How Many “I’s” Do You Have In Your Speech?

Do you talk about yourself too much in your speech?

In the words of the late, great country music star Toby Keith…

“I wanna talk about me, wanna talk about I,
Wanna talk about number one, oh my, me my…”about

Yup… our recent article about the perils of the humble brag brought up some comments.  You wrote to me about how you avoid boasting, but your speech still includes a lot of talk about… well… you!

I don’t want to pass any judgment here…

But I do want to encourage you to dig deeper and consider how your personal anecdotes might be affecting the audience’s perception of you, their takeaways from your speech – and ultimately – your referability.

It’s fun to share stories about your own experiences, but earning stageside leads from every speech is what really matters.

Is the Word “I” is Working Against You?

I get it.  You want to establish your credibility and connect with the audience.  You want to relate to them so that they can see how you’ve struggled with their problems.  That’s why you tell great stories about your experiences from life and work.

But sometimes, these stories – packed full of the word “I” – can have a serious effect on your ability to consistently generate stageside leads.

These stories don’t feel like humble brags, but they might be just as damaging to the image and message you are trying to convey.  Here are three reasons why it’s a bad idea to overuse the word “I” in your speech.