Public Speaking Skills For Dummies

Chapter 5

Conquering Impostor Syndrome: You Are Who You Think You Are

IN THIS CHAPTER

Knowing who you think you are and who you really are

Understanding impostor syndrome and why it happens

Being yourself in all your glory

Iusually meet clients in their workplace. I find it’s easiest to work with people where they are most comfortable — there are fewer hurdles to overcome that way.

I received an email from a woman who was looking for public speaking help. She said she was lagging behind in her field because of it. She had difficulty expressing her ideas and had no confidence when it came to presenting her ideas to a group of people. Naturally, I came to her workplace because it was exactly the kind of case I prefer to handle where a person is most comfortable. She worked in a big, imposing glass skyscraper, and waited in her beautiful lobby. I was offered a latte from an expensive coffee machine and was then led to her gigantic corner office, with the best views the downtown has to offer. She was sitting in her big office chair and seemed to be exuding confidence. Yet that’s exactly what she needed work on.

This story isn’t meant to intimidate those who don’t have a swanky office ...