How to Master Authenticity and Audience Rapport — Part 2

An Interview With Dr. Gary, The Speaker’s Mentor

Communication — Photo by Jason Goodman on Unsplash

I met Dr. Gary Wohlman in the mid 70’s in NYC at a party, where he was demonstrating a form of body therapy I’d never seen before.

Dedicated to learning innovative approaches to healing myself, this inspired me to learn this modality myself and develop expertise myself putting my own unique spin on it.

Years later, I came across Gary at a National Speakers Association Convention in NYC, and we became re-acquainted.

Now, 50 years later, Dr. Gary Wohlman and I speak weekly, collaborating in many ways. He is a seasoned communications skills coach, and He specializes in enhancing the full-bodied engagement, interactive impact, and effectiveness of any speaker's live and recorded presentations.

If your communication needs to go to greater levels of effectiveness, especially online, Gary can help you.

Gary has sent me, in response to my request transcripts of talks and interviews he has given over the decades. They are always insightful and invaluable.

This is Part 2 of a 5 Part Thread, on “How to Master Authenticity and Audience Rapport”

The words from this article are taken from the transcript of one of my teaching audios, entitled “Mastering Authenticity and Audience Rapport”: . The audio version can be found by visiting

The original audio is a direct transcription of Dr Gary’s presenting a breakout session to professional speakers at a National Speakers Association convention in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Here is the link to Part 1.

Continued…Part 2

TRANSCRIPTION: Dr. Gary: There are two aspects I want to focus on here. And one is to assist each and every one of you whether you’re sitting or standing — you’re part of this process; we’re about to undergo a bit of an adventure together. One is finding your own natural style, and the other is developing more audience rapport. In order to do this there are certain requirements. And one would be for us to create this environment here as a safe space. I’ve done this for number of years now, and I’ve seen that this is one of the things absolutely necessary for any speaker here. As you know, it’s not always the safe space when you’re standing in front of the group: sometimes there’s a threatening atmosphere, sometimes people are either outwardly or inwardly heckling you and not giving you the best of support and attention. But here it’s going to be all different.

This is a rehearsal chamber, as it were. Look among you, left and right, up and down, back and forth, and under your seat. Yes, I am going to as much as possible engage as much of your senses as I can. So, to start off, I have to say that each one of us has a special gift. No, I’m not going to ask you to do that. I’ve been an acrobat all my life and a springboard diver. But you have a gift. Each one of you has a gift of either speaking, singing, sharing poetry, sharing laughter, the gift of wit, story, who knows what your gift is. Yet, if you’re anything like me, you get as Michelangelo said, “I saw the angel in the marble, and I chiseled until I set it free”. Your gift, just as my gift, our gifts as humans, as speakers, as creative people, have often been buried, have they not? Buried amongst false beliefs, fears, hurts, decisions from the past when someone said: ‘Be quiet! Go back!’ And you felt it back perhaps twenty, thirty, forty years later. I know this is true for a lot of us here in this room.

My job with you here in the next forty minutes, as far as I see it, is to help set free that angel in the marble, that treasure that has been buried. Even if you’re sitting here watch, feel, and listen what shifts happen in this short time period? My goal is, when you leave this room at one o’clock, that each of you will have increased abilities and tools for recognising your own abilities to both express yourself and also perceive through your body as the chief instrument of communication. Are you ready for this? Here we go.

This is our spaceship and our fellow team members. One of the keys to be able to be ensuring this is a safe environment is to ask you at the beginning to give at least your outspoken feedback in ways that are empowering and nurturing. Empowering and nurturing feedback. Of course there’s a critic inside! I’ve got one, too. If you’re willing to silence that critic and reassign that one to one who could make good clear discerning judgments rather than putdowns. Anyone that’s standing up here will be feeling far safer to share the depths and heights of what’s possible.

Michelangelo, as you’ve already got to sense it from me, has been one of my mentors, one of my heroes. And I remember I was reading about the time when he was sent to meet the Pope for the first time. He was sent with a note. And the note said to the Pope: “Please, treat this sensitive and creative man with the utmost of care, and he’s liable to create some of the greatest works of art of all times”. Well, the Pope didn’t exactly do that, yet he (Michelangelo) still created some of the greatest works of art of all times. My point to you is that if you give encouraging and supportive feedback and get in a practice of it here before your peers and before you say anything on stage, watch the magic. So, may I please have a show of hands if you’re willing to speak in encouraging and nurturing ways here? Your left hand? It’s ok. Your right hand? Get them both up. Your left leg, your right leg. Click your heels together. There’s no place like starting from home.

Which is to say (you think I am kidding!) stand up with me. Here’s an exercise for us all to practice so we can have an experience as to the difference between delivering a message. The message being, “It’s easy for me to reach you with my message”. That’s the words I’d like us to choose for now, the verbal, the content of this particular message. We all find that important (do we not?) to have others receive our message as well. Yet to start off, I’d like for us to do it all wrong. Everything you possibly can do wrong to get it out of your system right now. I have a method underneath this madness, I promise you.

For now imagine someone you wanted to impress, someone you wanted to reach in some audience, someone who you know if you try real hard (or perhaps in the past this had happened to you), perhaps then your life would be different, your career would be different, your whole direction would be on course. Yet, do it wrong. Using some of the latest technology in neuro-linguistic programming, accelerated learning and whole brain research, what we’re about to do is release that excess marble, as it were, everything unlike itself that wanted to know how to reach people.

Strain, if you can, pretend to try too hard, don’t look someone in the eye, turn away. Nobody’s going to be watching, because all will be doing it altogether. Ready? The words are “it’s easy for me to reach you with my message”. Doing it all wrong, everyone. Go ahead. Now, watch this. Take one of your hands, left or right, doesn’t matter which one and place it at the base of your spine. Good. This time instead of trying to reach someone out there as though they are more important to reach than yourself first, watch, listen, feel what happens when you send the same message like a lance spearing intention down through the center of your spine towards the center of the earth, to your own inner core. Yes, there’s no place like home — from yourself to yourself first as your worst critic and best audience. Sound down and in instead of up and out. The same words “it’s easy for me to reach you with my message”. Ready, go ahead.

To be continued….

Author: Communications Skills Coach Dr Gary Wohlman specializes in enhancing the full-bodied engagement, interactive impact and effectiveness of developing speaker’s live and recorded presentations.

Book a complimentary discovery video chat to explore ways he can assist you to bring your business to new heights and unparalleled success:

Here are his contact details:

WEBSITES:

https://drgary.club; www.mypresentationdoctor.com

EMAIL: [email protected]

Visit and Subscribe to his MASTERING PRESENTATION SKILLS YouTube channel to view and listen to Live presentation breakthroughs and performance art, to see and hear ways Dr Gary can best assist you.

“Blessed is the Influence of One True Loving Human Soul upon Another”

The Takeaway by Lewis Harrison “Ask Lewis”

I love reading, and sharing what great teachers create. Great wisdom bypasses my left brain intellect and connects that part of me that seeks meaning, love, kindness, empathy, and clarity.

I have many friends and associates, who are respected teachers. They usually share their creations with their fans and followers. I want those who know and appreciate my work to expand their horizons and explore and share the ideas of important teachers like Dr. Wohlman Here, I have gotten permission from him to repost these important writings.

I have known Gary for almost six decades. He is a powerful teacher, with a deep appreciation of “communication wisdom.”

When it states written by Lewis Harrison at the bottom of this story it refers to my Medium Portal. This specific story is by Dr. Gary Wohlman.