Best speaker Magazine Issue 2 - December 2017 | Page 13

Why is this a life-changing
skill
Thanks to powerful Internet search
engines, most people have almost
unhindered access to a vast ocean of
information. Therefore, information
or knowledge is no longer enough.
You can no longer hide behind your
qualifications or experience. If you want
the edge in your career, the skills of
speaking and persuasion are paramount.
It is no longer optional. Let’s face it.
You are judged by the content of your
conversation far more that the content
of your CV.
Take a moment to think about
what you will gain by mastering these
skills in your personal life and in your
professional life.
Warren Buffett (the world’s 2nd
richest man) used to be terrified of
speaking in front of other people. He
even skipped the public speaking
class he enrolled in, due to the fear of
speaking. Later, he would pick up this
vital skill. Now, thousands of people
travel thousands of miles to Omaha, just
to hear him speak.
Buffet was asked in an interview:
“What habits did you cultivate that you
see as the foundation of your success?”
Buffet said “You’ve got to be able to
communicate in life and it’s enormously
important. Schools, to some extent,
realized his golden opportunity. His
speech was well crafted, well delivered
and well received.
In fact, Obama’s speech was better
than John Kerry’s (the presidential
nominee). That one speech catapulted
Obama on a trajectory that took him
from the backyard of Chicago to the
front yard of the White House, to
become the 44th President of the United
States. (Ironically, John Kerry would
later end up working for Obama!)
How could Obama achieve this?
It was not his pedigree, experience or
background. It was the way he speaks
and connects with people. That one
speech in 2004 boosted his fame and
fortune. He got more invites to speak
at other conventions. Obama built his
reputation as an orator and leader with
every subsequent speech because Obama
knew the ‘make or break’ potential of
every speech.
Every time Obama gets an
opportunity to speak, he speaks with
the intention of delivering a message
that will have a lasting impact, both on
the listeners and on his own reputation.
Most people become average speakers
or even poor speakers because they do
not see this ‘make or break’ importance
of speaking up – on stage or off stage; in
the office or in the community.
skills. The fact that he could get the
number-one position in America with
zero political experience was due to
his ability to connect with words that
resonate. (I mention about the tricks
politicians use in my book Mastering
Leadership The Mousetrap Way.)
Every opportunity you get to speak
up is an opportunity to convey your
ideas, to project your expertise, and
to demonstrate your ability to lead. It
opens doors for you in ways you could
never imagine.
Why you might NEVER learn
this skill
Even if you do understand the
importance of this life-changing
skill, you may not even try to pick up
this ability because there is a certain
dependency on the degree of urgency
you might have. I have noticed that
most people take action only after
major embarrassments – they lost a rare
opportunity due to a bad presentation,
or froze when they stood in front of
an audience or lost their job! (In many
cases, it was all three.)
You will only venture to learn this
skill if you realize that
1. 99 percent of people have a fear of
public speaking
2. This is indeed a life-changing skill
that you too can master
The choice is yours to make. Of
“You can no longer hide behind your
qualifications or experience. If you want the
edge in your career, the skills of speaking and
persuasion are paramount. It is no longer
optional. Let’s face it.”
under emphasize that. If you can’t
communicate and talk to other people
and get across your ideas, you’re giving
up your potential.”
Gerald R. Ford once shared his regret.
“If I went back to college again, I would
concentrate on two areas: learning to
write and to speak before an audience.
Nothing in life is more important than
the ability to communicate effectively.”
In July 2004, Barack Obama, a
relatively unknown junior politician,
got an opportunity to speak at the
Democratic National Convention, like
so many others in the past 228 years of
American democracy. However, Obama
The fringe benefit of public
speaking
When you can speak well, most
people believe you are smarter than
you are. Little do they know that
speakers often use scientifically proven
techniques to influence listeners into
their ways of thinking. No wonder so
many successful politicians and leaders
cultivate the ability to speak.
A recent example is Donald Trump’s
election campaign. The one skill that
got him more than 62,979,000 votes was
his ability to speak. You can hate him
for his policies, behaviors or opinions,
but he has mastered several influencing
course, you can choose to remain among
the 99 percent of people, or as the lady
from my recent Public Speaking Master
Class said, “We can be among the top 1
percent in the world.”
Public speaking is a skill you can
learn if you really want to. Lack of
effective communication is among the
7 barriers that might be preventing
your career progression. If you find an
opportunity to learn this skill the right
way, from the right person, don’t wait
for the right time.
There is a cure for the fear of public
speaking. If you know the cure for death,
let me know!
BEST SPEAKER MAGAZINE 2017
13