Best speaker Magazine Issue 2 - December 2017 | Page 65

through the days until the Semifinals.
Little did I know that we had to deliver our
speeches in front of the other contestants
and that a contestant could deliver
the same speech while I had prepared
with a fresh brew. The speakers before
me mesmerized me to an extent that I
forgot my own speech. Until then, public
speaking to me had been about standing
in front of an audience and saying what
you want to say. But after witnessing the
other contestants I learnt it was more than
that. A speech comprised of well thought-
out combination of words, gestures, varied
tones and stage movement. Needless to
say, I failed miserably at
the Semifinals. I failed
to an extent where I
promised myself not to
try this out ever again. I
hit an all-time low.
Time
passe d
by and although I
promised myself not to
compete again, I kept
on learning the art
of public speaking. I
followed good speakers,
severely invested my
time on TED Talks,
and wasted countless
hours on YouTube
watching videos on
body language and
techniques of public
speaking. Mid July
2014, I saw a post
on Facebook which
said, “Intra University
Best Speaker 2014 –
Coming Soon”. Even
though I had no plans
of participating, I was
excited and had my own story to tell.
When the registrations opened, I couldn’t
resist. I broke my promise and applied.
This time I wasn’t forced. I voluntarily
applied and wanted people to know my
story. That was when I first ‘Stepped Out’
like I harped on throughout my speech
that year.
Life changed dramatically after the
competition. Opportunities came galore
and I embraced them all. From being a
Unilever Student Ambassador to winning
the Lipton Talent Hunt to winning the
MAS award for the most outstanding
student, the incentive for all of this came
from that one step I took; that one step
towards change.
Having bored you with my past, it is
needless for me to tell you how important
the skill of public speaking is. The ability
to communicate effectively will give you
a head start over others in the corporate
race. Keep aside success in your career,
the ability to communicate effectively is a
“The ability to communicate
effectively will give you a head
start over others in the corporate
race.”
vital component of being a leader and it is
something that will make people gravitate
towards you.
When my friends ask me what the most
important thing to keep in mind when it
comes to public speaking is, my answer
has always been just two words. Show up!
For example, it could be overwhelming to
“If one could filter out
negative thoughts, gather
courage and show up,
words will continue to
flow.”
gather up the courage to walk along the
aisle up to the stage or it could be a simple
act like delivering a speech in front of
your very own colleagues. But if you take
up the challenge and show up, you have
done something that many people around
the world dread.
Why do people fear public speaking?
We humans intrinsically fear failure.
When we are summoned to deliver a
speech, there is a natural tendency to
think about everything that could go
wrong instead of how it could go right.
This intrinsic behavior holds back many
people who are adept at the language
from becoming amazing speakers. If one
could filter out negative thoughts, gather
courage and show up, words will continue
to flow.
But what are these, gestures, voice
modulations and movements that many
people talk on and on about? These are
the characteristics that differentiate a
good speaker from the rest. Once you
have overcome your
fear or cast-out the
thoughts that hold you
back, it is of prime
importance that you
inculcate
gestures
and intonations with
your words. Also it
is important that you
learn the art of using
the stage or the space
given. These finer
details will make you
stand out from the
rest and will make
you an effective public
speaker. It is said that,
in an effective speech,
words contribute only
30% and the rest is
through body language,
voice modulation and
the use of stage. So it
is unsurprising that
all public speaking
workshops or tutorials
you
come
across
emphasize
on
the
importance of these aspects.
You can follow good speakers, watch
TED Talks and attend workshops to learn
the principles of public speaking but there
is only one way to master it. Practice,
Practice and Practice! The more you
speak, the more confident and eloquent
you become. So take up all opportunities
that come your way. It could be something
difficult as delivering a speech at a
conference with a large audience or as
simple as delivering a thanking note to a
guest speaker. Whatever it is, be the first
to grab the opportunity. Until you show
up, you will never know what you are
capable of and once you show up, you will
never stop! I never knew until I showed
up and now, I will never ever stop!
STEP OUT, SHOW UP, PRACTICE
and PERSEVERE, and let us meet on the
same stage one day in future!
BEST SPEAKER MAGAZINE 2017
65