Best speaker Magazine Issue 2 - December 2017 | Page 26

H
SPEECH IS SILVER
BUT
THEN WHAT IS
as the thought of “what could
be the most precious possession
that a speaker can have” ever
crossed your mind?
Is it beautiful words? Mind blowing
ideas and imaginations? Having
experiences or situations to relate that
nobody has ever gone through or had? In
fact, all these factors do make sure that a
speaker is well equipped to perform his
or her task. But how would you feel as a
speaker about carrying all these in your
pocket, yet not having anyone to listen
to what you have to say?
Yes, a disciplined audience of
listeners is the most precious possession
of a passionate speaker. As a speaker
you shouldn’t only be heard but also be
listened to by others. For a person to be
heard, he or she doesn’t necessarily have
to be a speaker. Hearing a person can be
accidental, involuntary and effortless.
But listening, at its best, is active,
focused & concentrated attention
for the purpose of understanding the
expressions of a speaker. Hence, a skilful
speaker makes the audience listen to
him instead of just hearing him.
As quoted from a speech by Bryant
H. McGill, “one of the most sincere
G
O
L
D ?
forms of respect is actually listening
to what another has to say”. Listening
is not merely having to sit back, barely
staying awake and letting the speaker’s
words shower on you. Listening should
be effective in all forms of grabbing the
words of the speaker, understanding
them, memorizing the important pieces,
presenting reactions for the content
when necessary and finally providing
the speaker with feedback.
It is also important to note that
listening should not be done with the
sole intention of making a reply, rather
to understand and empathize with the
speaker. By being an effective listener
you can make the speaker feel successful,
raise better questions at the speaker and
get the message of the speech clearly
delivered to your mind.
Nothing can offend a speaker more
than having to ask “Are you listening
to me?” over and over again from the
audience in the midst of his/her speech.
The least a member of the audience can
do if he or she feels like not listening to
the speaker is remaining silent so that
the other listeners aren’t disturbed.
And also listeners should refrain from
leaving the hall while a speech is being
delivered unless it is an unavoidable
reason. The speaker is on the stage to
provide the gathering with knowledge
and listeners are always expected to
behave in a way that shows respect and
gratitude towards the speaker.
Listen without being judgemental,
holding an endless curiosity in your
mind, because there might not be a good
speaker inside every listener but there
must always be a good listener inside
every speaker.
“Listening is an art that requires
attention over talent, spirit over ego,
others over self.”
Gavelier VITHARA
MANNAGE
Faculty of Commerce and
Management
COMPLIMENTS FOR BEST SPEAKER 2017
Mr. Dwayne Smith
World Champion of Public Speaking 2002
Congratulations to all the contestants in the Best Speaker 2017 Contest. You deserve a
standing ovation. The term, “Everyone is a winner” is used a lot these days and can seem
shallow. However, the real winners are the ones who embrace the lesson whether they walk
away with the top prize or not. A lesson on preparation, dedication and motivation to be
Mr. Robin Sharma
Writer and Leadership Speaker
The higher the vision, the greater the danger. When you reach for greatness, you risk failure,
laughter and heartbreak.
So why dream and then work for it?
Because it will be the best ride of your life. And even if you lose, you just can’t lose.
26 BEST SPEAKER MAGAZINE 2017