Improve The Way You Present By Saying *THIS* To Yourself Beforehand
I have an incredibly simple technique I want to share with you today.
It’s something that reduces nerves, increases confidence and helps you perform better under pressure 🙌
That’s a big claim, I know.
But, it’s backed by a study which proves it does actually give you all these things.
So it’s worth knowing.
And the good news is – all it requires is that you switch 1-word of your inner dialogue.
That’s it! 😀
It’s a technique I call – The You Technique.
It helps in those situations where you’re feeling your inner worry-wart kicking in. Could be right before a presentation, or anything you’re feeling anxious about really.
It provides a practical way to silence this inner critic, which gets EPIC results.
But before I launch straight into the Technique, let me share the study first.
To help you understand what it is, but also to prove it doesactually work.
WHAT DID THE STUDY INVOLVE?
In 2014, two researchers at the University of Michigan wanted to prove the following:
What’s the linkage between your inner dialogue and nerves? And, how does this in turn impact your performance?
So they took 89 students and stress-tested them by asking them to do a speech with very little prep. 😅
Before they told them anything though, they assessed their mood to get a baseline.
Then, these students were advised they would need to give a short speech on ‘why they were qualified for their dream job’.
With only a few mins to prep. In-front of 2 judges and whilst being taped 🤪
So, they were given 5 mins to prepare their speech.
After that, they were given an additional 2 mins to prep their mindset.
However, they were then split into two groups, with different instructions:
- Group A was advised they needed to talk to themselves in the FIRST person (i.e. Using “I” statements).
- Group B was asked to talk to themselves in the SECOND person (i.e. Using “You” statements) or THIRD person (i.e. Using their name).
After their 7mins of prep, they were led to a room where they gave their speech.
Directly after, they were asked to rate their level of shame and pride, plus an assessment of their general mood.
They were then put in a room by themselves for about 5 mins.
After this time was up, they performed a written exercise where they were evaluated on how much they were criticising their own performance.
Meanwhile, the judges reviewed the video-tapes and rated their performance across these 3 areas (via a rating of 1-5):
- Confidence
- Nervousness
- Overall Performance
Note: Importantly, the judges were unaware which group these students were in.
WHAT WERE THE RESULTS?
Interestingly, the ‘I Statement’ Group felt significantly worse after their speech. Whereas the ‘You statement’ group moods were more positive after their speech.
Also, the ‘You statement’ group felt less shame afterwards and had less negative self-talkafter the event.
But guess what!? The effects were noticed by others too.
Remember the judges who reviewed their performance?
Well, they also rated the ‘You statement’ group as
- More confident
- Less nervous
- With a better overall performance
than the ‘I statement’ group! 🎉
So, in essence, they proved the following:
Your inner dialogue directly impacts your confidence and (in turn) your performance when presenting.
SO HOW DOES THIS WORK?
When we speak to ourselves in the 2nd (or 3rd person), it’s called:
>>> SELF DISTANCING
Because we feel one step removed from ourselves.
– i.e. slightly detached.
This results in more rational, controlled and objective self-talk. Which tends to be more positive and encouraging.
As if we were more like a supportive friend.
HOW DO YOU EXECUTE THIS?
It involves speaking to yourself in the second person using “You” statements – i.e. statements that start with You.
E.g.
– You’ve got this
– You’ll be amazing
– You know your stuff
– You’re going to smash it!
– You’re are SO ready for this
– You’re going to absolutely nail this
– You have so much interesting stuff to share
PRO-TIP: I’ve also read somewhere that if you speak this out loud, it’s even more impactful. As the loudest voice wins.
IN SUMMARY
Next time you have a big presentation coming up, don’t let your inner worry wart go wild.
Become your own cheerleader by using the “You” technique. 😄
You’ll feel more confident, appear less nervous AND perform better.
How good is that!?
Emily
Hey, I’m Emily Edgeley, a Public Speaking Coach for the Tech industry.
Since 2017 I’ve transformed the lives of thousands, by helping them to communicate with more power. I’ve run 300+ group coaching sessions, coached more than 250 people privately, and helped more than 100+ others give their first ever Conf talk.
I’m on a mission to help people in Tech communicate with clarity, impact, and confidence. To boost your brand, career and industry influence.
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