New Book – It’s Your Time to Shine: How to Overcome Fear of Public Speaking

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It’s Your Time to Shine:
How to Overcome Fear of Public Speaking,
Develop Authentic Presence and Speak from Your Heart

                                Sandra Zimmer’s New Book
Read the new book to successfully Overcome Stage Fright and Develop Your Public Speaking Voice – from Sandra Zimmer In this book, Sandra Zimmer shares her unique method that transforms stage fright and fear of public speaking into an authentic presence. This book sheds an entirely new light on the #1 fear of Americans, allowing you to see stage fright and fear of public speaking, not as something wrong with you, but as a sign of your sensitivity which you can tap to help you speak from passion and make a difference in the world. It will help you become confident to speak in groups, meetings and presentations and to share your ideas, insights and expertise. While reading It’s Your Time to Shine, you will gain understanding of what happens inside your mind and body during stage fright, how to free the tension and how to turn the anxiety into passion. You’ll learn to develop an authentic presence that holds the attention of others and how to create talks that engage and compel others to listen.Download the Table of Contents and Chapter 1

Pre-order your autographed 1st edition of Sandra Zimmer’s newest book.Publication date is expected to be April 2009. We will send your autographed copy as soon as it is off the press! You may also order an unsigned copy at Amazon.com in April.

Early Author Reviews of the Public Speaking Book – It’s Your Time to Shine “It’s Your Time to Shine is the best book and audio I’ve seen on the power of authentic presence for speaking. I personally know Sandra and love her work. She brings years of work with spiritual psychology to shed new light on public speaking as a means of personal transformation. She helps you connect with your spiritual power so you can shine and succeed!”
– Dr. Joe Vitale, author “The Attractor Factor,” star in “The Secret” www.mrfire.com”

I love this book because it’s about becoming a loving presence when you communicate, speak up or present to groups! Sandra helps you tap into the power of love in a way that heals the issues of stage fright and the fear of public speaking. Bravo!”
– Bill Ferguson, best-selling author and authority on the power of love http://www.billferguson.com”

Sandra Zimmer had a transformational experience that changed her relationship with her audiences. What she learned will change the way you approach speaking forever. Her book offers new insight into the speaker audience dynamic. I highly recommend it.”
– Doug Stevenson, author “The Guru of Storytelling in Business” – www.storytelling-in-business.com

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The Mystery of Persuasion

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When you want to compel attention and help people change their thinking, use the element of mystery in your speaking.  Mystery is a story that takes your listeners on a journey to solve a problem or improve a situation.

 The clue to a mystery is  “Huh? Ahh!”  Try saying these two sounds aloud.  Make the sound “Huh?” go up in pitch.  It registers as “What?”  Then, make the sound of “Ahh!” go down in pitch.  “I see!” 

 Now, you have the clue to mystery.  Mystery asks a question about why something is so.  Then it answers with a dramatic new understanding.  Because we humans are wired to listen to stories, you can capture attention by telling a mystery story.

May I help you tell stories that capture attention of listeners and persuade them to think differently about something important? Visit my website.

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Receive Your Audience to Read Your Audience

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Public speaking clients ask me how they can “read” their audience. I tell them they must open to receive their audience members.

Receiving is an experience of 1) seeing individuals in the audience, 2) making authentic connection one-to-one with them and 3) taking them in through soft-focus eye connection.

Receiving is my way of expressing an experience of deep rapport with individual audience members. Deep rapport involves an exchange of attention and subtle energy.  Actors call this exchange of human energy “chemistry.”

The best way I know to establish chemistry with listeners is to use a soft eye focus to see people.  Allow your eyes to become slightly unfocused.  Then, gently land your eyes on one person at a time.  Imagine you are drinking that person in through your eyes.  You will actually feel that person’s energy or essence magnetically drawn to you so that you establish a palpable connection.  As you take the person in, you will notice that you really see that person.  You will see what mental/emotional state he is experiencing, and you will get a sense of who he really is.

Reading the audience is not so much about looking at people, but about taking them in through relaxed eyes.  Reading the audience is not a technique to figure out what they are thinking so you can control them.  Rather it is opening to see who people in your audience really are.  It is a byproduct of deep connection, rapport and chemistry.

It’s a lovely experience to receive your audience members! It is a powerful way of being present with listeners.

