By Shumirai Chimombe

 

At the Standard Bank EmpowHER conference in Cape Town on 25 June, moderator Mokoena Moloto sat down with Verity Price, 2021 World Champion of Public Speaking and global keynote speaker, for a highly engaging fireside chat.

 

Each year Verity is invited to coach and mentor the EmpowHER Pitching Den finalists, helping them refine their stories, strengthen their presence and prepare to take the stage with confidence.

 

This year she shared some of her inspirational insights, tips and advice, interwoven with anecdotes of her personal experiences. The discussion covered topics including facing your fear of failing, finding your voice, being clear with your message, telling your authentic story, and communicating effectively.

 

“Your word creates your world. The way you speak about your business, your vision, your idea, the impact you are making, the difference you want to make; that’s what determines who says yes to your idea.”

 

On what advice she would give someone who is unwilling to try public speaking because they had failed before and don’t want to fail again, she responded that people are not necessarily afraid of public speaking. They are afraid of public judgement. However, people connect with humanity. 

 

“When you are speaking, people are not looking for polished. They are not looking for perfection. They are looking for personal. If you stumble, if there’s a bit of nerves, you will be amazed that the audience are happy that you are the one speaking and not them. So just own it, make a joke about it.”

 

Her lesson in confidence is that “if you’re OK with things not being OK, you cannot fail. Because you fail forward, you find your voice and you start to trust that it matters in the room where it’s needed.”

 

Why do you think communication is so important as business leaders and as entrepreneurs?

 

Verity shared that first of all, it is estimated that 70% of people fear public speaking and avoid it.  And 63% of them never face the fear which means that 63% of people never have their voice in the room; and if your voice isn’t in the room, neither is your value.

 

She quoted American activist and founder of the Gray Panthers movement Maggie Kuhn – ‘Speak if it’s your truth even if your voice shakes.’

 

“When you have a lot of eyes on you, you can feel like you are in danger of public judgement – that they are hunting my worth, they are hunting my value, they think I will make a mistake. But when you start looking at the people who are smiling and nodding, those are your cheerleaders who will help you build your confidence, and then you can learn easy techniques and tips to make all of them feel like a friend in the first 30 seconds.” 

 

What are some of the most common mistakes that entrepreneurs make when they are pitching?

 

Verity responded that the mistake she sees often is that people try to tell you everything about their business in their pitch. 

 

“What happens is that you rush, you start creating confusion and clutter for the people who are listening to you and it’s missing the clarity and singularity of one message. The clearer you are on your purpose, your why – and if you can get that across and illustrate it with one or two examples; then leave the rest for the questions. You have the information so you can answer when someone asks you the questions.” 

 

What kind of changes and transformations has she seen when coaching the finalists?

 

“When you help people get clear on their message, their why – their energy changes. And 50% of what people remember about you – is you. Your energy, your passion. It doesn’t have to be extroverted but it has to be authentic.”

 

Verity’s advice was to find your sentence – what sums you up in a sentence which will become your signature. To figure out how you can make it stick so that it’s memorable.  And then share that publicly. “People remember you, they repeat you and that’s when you have added value.”

 

In the age of AI, how do we learn to continue to tell our story in an authentic way when we now live in a world that can tell our stories in any other way?

 

“Your best stories lie in your failures, your flaws, your frustrations, and your firsts – the first time you did something you probably weren’t good at it; there’s a story there. Don’t hide your failure, find the lesson in the failure and tell that story. That’s what makes you invaluable because no-one else has lived that experience.”

 

Verity explained that people often get stuck because they tend to think that their story has to be significant. It could be as simple as having a story of how you were taught to boil an egg and the lesson that you learned from it. If you tell that story well, people will remember it. People appreciate stories that they can connect with and relate to.

 

AI can help you to write your story a bit better and help you with the timing and the pacing. But it takes a person to uncover her valuable stories, and they are often small little moments, but they are funny, we laugh, we connect and that’s how people remember you. You live on in their mind because they share your story with someone else. “And we call it Herstory not History.”

 

What could you say to someone about finding their voice?

 

You have to start.  Speaking is a ‘learn by doing’ experience. 

 

Often you have to have something that’s bigger than your fear that will push you to find your voice . You need to ask yourself what is so important to me that I need to share it. 

 

“You need to have that one person who will be your cheerleader. Have those people in your corner but please know that 50% of your success in business and in life comes from your ability to effectively communicate [Warren Buffet]. 

 

“So you are cheating the world by not finding your voice. Your voice matters; you don’t need to be a public speaker, but in the rooms and the spaces where your voice is needed, just speak up even if it trembles. And find your confidence slowly; it’s a fail forward experience, and be OK with it not being OK.

 

And the winner of the EmpowHER Cape Town Pitching Den is….

 

A huge congratulations to Lesego Seloane, founder of Ronewa Creations.

 

For more than a decade, Ronewa Creations has been transforming spaces through landscaping, environmental and facilities management, while creating employment opportunities and equipping young people with valuable skills. Lesego’s vision of building greener spaces, stronger communities, and sustainable opportunities made her a standout entrepreneur.

 

Lesego walked away with the R50 000 regional prize, and we look forward to seeing her represent Cape Town at the National Standard Bank Top Women Conference this September.

 

Next stop: KZN

EmpowHER KZN takes place on 28 July and for entrepreneurs, the journey to the national stage continues.

 

The KZN Pitching Den winner will receive R50,000 and join Lesego at the National Standard Bank Top Women Conference, before competing at the 23rd annual Standard Bank Top Women Awards in December for the chance to be crowned EmpowHER Entrepreneur of the Year and win an additional R100,000.

 

Whether you’re an entrepreneur, business owner, professional, or aspiring leader, EmpowHER KZN is your opportunity to be part of a community that champions growth, collaboration, and empowerment.

 

Reserve your seat here.