So, at last, Kate Speaks!

What’s the verdict? Any feedback for her?

The Duchess of Cambridge makes her first public speech on her own. With the world’s press hanging not only on what she looks like but, now, on the words she utters, and indeed how she utters them. She only gets one stab at this. No pressure there then…

Bearing in mind this is something she’s going to have to do a lot more of, what would be most helpful to Kate as she progresses along the rocky road of presentations and public speaking?

Do we criticise or do we praise?

Have a look and see how you think she’s doing……honestly….

Whatever your thoughts, there are some things that work well and others that don’t work so well.

The thing is, what will be useful to her to hear?

I’d lay money on the fact that if and when she sees that back, she will watch it (like many people do when they see themselves on video) through the fingers of her hands, focusing in on all the things she doesn’t like about what she does and how she looks.

So she really doesn’t need us to tell her what’s not working and add to her list.

However she may not be so acutely aware of what she has going for her…which is after all what she can build on.

Just for the record, here’s some of the things I think work for you, Kate, that you might like to do a bit more of:

Smile!

It’s great when you smile.

When you made a little joke about wishing William was with you, the little look you shared with us felt very natural and gave us a sense of your vulnerability and humour.

When you look up and talk to us directly rather than read, it comes across as a more authentic way of communicating.

You have a very clear voice which is easy to listen to and easy to understand. The use of emphasis is great. The more you follow your natural instincts and rhythms, the better it flows.

Your body language and posture is graceful and contained. It’s great when you allow yourself moments where you gesture and put your head on one side. this comes across as natural and charming.

Your pauses are most effective when you use a natural break in the speech to stop and check your notes, and then make eye contact with us as you continue talking until the next natural break.

The Impact of Feedback

When people give you feedback on your presentation or public speaking engagement – ask them to tell you what is working. That way you can build your confidence and focus on what you can do even better rather than what you can’t do!

And when you’re giving feedback, it’s worth considering the impact you want to have – whether you want to shatter someone’s confidence or build on their strengths so that they can raise their game.

My advice to you Kate? Onward and upward!