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Embracing Authenticity: Who Are You Able to Be In Front of Others?

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There is something about public speaking, expressing oneself in groups, presenting or performing that triggers many people’s desire to look perfect.  It seems we just can’t give ourselves permission to be imperfect and…. well, human.  When we don’t feel safe to be genuinely who we are in front of others, we tense up the body and go into our heads to manufacture an “image” or illusion of perfection. This simple fact is at the root cause of stage fright and fear of public speaking. 

Embracing an equally simple fact can release stage fright and even transform the tension and fear into a presence that radiates authenticity.  The key is permission to be who we are without having to be perfect.  How do we do this?  We give ourselves permission to feel our feelings in front of other people.

Stage fright is fear of feeling in front of others.  Unconsciously we attempt to show up as perfect by disowning our real feelings, sensations and emotions. We try to make ourselves appear as if we do not have negative emotions like fear and anxiety. To heal stage fright, we simply have to learn to feel what we feel and share our emotions while we are interacting with groups.  Presentation coaches who enjoin us to “never say you are nervous” are perpetuating the lack of authenticity that creates stage fright problems in the first place. 

One of my spiritual mentors William David said, “We know who we are by how we feel.”  Through my own transformational process, I have learned to express more emotions and let go of some of my tendency to want to look perfect.  Each time I allowed myself to express more authentically; I grew in self-acceptance, and I felt more like myself.  I have literally experienced an increase in physical and spiritual energy flowing through my body each time I shared my self genuinely in public speaking situations and other group settings.

Who are you willing to be when you speak to groups?  You truly can’t be anyone else, so why not be yourself?  I can guarantee that you will begin to show up as a star when you are willing to share your authentic thoughts, feelings, ideas and expertise.  As Marianne Williamson wrote in A Return to Love and Nelson Mandela spoke in his 1994 inaugural address, “Your playing small does not serve the world.  There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that others won’t feel insecure around you.  We are all meant to shine as children do.  When we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give permission for others to do the dame.  As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

It is my privilege to help people shine in the world.  I do so by guiding them to transform stage fright fear of public speaking into authentic presence so they feel confident to share their ideas, insights and expertise with the world to make a difference.  As people are liberated from stage fright and fear of public speaking, they are free to shine in the world!

Visit The Self-Expression Center webite for more articles and information on group and individual programs.

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Seth Godin Blogs about Two Qualities of a Great Presenter – Respect & Love

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Imagine my thrill as I read respected author Seth Godin declare that any great presenter must have two qualities – respect from the audience and love for the audience!  Take a look at his post at http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2009/03/the-two-elements-of-a-great-presenter.html..

Then read my post at http://sz.contentbycara.com/don%e2%80%99t-talk-to-strangers-how-caring-for-your-audience-helps-stage-fright-and-fear-of-public-speaking/

Love is a vibrational frequency that attracts.  Love is not only the answer to stage fright, it is also a large part of being a great presenter.  When you can stand in front of an audience and love yourself and them, you create a quality of connection that is magnetic.   You draw the audience to you through your love for them.  And they feel it!

In order to be a great presenter, Seth tells us that we also need to receive respect from the audience.  I think respect is earned through authenticity.  When we share our ideas, insights, emotions and expertise in a way that is true to ourselves, listeners can sense that as well.

If any of this resonates with you, I invite you to visit my website at www.self-expression.com

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Enjoy Being Yourself in Front of Others

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Speaking to groups of people, sharing your ideas, insights and expertise can be a peak experience if you open to be yourself fully in front of others. 

I found myself humming the song “I Enjoy Being a Girl” yesterday.  Who knows why that song was in my head?  As I hummed, I began to think about how much fun it has become for me to speak to groups in the past few years.  I enjoy being myself in front of others!  What a joy to share my unconventional ideas about speaking, presenting and performing! 

I wondered if I could offer a few tips for enjoying being yourself in front of others.  I am making this up as I write, so here goes:

1. Feel love for yourself as you speak.  Pray or meditate before you present and fill yourself up with love and appreciation for yourself, for all that you know and all that you have experienced in order to learn what you have to share.

2. Let the talk be a dance. Loosen your body with enough warming-up that you feel like you can dance.  Let your body express freely as you talk.  Don’t worry about what you look like, just move to express your passion.

