How to Inspire (Engagement)

Do you remember the very first speech you ever had to give? The first time you needed to stand up in front of a group of people — whether it was at a family reunion, or your first-grade class — and share something that you’d put together? How did that go?

Brett remember’s his very first written and delivered speech. The topic, oddly, was Donald Duck.

Why? Who knows..

What was discussed? No idea..

All he is pretty sure of is, no matter how adorable he might have been, is that it was awful. I mean, after all, it was his first one. What do you expect?! Speaking in front of people is nerve racking, and both the ability (skills) and the confidence (mindset) take time to nurture.

Over here at Where There’s Smoke, we think that the ability able to speak well in front of people, being able to effectively communicate an idea — whether it’s to one person or 1000s of people — is a major life skill.

Communication is a linchpin in our society. It enables us to form connections, influence decisions, and inspire change. There are few skills more important than being able to effectively convey your ideas, thoughts, and/or feelings to others.

We started this season of Where There’s Smoke talking about Onlyness, and how you can make a dent in the world with your ideas. And in this episode we’re going to try to further equip you to do just that. To better be able to galvanize others around your idea, and inspire them into action.

To help us, we brought in speaker and author, Chris Atkinson. In addition to being “one of the most skilled presentation trainers” Brett knows; his book, How to Engage and Inspire Audiences, is perhaps “the most complete and applicable book” on the subject of how to become a more inspirational and engaging communicator.