What does “courageous” mean? It means to have courage. As a public speaker, you must have courage to get up on stage and say what you need to say. You must have courage to stand in whatever it is you believe in. You must have courage to share a message that just might not be popular to some or agreeable to others.

How do you deliver your message so courageously that it actually changes the thoughts and lives of others? In this article, I will share with you five tips on how you can be courageous every time you speak in public by using the acronym BRAVE.

B stands for Believe In Your Message

You must believe in your message to the core of your being. Don’t just give it lip service. You need to be your message, to become your message, to believe in every single word you say whether other people do or not.

Oftentimes, people try to be politically correct when they speak. When they try to do that, that’s all they’re doing–trying. Your message will get muffled or misinterpreted. You’re tippy toeing around your audience. Stand in your message, stand in your power. Do not wobble! Whatever your belief is, say it, believe it, and stand in it!

I came out of Corporate America and whitewashed almost everything I said. Here’s what happens when you speak without a stand. Nobody is attracted to you.

When you choose to speak in front of a group, look for like-minded people. You are a magnet, a beacon of light that attracts clients who are like you. Those are the best clients to have. Those are the clients that will resonate with you, who will pay you, who will become lifelong fans, and even become friends. But if they don’t know what you stand for they will not be attracted to you.

R stands for Rebellious

Be rebellious in what you share on the stage. Be a rebel for your message. Time is of the essence.In addition to standing in what you believe in, it’s also time to rebel against what you don’t believe in. No more walking on both sides of the fence! No more talking out of both sides of your mouth!

Be a rebel for your cause and do what it takes to get your message out into the world. Quit being a benchwarmer. Be a rabble-rouser.

Candy Lightner created MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Drivers) after she lost her little girl to a drunk driver. She became a rebel. She constantly spoke in public and stood on her belief that drunk driving was wrong and bad. She didn’t say, “Certain levels are bad, but one glass of wine is okay.” No! She was 100% against drinking and driving and she got other people to be against it, too, until the laws were changed. She was not weak. She was all in.

That’s what you need to be, all in! When you speak publicly your message needs to be black and white, no shades of gray. Don’t waver for anybody!

A is for Audience Participation

When you are speaking to your audience, you want to be in front of the right audience whenever you speak. But when you are a participant in the audience, I want you to be courageous. Stand up and let people know you are in the room. I want you to volunteer. That’s courageous. That’s being visible. It also gives you practice and builds your courage muscle.

Wherever you go, to whatever seminar, if they ever ask for audience participation, I want you to be the first one to raise your hand and shout, “Me!” Once you’re courageous, nothing will stop you.

What stops you from being courageous? It’s you! It’s that little voice inside your head that keeps you small. It says, “Don’t go up on that stage and be a fool.” Or it says, “I didn’t wear the right shoes.” or “I didn’t comb my hair.” Stop it! Do it anyway. Everything that you want is out of your comfort zone or you would already have it.

V is for Vulnerable

When you speak to an audience, you must show them who you are. Let them see you as vulnerable. There are all kinds of ways to be vulnerable. Be sure to talk only about those things that you have overcome so that you can share your success and be confident.

Don’t share things that you’re still dealing with or are uncomfortable sharing. If there was abuse in your life and you haven’t dealt with it, don’t bring it up when you’re on stage. That is not fair to you or your audience. If there is something you’ve gone through that is appropriate for your speech, then bring it out. It makes you real. I’m vulnerable when I’m in the secular world and I talk about God. There are some people who are not comfortable with their faith or lack of faith, and they don’t want to hear about mine. It takes courage to talk about it.

E is for Experiment and Expand

You’ve got to experiment with your speech. You don’t know what works in your speech or not until you have tried it out. It takes courage. I have been experimenting with my speeches for years! When I say something I think is funny but I don’t get a laugh, I drop it. If I get a laugh and I didn’t expect it to be funny, I make a mental note and will add it to my speech. Bring new material to the table. You don’t always know what will work until you’re courageous enough to try new things.

Expand your speech. Go to new heights with your speech. Go to new levels. Go to new passions. Let it grow. Constantly expand your speech, your talent, and yourself. Let it become a living, breathing piece of material that will save someone’s life, or save someone’s business every time you speak it.

Be courageous, or in other words, be BRAVE!

  • Believe in your message
  • Rebel against the status quo
  • Audience participation – speak up when you have the chance
  • Vulnerable – be real
  • Experiment with and expand your speech
  • Expand Your Courage

If you’re wondering if you have what it takes or want to step into courage with a guide, let’s talk. Schedule a complimentary session with me today: https://calendly.com/arveerobinson/30min

Related Articles

If you want more inspiration for being courageous and giving the best speech you can, check out these other blogs:

Give Your Audience Hope

Speak Up and Lead

Infinite Impact

Characteristics of a Million Dollar Speaker

About the author 

Arvee Robinson

{"email":"Email address invalid","url":"Website address invalid","required":"Required field missing"}

Direct Your Visitors to a Clear Action at the Bottom of the Page

E-book Title