3. Make real connection with your listeners as you speak.  Reach your attention to one person at a time.  Enjoy a conversation with each person you speak with.  Have fun with each person, reveling in the shared connection. 

4. Receive the flow of attention from the group.  Take energy in from your listeners.  If you pay attention, you will notice that their attention fills you us with energy that is palpable.  Let it come into your body and support you.

5. Allow yourself to be an instrument through which Spirit can speak.  Allow a higher power to fill you up with energy, love, light, presence.  Let what you have to say to flow through you without it having to be perfect.  Let yourself be used by Spirit.

I know this all might sound so strange to you!  But it is really what you can experience if you allow yourself permission to do so.  Just open up to it.  Fear will transform into presence if you allow yourself to be yourself fully. 

If any of this sounds like what you have been looking to do and be, consider coming to a workshop Transform Stage Fright into Authentic Presence.  I love to guide people to speak from this zone of presence!

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Musings on Loss, Opening the Heart & Public Speaking

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This blog post has nothing to do with public speaking and everything to do with opening the heart.  Well, certainly opening the heart is needed to be great at speaking.  Come to think of it, the heart pounding out of the chest that so many people experience in fear of public speaking is because those people are blocking the flow of energy into the heart, chest and throat areas.  When they are willing to let energy flow fully through the heart and out to listeners, they fall in love with their audiences.

So, OK back to my heart tonight.  My heart is not into blogging for the past three weeks.  My heart has been in trying to find my beloved cat Jasper who sneaked out of our house unseen three weekends ago and who has disappeared into the densely populated neighborhoods and streets that surround us.  Whenever I have an extra hour, I am not thinking of blogging, just which area to drive around in hopes of showing up at the same place that Jasper is at.  My husband and I have done that – just driven up to the same corner at the same time. So why can’t I do that with Jasper?

I’m telling the story of losing Jasper because loss is how the heart opens.  When we lose something or someone we love, the heart has to stretch open to hold the energy that is released in the sadness.  Loss causes the heart to fill with feelings of sadness, but filling that part of the body only allows more love to move into the spaces of the heart. If there is a lesson or blessing in my story it is that I love more now than three weeks ago.  Love for an animal can be as profound as love for a person.  And I loved that cat Jasper!

On Tuesday when I speak to the Galleria ABWA, I will have more love to share because my heart has been stretched open by the fullness of missing Jasper, the cat.

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President Obama Speaks to Inspire All

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Our new President just spoke to the world.  He began to reclaim our place in the world.  He called on us all to fill ourselves with the spirit of service, to remember who we are as a nation that has withstood worse challenges than we face now and to begin anew the work of remaking America. His words were eloquent.  But it was not his eloquence that captured me.  It was his grounded presence, comfort in his skin and his passion that made my heart sing.  He seems to be on a mission.  Underneath his words were real strength of purpose, focused attention, intent to lead… and comfort with himself.  These are the signs of leadership. 

So, we have a real speaker in the White House, someone who can speak to inspire.  Perhaps that is the most important function of a President of The United States.  Politics aside, I am eager to see if he can inspire us to be all we can be.  Now, let us begin to do the work and remember as President Obama said, “Greatness must be earned.”

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Asking Questions of Your Audience to Connect and Release Anxiety

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Many speakers allow their listeners to ask them questions, but not many ask questions of the audience.  Ellen Finklestein of ellenfinklestein.com writes an excellent article about asking questions of your audience.  I will let you read her article for yourself.

At the end of her article she says it is important to plan your questions carefully.  My words exactly!  Here is how I plan for my questions.

  • Write simple questions, no more than 7 words per question.
  • Ask a series of two to three questions that are progressive, meaning one question leads to the next question.
  • Make your first question or two, close ended.  By a show of hands, how many of you _____?
  • Then ask an open ended question to invite your audience to respond to you.  What has your experience with ___ been?

I ask my questions in this manner for two reasons. First, I want to give my audience time to warm-up to responding to me.  They don’t always know it is OK to speak up in a group.  Second, it gives me time to relax into being with them.  As they talk with me, I establish a warm connection.  We are just talking together.

In the first few years that I spoke in front of groups, this was the first technique I created to help me deal with my anxiety.  It’s agood one!

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