Speaking in a Cave

Hopefully you had a relaxing Labor Day weekend. What the... Where did Summer go???It’s a bit of a tradition over the last few years to open and close the Summer season with these friends. This trip we drove southwest in MO to the Meramac caves to do a cave tour. Once in the caves, we were amazed at the magnificence of how nature does its thing. Wow! Walking into the cave feeling the damp and cool air makes you feel like you’re in another world. It was neat to be among these massive rock formations. It’s a humbling feeling to witness nature’s great creations. We are extremely grateful to have these experiences first hand. If you get the chance, I highly recommend taking any cave tours! We did have some mixed feelings though.

Here’s our experience: A tour guide should be instructed to have great diction, speak slowly, and clearly enough so that everyone listening can hear and understand them. In our case, it was extremely difficult to understand our tour guide. As a speaker myself, I have learned a lot of the basics for being a great speaker. It is important to speak in a way so that ALL can understand, even if you have an accent or are a cave tour guide.
You would think being in an echoing cave the guides would be instructed to speak extra slowly, loudly, and ask the group to make sure he or she is being understood. Yes, we were in the wrong and should have stopped him to let him know we couldn’t hear him but we were in awe of natures beauty.

I’m not trying be a jerk but if he does this for a living, you would think it would be an important part of his practices, right!?

Speaking is a big part of my life now, so anytime I am listening to anyone (or myself) I am thinking of how to improve.
A few ways to improve are think before you speak, prepare ahead, breathe when you become nervous, and use pauses instead of using filler words, ie; like, um, so, ya-know, and… to name a few

If you are aware of these while you speak you will come across more confident and professional. No one is perfect, but being aware is a great tip to know and remember when speaking in front of groups.
I joined Toastmasters years ago to help improve my speaking skills, communication skills, and confidence. I am continually listening to myself and learning how to improve.
We all have been to a presentation or lecture where the teacher or speaker uses the same filler word(s) or phrases the whole time. We have also been there when the speaker is incredibly boring with the tone of his or her voice.
If you know me then you probably know I used to be real shy as a child. If not, we’ll now you know ☺️ Eventually as I started building my business I also decided to overcome my fears to become a confident business owner. In practicing these skills I have created the Keys to Unlock Your Confidence.

In this presentation I share all the wonderful foundational keys that have been taught to me over the last nine years. If you or anyone you know needs assistance with their speaking or interview skills let me know. I have connections and a passion for guiding others to step into their greatness. I’d love to connect with you. Reach out to set up a meeting in person or via Zoom.
It feels so good to be growing myself and being able to help others grow and gain confidence and to challenge themselves as well.
Remember, if you are a speaker already,(or speaking in a cave) be sure to speak slowly, clearly, and loud enough for your group or audience to hear you with ease! 🤩

If you are an introverted leader just starting to gain your self confidence, join us monthly for our Networking for Introverts virtual meetings!! We love to have you join us 💗💙

Thanks for reading.
Be Well, Be Loved, Be Touched

xoxo,Sabrina

”Be with the ones you Love most!!!" 💗