You’ve seen them before; Guaranteed safe fire methods to improve your public speaking skills. Things like “Five Steps to Podium Prowess” or “Seven Tips to Add Power to Your Audience Persona.” My favorite is “The Two-by-Four Method of Getting the Public’s Attention.”
However, the problem with many methods is that they deal with external elements. It’s a lot like putting a fresh coat of paint on an old car: It looks good, but it doesn’t add horsepower. To be a consistently effective public speaker, the speaker needs to skip the gloss. Instead, he should seek to build a reservoir of understanding and competence to draw on. In the paragraphs that follow, he’ll discover three activities that will help him develop that reservoir. He will discover that to be a powerful speaker, he needs to be a powerful person. Rather than a three-step method, it’s a lifestyle that will give you depth: a reserve, a vibrancy, to draw on as a public speaker and as a business personality in general.
rediscovered reading
Take a moment and think about the exciting days of your youth when you first started reading. If that memory is lost in the mists of time, take a moment to remember what it was like (or is) when her children or grandchildren began to read. When a child learns to read, a universe of information and entertainment opens up. There is a sense of accomplishment and confidence that normally accompanies the transition from non-reader to reader. A child’s beliefs and character are shaped to some extent by what he reads. He is able to explore, to learn, to become more than he was, simply through the process of reading. This process can continue throughout life. Unfortunately, many adults stop reading as soon as they have their diploma in hand. “Wait a minute,” you say, “most business people read all the time.” True, there are company reports to read, business correspondence to scan, relevant news from trade magazines to read – the list goes on. However, this is not the kind of reading that will fill the tank and give you the edge as a public speaker. To become an in-depth public speaker, a speaker needs to engage in what I call the “multiple path of reading.” In other words, he or she needs to read good fiction, history, current affairs, science, religion, biography, a portion of each category each day. Now, before you toss this magazine on the coffee table in disgust, let me mention that I’ll explain in a moment how even the busiest of people can build this kind of reading schedule.
To begin, we need to briefly define what constitutes a good book. With fiction, there are two questions to ask: has it stood the test of time (the classics) or does it meet the accepted criteria for good fiction (plot, characterization, grammar, etc.). If you’re not sure, read book reviews in better magazines and newspapers; discuss popular fiction with your friends or call your old college roommate who now teaches literature at state university. If you’re already an avid reader of best-selling books, dabble in fiction you’ve neglected in the past.
As for the other types of reading, make sure it is a work produced by recognized authorities. That doesn’t necessarily mean it would be a waste of time to read a book on the frontiers of science written by the CEO of an insurance company. However, until you’ve honed your critical reading skills by consuming copious amounts of each genre, it’s best to stick with the books from the experts. Also, there is no need to limit yourself to the categories listed above. The point is, don’t just read how-to books, or current events, or any other type of writing. The goal is to read several types of books at the same time and expand beyond the familiar.
The way of reading is also important. It’s not important that you move your lips while reading silently; she lets Miss Applewood, your fourth grade teacher, worry about it. It is important that you commit to the text. Develop the habit of taking notes in the margin as you argue, agree, and anticipate the author. Learn how to create your own index on the blank pages at the end of the book. These activities are useful even with fiction, as you correct grammar, take note of unclear sections, and index passages you may want to cite in the future. Mortimer Adler’s classic How to Read a Book should be at the top of your list if this approach to reading is unfamiliar to you.
Now where will you find the time to read? Five or six books at a time, no less! The demands of work, family, volunteering, and social activities leave many of us with very little free time. However, is that true? Recent studies tell us that the average American spends 28 hours a week in front of the television. Maybe you could spend some time there. How about that time you spend on the bus going to and from work? Take note of the time available in the evening after the kids have gone to bed and you and your spouse are relaxing. The truth is that we make time for those things that are important to us. Is it important to you to become a deeper presence and a better public speaker? If so, you will find time to read at least a small selection of several books each day.
As your reading regimen becomes a habit (lifestyle), you will find that you are building a reservoir of knowledge and “experience” to draw on as a public speaker. It was James C. Humes who wrote that a “… speech or talk should be the oral projection of his personality, experiences and ideas” (The Sir Winston Method). His presentations will be fuller and richer as he draws illustrations from the world of science, history, or religion. This wealth will also begin to show in his commercial and personal relationships.
