Squawkfox Talks: The Speaking Secret From Kerry K Taylor

by Promod Sharma, CC

Squawkfox spoke at this weekend’s sold-out CPFC12, the Canadian Personal Finance Conference (agenda). She was excellent. Her simple and clear slides exuded quality. She used lots of original photos. Her delivery was polished. A real pro. Or so I thought.

Squawk who?

Squawkfox is really Kerry K Taylor, a now-famous blogger from British Columbia. She writes must-read posts like

• Make a Starbucks Frappuccino for 32-cents
• Six words that make your résumé suck
• How to buy life insurance without getting screwed
• The real reason you’re broke
• The costs of a car crash

The day before, Kerry shared money-saving tips on The Morning Show on Global TV. Take a peek. She’s got solid content and speaks well. A real pro, no?

Critique

At the conference, Kerry talked about how she got millions of readers (without SEO trickery). When she started speaking, she used the crutchword “um” several times. This was not distracting because her delivery was engaging.

Mid-way, she stopped using her clip-on microphone because she heard some feedback. That’s unfortunate because her volume dropped. This wasn’t a problem either because her voice carried well. The audience helped by listening attentively — a sign of keen interest.

Surprise

Kerry spoke just after lunch. She later revealed a secret: she felt anxiety all morning and during her talk. This came as a surprise because she didn’t look or act nervous.

There’s more.

Kerry is a novice speaker. She’s only presented a couple of times. Here she was delivering an all-new presentation to her largest audience. Attendees included prominent bloggers and journalists. That’s gutsy.

Secret

How did Kerry give the best talk of the conference? She cared. She prepared. She practiced. She got videotaped. She made changes. That helped her be all she can be: herself.

Kerry is another example of how our overpowering worries go unnoticed by the audience. Her hidden fears made her presentation an even greater accomplishment than she may realize. And an inspiration. We can show grace under pressure.

Links

• How to get millions of people to read your blog (Kerry's slides) (new)
• How to prepare, practice and promote a brand-new presentation
• What goes wrong when presenting outside your club
• Three permanent fears for presenters
• Control your fear of public speaking
• The six basic fears
• Introverts can speak

Promod became more comfortable as a speaker at Goodyear Toastmasters. You’ll find his talks at www.promodsharma.com/presentations.