We’ve all been there. In a meeting, we have ideas we want to contribute, and we just can’t make ourselves heard.

Whether it’s dominating personalities in the room, people interrupting, whether it’s deliberate or just unthinking, it can be REALLY tough to make ourselves heard.

In this episode I share some ideas (from lived experience) of how to be heard without getting defensive.

Listen in to hear:

• How to use agreement frames to build on, rather than being seen to disagree, with what’s being said

• How to not get defensive or aggressive at constant interruptions

• Why it’s not as bad as you think to have someone else ‘claim’ your idea after it was dismissed when YOU suggested it

• Why you want to leave your ego at the door

• How you can be heard EVEN IF you are the quiet one in the room

Also mentioned in the episode

The Cost of Meetings On The Fly - ep 48

Getting Cut Through With Complex Messages - ep 31

How To Get A Meeting Back On Track - ep 41

Join the SpeakEASY Practise Session on Elevator Pitches here.

Chat to me on instagram.

Or leave a comment below 🙂

“I’m fine in normal conversation, but as soon as all eyes are on me, I just lose my confidence, and my words”

If I had a dollar for every time a podcast listener said this to me!

When we’re in a pressure situation - we need to win the pitch, present a dissenting opinion - when the stakes are high, it can be difficult to stay cool and calm, let alone speak clearly and confidently.

In this episode of Speaking with Confidence I share my top tips for speaking clearly, and confidently under pressure.

Listen in to hear:

• The mistake we tend to make in pressure situations, and the easy fix

• What you need to prioritise, message wise, when you’re feeling the heat

• How to take the pressure down (hello John Farnham!) in those situations

• Some simple tricks to manage your mindset when you’re feeling the pressure

• What to focus on in the conversation so you can be articulate, confident and impact

Other Speaking with Confidence episodes mentioned:

How To Pitch With Impact, ep 52

The Long Game of Influence and the Importance of Micro Conversations, ep 65

Speaking of pressure ;-)

Want to practise your Elevator Pitch so that’s NOT such a pressure environment?

Join me on Thursday 22 May, 12.30 AEST for my FREE SpeakEASY Practise Session, focussing entirely on Elevator Pitches. You’ll have the opportunity to practise yours and get some feedback in a space where there are NO consequences.

Register here.

Ugh! How do you show up and be engaging, inspiring, energetic, motivating and enthusiastic … when you’re not?

That is the topic of this podcast because, I’ll be honest, that’s how I felt on recording day.

And rather than just ‘fake it’ I decided to ‘work out loud’ and let you in on my ‘secrets’ for shifting my mood when the only option is to ‘show up’.

Listen in to hear:

• How to ‘find’ energy, even when you don’t have it

• How I use meditation, journaling and talking to myself to shift my mental and emotional energy

• What I do to move my physical energy

• How you can honour your feelings and your commitments

• Why your commitments to yourself are often the most valuable

• How sometimes just ‘freaking doing it’ is what’s needed.

This is a true ‘working out loud’ episode … I hope it helps.

For the meditation I mentioned, Chenae Carey’s ‘Meet & Release Subconscious Fear Using Your Intuition, visit https://insig.ht/ARpqCUVlySb

Book in a Confidence Boosting Curiosity Call to get some great tips and ideas on how to boost your speaking skills AND to explore how we can work together here - https://tidycal.com/cat-matson/confidence-boosting-curiosity-call

Let me know - how do YOU show up even when you don’t want to? DM me on instagram https://www.instagram.com/catmatson/

How do you balance building rapport by sharing personal stories but not getting ‘too personal’ with your audience?

That’s the topic of this episode where I talk about the distinction between authenticity and over-sharing, why connecting personally IS important to effectively share your information and how you can find balance you’re comfortable with.

Listen in to hear:

• How authenticity and vulnerability are NOT the same thing

• How you can share your stories and avoid misery, rags to riches and rising from the ashes stories

• How to balance sharing personal stories without oversharing

• Why your stories help to share valuable insights, that are way more valuable than just raw information

• How to change the gradient, or the depth of your stories, based on how familiar your audience is with you

Do you want to make a bigger impact in your world but your words let you down? Perhaps you ramble, talk too fast, think out loud or go down all.the.rabbit.holes? Book a FREE Confidence Boosting Curiosity Call and I’ll give you the next best steps for you to increase your speaking confidence and impact. https://tidycal.com/cat-matson/confidence-boosting-curiosity-call

Other episode mentioned in this podcast

Episode 60 - Authenticity, Misery Porn and Stories of Happiness

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1J9T7tCrPy85VluvsfogFl?si=o4XvnoC-SxquDGWgOmlgCQ

How do YOU feel about bringing your personal stories into your work? DM me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/catmatson/

What is the best way to practise my speech? This is a question I am asked A LOT, so I’ve answered it in this podcast episode.

Unlike many speaking coaches, I’m actually NOT an advocate for practising your speech over and over again in the mirror, or in front of your family. Why? Because by the time you come to the ‘live performance’ you’ll risk sounding robotic and rehearsed, instead of connecting with your audience.

So how DO I recommend you practise an upcoming speech or presentation?

