Latest / She Speaks to Scale / 10. What To Say When You Don't Know What to Say (And Why You Know More Than You Think)
Transcript
- Sarah Collins: so glad you're here today because this episode is one of the most requested topics I get. We're talking about what to say when you don't know what to say. this episode, we're going to be covering the content you could have in your back pocket, ready to bring out as required. Thank you for listening to this episode of She Speaks to Scale. If you liked the episode or you think it will be useful for someone else, please follow and leave a review. If you've got any questions, do let me know via the social handles in the show notes. And remember to speak with intention, not hesitation, and let your voice be heard. Hello and welcome to She Speaks to Scale with me, Sarah Collins. The podcast that empowers women in business to own their voice, be heard and create impact, one communication insight at a time. I'm a media trainer and communication coach and a former senior television producer. It's my mission to bring the communication skills we need to thrive in today's world of business to the generation of women who simply weren't taught them. Whether it's scaling your voice to step into thought leadership in a media interview, speaking with confidence on camera, on stage and beyond, or scaling the way you communicate when it really counts. This podcast will help you use your voice to be heard in the moments that matter. Now it's just been half term here and when I take my foot off the ball a little, it always takes time to get back into things and reminding myself that I know what to say is a huge part of that. When people think of high stakes speaking opportunities like media interviews, they worry about mind blanking and looking like an imposter. I was going to talk about mind blanking, but that is a whole different ball game. So I'm going to save that for another podcast episode. Now, not knowing what to say can stop you from staying visible. And it can mean you say no to media interviews when you really want to be saying yes. Not knowing what to say is not a sign that you don't have anything worthy to say. It's not even a sign that you're not ready for the speaking opportunity. It just means you haven't done the groundwork required. to make sure you always have something to say. And today I'm sharing some practical strategies with you, taken from my own experience as a business owner and the media insights I've gained from working for over 20 years in television production. These are the strategies I use with my own clients to make sure they are never lost for words. People often have a mistaken belief about what speaking opportunities actually require. We tend to assume whether on a podcast, in a pitch, at a panel, we need to say something that nobody has ever said before, something original, something brilliant. But I'm here to tell you that that really is not the case. I have been living and breathing effective communication for over 20 years. And when I launched my business, I even felt the doubts creep in. Who am I to talk about this? What am I even going to say? So what I did is what I always do. I went back to basics. I read every book I could find, watched every TED talk on my subject, listened to every relevant podcast. And I realized I already knew most of it. I just needed to be reminded of what I knew and then organize it into my own words. And you too already know more than you think. People really aren't expecting you to reinvent the wheel. What they're actually looking for is your insights, the way that you see the world, your perspective, is shaped by everything you've lived through, your experience, your background and the journey you've had to date, your stories, because stories are what people remember, and your solutions because people come to you to solve a problem and they want to know what you've done or how you help people to overcome them. And you already have all of these. Now this is ongoing work. I still have days where I question what I have to say and that is perfectly normal. But we too often disregard our experience and our insights as things that everybody knows when really they don't. They are looking to you as the expert in your field. You have knowledge that they want or need, the experience they respect, and the insight that can help them in some way. And it's just about how you share that information to your best ability. What we'll talk about in this episode is really what you need to have up your sleeve that you can call upon when you don't know what to say. TV terms, we call them your key messages, ⁓ know inside out and whatever speaking opportunity you're in, you will be able to convey what you need to convey. Return to your mission. Everything you say from a business perspective should be linked back to an overall mission. is your why behind what's driving you, your overall purpose. ⁓ do you want to help people in the way you do? My mission with my business, but also this podcast is to help women in business to own their voice, be heard and create the impact they want in the world. I feel so passionately about this because I didn't have that space when I was younger and the women of my generation didn't either. So providing that space and giving women the chance to be heard and the tools to be heard is at the heart of everything I do. When you're thinking about what to say, everything should stem from this. Why is what you're doing relevant now? Well, what is the reason for you to be talking about what you do now today, this month, this year? From years of working in newsrooms and TV studios, this one is absolutely ingrained in me. People often think, why would anyone want to hear from me right now? So give them a reason. Awareness dates are something I've used throughout my career in practically every job I have ever had in TV. And they are fantastic for having something to say. I would research them and then mark any relevant ones to you and your business in your diary. And these can be turned into social media content, the inspiration behind a podcast episode, or to build a campaign around something you are launching. There are awareness days for practically everything. So you'll definitely be able to find ones relevant to your business. know just on a quick search, week there's a national donut day. I mean, that says it all, doesn't it? In terms of my business and why that is relevant, well, communication skills are more important now than ever in this digital era we find ourselves in. Whether that's as a spokesperson representing your organization or as a founder becoming an expert in your field, being able to communicate well is how you will stand out and be remembered. I launched my podcast this year on world voice day and created a campaign around it specifically for that awareness day. And you can easily do something like that So what makes what you have to say relevant now? Is someone in the public eye talking about it? Are there any new statistics or research related to what you do? What's happening in your industry and what conversations are people having? the next thing I want you to ask yourself is why you? ⁓ Now this question is one that so many brilliant founders from moving into the expert era. Why would anyone want to hear from me? ⁓ There are people out there with experience, more followers, more credibility. We've all done this, haven't we? Me included. We've looked online or seen someone else in our field who is doing brilliantly and immediately think, well, they're doing great. Why would anyone want to hear from me? what I want you to understand is you're not being compared to everyone else in your field. That yes, you received being on a podcast or an immediate interview is because of you, your angle, your story, your way of explaining things. Nobody else has lived your life, built your business, made your mistakes or arrived at the insights in the same way you have. That is not a small thing. That is your entire competitive advantage. People buy from people and before they buy, they listen. So you need to start reframing this as why not you? That reframe is so incredibly important when it comes to progressing towards the goals that you want and becoming that expert that you know you can be. So what three things make you unique and help you stand out from your competitors? Your specific background, a client result you've achieved, a perspective shaped by your experience or a specific approach. Really anything that makes you, you. And never underestimate the power of a personal story, whether that's an anecdote, a lesson learned the hard way or a client's success. We're all drawn to the lessons I learned from not because we enjoy other people's difficulties or misfortunes, but because we want to feel like we're not alone. Sharing what you've overcome, what's happened to you this week, month or year is one of the most powerful ways to connect with your audience and evoke an emotion. And it's that emotion that drives people to buy. Alongside your own stories, always have a handful of client wins ready to reach for. do your own story can't do alone. They shift the message from here's what I do ⁓ to what happens when we work together. And that's what turns a listener into a potential client. Getting clear on what I've spoken about today really is the key to stepping into that next level when it comes to using your voice. And it's one of the first things I focus on with my clients. If you feel you need support with this, then my six week program, Your Expert Era could be the right fit for you. I'll pop the link to find out more in the show notes. You simply just needed someone to remind you where to look. The next time you think you have nothing to say, remember you are not starting from nothing. You know more than you think.