Eloquence through writing.
One of the best ways to learn to express yourself clearly is to write. I always recommend that the novice speaker write and rewrite the entire speech for him until he is satisfied with it and then edit it again. That does not mean that he or she will stand in front of his audience and simply read the speech. It is best to get on the podium with a short summary or no note at all. However, the activity of writing forces you to think about your material and allows you to craft the best possible script for the occasion.
In addition to writing their speeches, a speaker must develop the habit of writing as a weekly or even daily exercise. Unlike your business reading, your business writing can qualify as one of the three “R’s” of public speaking, as long as it doesn’t consist primarily of sticky notes to yourself or your secretary. Even if your work-related writing is quite broad, you should augment it with additional writing exercises.
Adding regular writing to your schedule doesn’t mean you have to start the next great American novel tomorrow after work. Your writing does not need to be long at all. Start taking the time to write love letters to your spouse or partner. Instead of always calling, write to that family member or friend on the other side of the country. Keep a personal journal and fill it with the day’s events, original poetry, or short “edi’s.” Try your hand at short story fiction. Volunteer to write for your company or Church newsletter. In every writing endeavor, strive to create a piece that is neat, intelligent, and enjoyable. Draw on your reading and life experience to infuse your writing with vigor and depth. As you gain experience, you’ll begin to expand your working vocabulary and powers of description (even love letters will benefit). You will find that as you establish a writing style, your public speaking style will also begin to gel.
You might be thinking, “That’s great, but I can barely put two words together, let alone write a coherent paragraph.” Well fear not, there are hundreds of books available outlining the basics of writing. A couple of manuals you might want to pick up at the used bookstore are H. Ramsey Fowler’s The Little, Brown Handbook (a basic college text) and Karen Elizabeth’s The Well-Tempered Sentence. A good book on how to write fiction is How to Write a Great Story by Othello Bach (writing fiction helps the speaker learn to allow another person to “see” and “feel” his subject, whether he dreams of being published or not). . You will also find that “multiple reading paths” will improve your writing.
Recitation as a way of life
Obviously, a public speaker must practice their speech several times before the due date. Also, anyone who wants to be a competent speaker should get involved with a local Toastmasters or some other association that allows frequent public speaking opportunities. However, lifestyle recitation means that a person seeks occasions to speak to people from a prepared text in situations other than behind a podium.
Most of us waste these stress-free “public speaking” opportunities every day. For example, how often do you read aloud to your spouse or partner? If you have children, do you take the time to read aloud to them? Don’t be fooled, these situations give you the chance to hone your articulation and delivery. If your spouse doesn’t have time to listen to your reading (or interest), or if you don’t have children or grandchildren, consider volunteering at your local library as a reader at children’s story time. When you read aloud (especially with children’s stories), give it life and energy. Take care to pronounce each word accurately and clearly. Reading aloud to an “audience” is wonderful practice in articulation, enunciation, and lively presentation, and a lot of fun to boot.
Another avenue open to those hoping to embrace recitation as part of their lifestyle is voluntary teaching. Check the opportunities at your place of worship. Most likely, there is a great need for children’s teachers. Your child’s school may need the help of volunteer teachers in the classroom, especially in the younger age groups. Any of the volunteer activities gives you the opportunity to exercise your speaking skills while planting something of value in your community.
If you do get involved in a volunteer teaching position, be sure to adjust your reading list to complement your class presentations. For example, if you are teaching from the Old Testament at your place of worship, add a text about ancient Hebrew culture to your reading schedule. The task of digesting information so that it is interesting to children will force you to fully understand the material. This ability to simplify and clarify complex information and concepts is invaluable to the public speaker.
Conclusion
Improving life experience is one way of understanding the three “R’s” of public speaking. Certainly, your speaking skills will not be the only thing that will improve with these disciplines. You will be better informed; better able to express himself; and better able to provide your listeners with an enjoyable experience, as a conversationalist or public speaker. Will this happen overnight? Of course not: but over time, the three “R’s” will work your transformation. Instead of new paint, you’ll be overhauling the engine. Performance will improve dramatically. Guaranteed.