| April 2012 - Email Newsletter |
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Hello ,
The Boston Marathon is the oldest annual marathon and one of the most prestigious road races in the world. If you qualified to run this April 16th, chances are you've been doing a lot of jogging in preparation for the 26.22 mile jaunt. Any marathon runner knows that long distance running is a skill that requires training in order to be successful.
The same can be said of public speaking: it is an acquirable skill, and like most skills, it is necessary to practice and train in order to reach your full potential.
Your current speaking ability has nothing to do with a lack of talent, it simply means that you are under trained.
It is said that public speaking is the second greatest fear after death. So, it comes as no surprise that the mere thought of speaking in public can cause widespread panic. What is shocking, however, is that many people undertake it with little to no coaching or guidance. You wouldn't attempt to run a marathon without investing in basic equipment and following a training schedule...the same should be applied to public speaking. Most successful speakers have had many hours of training and coaching.
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What's New?
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|  Innate Talent vs. Practice
The good news is that if you want to become an expert in business, basketball or in public speaking - you can. It's not innate genius or raw talent that makes you a success, it's the hours you invest in practicing your craft. It's more about deliberate practice, focus, and concentration than anything else. Sometimes, it helps to have a teacher, mentor or coach who can make you aware of your performance and provide insight and expertise on how to correct, adapt and improve.
What's the secret to the Beatles' success....
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Keep it Short and Sweet
Tightening your talk and delivering it within an allotted time is a vital speaking skill. When a presenter runs over the permitted time, it shows a lack of respect for the audience. Long rambling presentations very rarely impress, instead they can actually irritate an audience. Talking excessively does not increase the probability of an audience understanding or agreeing with what you say. Winston Churchill once said that a good speech should be like a woman's skirt: long enough to cover the subject and short enough to create interest.
Interested in learning more...
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A Good Speaker vs. A Great Speaker
If you think speaking to a group of your colleagues is challenging, try communicating with teenagers. I recently attended a talk given by Dr. Wendy Mogel, nationally known clinical psychologist, public speaker and author of New York Times best-selling parenting book The Blessings of a B Minus. The presentation wasn't good, it was great. Dr. Mogel oozed confidence and knowledge and while I didn't want her talk to end, I was inspired to get home and try to navigate the rough waters of raising a teenager using some of her teachings.
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