My Top 3 Lessons from Public Speaking Classes (via Ultraspeaking platform) 1. The Power of the Pause In a world that celebrates speed and efficiency, silence can feel uncomfortable. I used to think pausing made me look unprepared. Turns out, the opposite is true: - Pausing projects confidence (not panic when you start rambling). - It gives your audience time to digest. - It helps you reset when your brain goes blank. It feels very unnatural to pause at first, but as with most habits, it takes time to integrate it. 2. You Only Fail if You Break Character Here’s the secret: no one in the audience knows what you meant to say. Only you do. - Forget a point? Move on. - Trip over your words? Smile and keep going. The audience is rooting for you, not tracking your mistakes. Staying in character is what keeps you credible. 3. Networking-related: Active Listening Goes Deeper Than Collecting Facts I thought I was a good listener, until I realized I was mostly listening for what I could respond to next. Real listening means catching why something matters to the other person, not just what they say. The best conversations happen when you uncover insights the other person didn’t even notice about themselves. That’s when dialogue turns into connection. ---------------------------------------------- If you want to improve your public speaking I highly recommend you check Ultraspeaking platform. I first discovered it via Lenny's Newsletter podcast. On his YouTube channel you can see the methodology of this platform in action. It doesn't just teach you tricks, but gives you an actual foundation to stand on when doing public speaking. Special thanks to my coach, Aliénor Hunter! Over just 8 lessons, she helped me demystify public speaking and pinpoint exactly what I could work on to see meaningful improvement quickly. I still have plenty of areas to develop, but her guidance has already made a real impact on how I communicate, both at work and in my personal life. Truly grateful for her support!

🎤 ALWAYS END STRONG 🦾 This week we had fab Aliénor Hunter at the eBay Deutschland campus ❤️💙💛💚 for an intense and eye-opening Ultraspeaking storytelling and presentation masterclass that left us inspired and equipped with powerful communication tools! In today's fast-paced world, the ability to tell compelling stories and present ideas effectively is more crucial than ever. What made this session truly unique was the playful approach to learning, breaking away from old-fashioned methods and ensuring we improved quickly and effectively. Here are some key takeaways from our sessions that can elevate your presentations: 🎣 The Hook: Start with a captivating hook that grabs attention and sets the tone for your story. Whether it's a surprising fact, a personal anecdote, or a thought-provoking question, make sure it's engaging! 🎭 Stay in character: Consistency is key. Whether you're presenting as a storyteller, a leader, or an expert, maintain your character throughout to build trust and credibility. ⏸️ Breathe: Strategic pauses can be as impactful as the words themselves. Use pauses to emphasize key points, allow your audience to absorb information, your brain to adapt and create a rhythm that enhances your delivery. 💥 Always end strong: The conclusion is your final chance to leave a lasting impression. Summarize your key points and deliver a powerful closing 🥥 statement that resonates with your audience. A huge thank you to everybody joining, sharing and being open to the rapid learning apporach. Special kudos to Steven empowering the team👏 to implement these strategies and continue to refine our storytelling skills at eBay. Want to give the tools a try yourself - link in the comments. #Storytelling #PresentationSkills #eBayInside #UltraSpeaking #Communication

Last night, I learned 5 life changing lessons to improve about public speaking. Something that used to make me shit myself. I remember jumping on stage for the first time to a room of 500 people. Everyone looked proper serious and I thought they all wanted me to fail. Dad was in the audience and I was shaking when I started. I was choking just like Eminem in 8 mile. I actually skipped 10 minutes of the talk and finished early. Sweat patches everywhere. Of course Dad said he was proud, but even he knew I bottled it. Fast forward 9 years and I've done loads of talks and podcasts since, and now I properly enjoy it. But last night I learned 5 UNREAL speaking lessons during the Ultraspeaking workshop: 1. Have fun with it - when you enjoy it, your speaking becomes natural and carries proper emotion which makes it memorable. 2. Be yourself - people want realness. They wanna see YOU. The person who talks to their mates with conviction. 3. Take the pressure off - your audience wants you to succeed. If you make a mistake, move on. If you go off on one, that's fine too. 4. Strategic pauses work - not just for the audience, but for you to tap into where your mind wants to go. Just a second or two pulls out great stories. 5. Accordion technique - set timer for 2 mins and say your points. Cut to 1 min. Then 30 secs. Gets you to the core message, then expand from there. Speaking skills help in every part of life - meetings, content, podcasts, pitches. It's a meta skill that levels up everything else you do. Buzzing to bring this training to our whole company. Because when you can communicate properly, you can achieve anything. Thank you to the brilliant coaches who helped - Michael, Tristan, Aman, Aliénor and Anne. Who here is on a mission to improving their speaking ability? Let me know your biggest problem below....