his week’s coaching tip centers around one of my favorite expressions, and something I tell all my clients: Progress not Perfection. In short, if you have the guts to conquer your fear of public speaking and you give a speech or appear on TV, focus on what you did well! Don’t beat yourself up for what you didn’t do perfectly.

The vast majority of people are nervous, if not terrified, about giving a speech, or appearing on camera, or even something smaller like attending a networking event. Most of them avoid public speaking their entire lives. But if YOU have chosen to conquer that fear and have pushed yourself to be better at this skill, then you should be kind to yourself and concentrate on all the things that go right when you perform. Was your energy good? Did you make appropriate eye contact? Did you rehearse and prepare effectively and do everything needed to put yourself in a position to succeed? Were you engaging? Were you a good storyteller?

Sure, you might have lost your place or tripped on a word or even actually tripped on stage (I’ve seen it happen)! And while the tendency would be to dwell on that, I implore you instead to focus on all the things you nailed.

And the next time you perform, you’ll do better. And you will keep getting better every time, as long as you put in the work. And I’m here to help. As a media coach, my job is to give you the skill set and confidence you need to crush this. We are in this together. I got you!

As long as you approach this with an optimistic attitude and you’re willing to work hard, you will do great. Remember, progress not perfection!

If you’d like to ask any questions or schedule a consultation, just contact me here.

So, be nice to yourself and get out there and communicate!

Dave