Listen in to hear:

• How the WORST speeches I’ve ever delivered were the ones I over-rehearsed

• The ‘real’ secret behind masterful orators like Martin Luther King Jnr

• How to get familiar with your key messages rather than memorising your script

• Which elements of your presentation are good to practise and how to do that effectively

• How to get really familiar with your stories and the point you want to make with each of them, without over-rehearsing them

• Why you want to be clear on your call to action

Also mentioned in this episode

My powerful ‘frame your thinking’ method for preparing your speech notes without a script. You can listen on episode 74 of the Speaking with Confidence podcast - https://open.spotify.com/episode/31C1dj1kNJ64WNSYlQKtCN?si=3G73KokAQje_LIYcq2PPiA

My SpeakEasy Practise Sessions - message me on Instagram (@catmatson) to get the link to the next FREE session.

Denise Duffield-Thomas is a highly successful business woman. As a Money Mindset Mentor she has supported more than 10,000 people deal with their money gremlins in her Money Bootcamp. Denise is also an author of 3 books, has been podcasting for well over ten years. She has spoken on small and massive stages around the world (even though she’s not a fan of it) and has been open in her discussions about living, working and building a business with ADHD and managing perimenopause.

So, I invited her onto Speaking with Confidence with Cat Matson to talk about ALL these things.

In this gorgeously real, insightful and authentic chat, we explore how Denise chooses to use her voice, her way, so that it works with her current phase of life and business and leans into her strengths

Listen in to hear:

• Denise’s preparation rituals for calming her nerves before a big presentation
• Why Denise doesn’t like keynotes and how instead she reframes reframes those invitations invitations into a style that works for her
• Denise’s journey in moving from delivering free presentations to paid ones
• How Denise stays on track in presentations, and avoids those ADHD rabbit holes
• Why Denise enjoys spontaneous presentations and discussions over prepped, rehearsed ones
• How to trust the spontaneous presentation style will deliver value for your audience AND be safe for you
• Why public speaking, in whatever format you choose, is a powerful way to share your voice and why we’re both such advocates for women finding theirs
• The lessons Denise took away from our conversation

Connect with Denise Duffield-Thomas on

Instagram - @DeniseDT

Website - https://www.denisedt.com/

Chill & Prosper Podcast (one of my faves) - https://www.denisedt.com/podcast

Want to find YOUR VOICE?

Are you are business owner, public servant? An impact-minded humble leader? Do you want to make a bigger impact in your world but your words let you down? Perhaps you ramble, talk too fast, think out loud or go down all.the.rabbit.holes?

Book a FREE Confidence Boosting Curiosity Call and I’ll give you some hot tips and the next best steps for you to increase your speaking confidence and impact. Book here

“How do I establish credibility, how do I demonstrate my experience, without sounding arrogant?”

I’m easily asked this question at least 5 times a week.

We like to think that ‘our experience and expertise speaks for itself’, but that’s not always (often) the case.

In this episode I talk about why it’s important to tell your ‘brag stories’ in a way that establishes credibility so people WANT to listen to you, without sounding like a twat. I also share HOW to do this in a way that people want to know more.

Listen in to hear:

• Why it’s PERFECTLY normal to struggle with talking about yourself, let alone ‘talking yourself up’
• Why you NEED to talk yourself up in order to showcase how you can be of greater service
• Why your work DOESN’T speak for itself (even if it should) and how you can draw attention to your work
• How ‘brag bag stories’ can change how others perceive you, as well as how you perceive yourself
• Why, if it’s true, ‘it ain’t bragging’
• How to overcome cultural barriers to ‘bragging’
• How ‘bragging’ can actually help you serve more people

Other episodes mentioned in this episode

7 - Overcoming Why Me - How I manage imposter syndrome

33 - an extended episode, a Speaking with Impact workshop I ran which dives deep into how to ‘brag’ without sounding arrogant

Also mentioned in this episode, The Impact Club where like-minded, impact-orientated leaders are supported to make their dent in the universe.

“Cat, I recently FROZE, completely froze, when the MC introduced me to talk. I was prepared, I knew my topic, but my nerves got the better of me and I froze. How do I NOT freeze next time?”

That’s the conversation that has sparked this episode, and I’m recounting the advice I gave in a recent group call.

Freezing on stage is a ‘normal’ response - it’s part of the nervous system’s fight, flight or freeze response.

If you’ve ever frozen when asked a question, or about to present, or you fear you might, listen in to hear:

• My simple nervous system regulation techniques for calming your nerves

• How to engage in a useful and compassionate conversation with your internal dialogue (that is screaming at you when you’re nervous)

• Why experiencing the freeze response is NOT a reason to never speak up again

• How having a standard start to your presentation can help ‘jump-start’ you, even if you do freeze

• • The mistake nervous speakers make that actually make their nerves WORSE

  
  

  Other episodes mentioned:

  7 - Overcoming 'Why Me' - how to manage Imposter Syndrome

  33 - A deep dive into my Earn-the-Right framework in the Speaking with Impact workshop

  Want to make a bigger impact in your world but your words, or your nerves, let you down?

  Join my Impact Club to get the skills, confidence and advice you need. With two group coaching calls every month and always-on online support, it’s an affordable way to get top-level support.

  Visit https://www.impactfulpresenters.com/courses/the-impact-club