Speaking Archives - Mandi Stanley

Nix Nerves: Pro Tip 3

April 8, 2026/in General, Speaking/by Mandi Stanley

Meet and greet your audience

Some of the most highly rated professional speakers I know and admire will stand at the
convention room door one hour early awaiting the first attendees. They shake hands,
converse briefly with audience members as they enter the meeting room, and even refer
to some of them by name throughout their presentation. Putting names with faces and
having brief but meaningful conversations with participants will set many jittery speakers
at ease.

So, arrive early.
Say hello to people as they come into your conference room.
Focus on the gift you are giving your audience: the special message you’ve prepared
especially for them.

Nix Nerves: Pro Tip 2

April 1, 2026/in General, Speaking/by Mandi Stanley

Remind yourself it’s all about your audience

Consider that when we are genuinely nervous, another contributing factor is—and let this sink in—that we’re too focused on ourselves and our own performance. Rather does anything positive happen when we are fixating on I-focused questions such as:

– What if I mess up?
– What if I forget to say something?
– I wonder if they’ll like me.
– I wonder if they’ll think Bob did a better job.
– Did I wear the right suit?
– Are my pants zipped?

(Actually, that last one is a good question to ask.)

Instead of focusing on ourselves, turn that I-focus into a you-focus. Think of your
presentation as a gift you are giving your audience; it’s a special message you’ve
customized especially for them.

Nix Nerves: Pro Tip 1

March 25, 2026/in Speaking/by Mandi Stanley

Memorize Your First and Final Statements

This pro tip for nixing nerves is to memorize your first sentence. Absolutely know the first words coming out of your mouth. Practice your opening words so that you can recite them upside down, standing on your head, with your eyes closed and your hands behind your back. Know your first sentence.

Please don’t hear me saying you should memorize your entire speech. Inevitably, you’ll forget something and end up standing there with that deer-in-the-headlights-of-an-oncoming-car look of fear. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with glancing at a bulleted list of your talking points. However, you don’t want to give the impression you need notes during your opening statement. You should be able to stand and deliver your opening remarks with confident audience eye contact. You would be surprised at how many executive speakers begin by looking down and reading their notes or slides.

So, while I would never advise speakers to commit their entire speech to memory, I do encourage them to practice their openings and closings more than 20 times. Start strong; end stronger. Memorize your first and last sentences.

REALTORS’ Leadership Development Program: A Quote to Remember

August 9, 2023/in Speaking/by Mandi Stanley

I know Jim Tunney.

So, imagine my surprise to see him quoted on the mirror of the women’s restroom!

Jim and I go back 20 years to my early days of membership in the National Speakers Association. He is an esteemed leader in the speaking profession, and to this day, he is one of the most excellent professional storytellers I’ve heard.

The location was Malvern, Pennsylvania, where I was facilitating No-Panic Presentation Skills for Tri-County Suburban REALTORS’ Leadership Development Program. And yes, I did pull my phone out in the restroom to snap a photo of this quotation: “It’s the will, not the skill.” This is a truth I’ve been able to share with my son, who has been training for the upcoming cross-country season in this extreme heat. “It’s the will, not the skill” on days like these. Thanks, Jim Tunney.

And, by the way, Jim was in good company. On the other mirror was a quotation from Pablo Picasso!

To customize a keynote or professional development session that will have your audience laughing and learning, contact Mandi Stanley.

Certified Speaking Professional Mandi Stanley works with business leaders who want to boost their professional image by becoming better speakers and writers through interactive high-content keynotes, breakout sessions, workshops, technical writing seminars, and fun proofreading classes.

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Celebrating 20 Years as a Certified Speaking Professional

July 12, 2023/in Speaking/by Mandi Stanley

It was 20 years ago this week that I received my CSP (Certified Speaking Professional) designation through the National Speakers Association at the summer annual meeting and convention in New Orleans, LA.

I’m swooning over this photo my dear friend and fellow professional speaker Marilyn Sherman just sent me. I had never seen it before; apparently, she snapped it without my knowing, and she captured a moment of pure unadulterated joy. I mean, just look at that sweet baby about to slobber on his mom’s medallion!

Yet, when I see the young woman in that photo, I am flooded with emotions. I remember all the doubt and uncertainty and big decisions swirling in my mind even as I celebrated with my husband and four-month-old son.

Professionally, I had just received the highest earned designation in the profession, becoming the first Mississippian to receive the CSP. I was traveling throughout North America and speaking at more than a dozen events each month and absolutely loving it. But in New Orleans, I came face to face with the decision millions of professional women and mothers make every single day. Is it possible to do both well? How in the world do I balance motherhood with a profession that requires A LOT of travel? And, what does “balance” really mean? I’ve never even liked that word.

Ultimately, I made a decision that was right for my family, and I prayerfully mapped out a one-year, five-year, and 10-year plan at that convention. I wish I still had the original notepad. But, that was 20 years ago, and I’m still sticking with the plan. Someone told me a long time ago that the older our children get, the MORE they actually need us. I don’t think I believed it at the time, but it is, oh, so true.