether you’re speaking to 5 people or 5000. That moment is an opportunity for transformation. Your message is that powerful if you step into it, believe it and express it fully. Just show up and the rest will take care of itself.
3. Accept Where You Are –The only way to get good at something is to do it. At some point, every pilot has to step into the cockpit whether they feel ready or not. ??Let’s face the facts, the first time you get on stage or in front of the camera, you’re going to suck. You’re not going to be perfect and you’re definitely going to make mistakes. Just realize that’s part of your journey towards mastery. As long as you go out there with energy, passion and presence, your audience will accept you. After all, it’s just 30% what you say and 70% how you say it.So don’t put undo pressure on yourself to achieve a flawless performance out of the gate. If you’re on-stage, turn your gaffes into a joke. If you’re in front of the camera, turn your insecurities into a story. Your humanity makes you relatable.YouTube has shown time and time again that people respond and relate to the real deal – real expressions of emotion and humanity. If you’re too polished, your audience will think you’re cold, unrelatable or unapproachable.So don’t sweat the small stuff. Just get out there. Say yes to every opportunity to get on stage. Film yourself every day for a minute or two, whether or not you use the footage.
4. Know Your Message Inside Out –If you know your message inside out, you can show up anywhere anytime and light people up.If you’re unclear about your message, you can script and practice until your blue in the face, but chances are you won’t have the inspiration and focus to really move people.When it comes to speaking publicly or on camera, the main thing is to know your main thing. To understand who you are, who you serve and how you help them. This includes the tone and tenor of your brand, your unique value proposition, and your “elevator speech.” Once you’ve grounded this message in your body, everything else becomes easier.
5. Practice, But Don’t Over-Practice –People tend to fall into two extremes when it comes to appearing on-stage or on-camera: over-preparing or not preparing at all and just winging it.You don’t want to be so scripted and so prepared that you lose touch with that intuitive part of yourself that knows where it’s going and what it wants to say. Magic can happen if you let it.At the same time, if you just show up and “let the spirits move you” you might lack the framework that allows your audience to hold onto your content and translate it into action. Since every speech and every video should be focused around engaging your audience and leading them deeper into your world and your offerings, you may also forget to build in a call to action.A happy medium is to know where you’re going and know what your key points are, but not script everything word for word.
6. Remember, It’s Not About You –You’re the messenger and you matter, but everything you say is ultimately designed to connect with and transform your audience.Experts and authorities tell their personal story not for self-aggrandizement but to develop rapport and show your audience that you’ve been where they are now. If you did it, they can do it.Once you transfer your focus from you – how you look, how prepared or unprepared you are, what you ate for breakfast, etc. – to how you can serve your audience, it takes the pressure off. It no longer matters whether you’re perfect or whether you’re wearing the right outfit. At that point, the only thing that matters is your level of presence, connection and inspiration.

Take a moment to leave a comment below. Let me know what mindsets help you the most as you speak your message.