CeaRO Corporation
Public Speaking
1. Intro
An audience ... please give me an audience
Or maybe not. Maybe you belong to the silent majority who would rather be in the coffin than having to give the eulogy at the funeral. I know it is a cliche. And a gross exaggeration, no doubt. But how many of us do need a few drinks before we can give the best man's speech at a wedding? How many among us fret about having to give a presentation in the board room or a training session for the crew?
All it takes is confidence. And all it takes to deal with this fear is practice in a friendly supportive environment. Get that and the confidence will follow, automatically, and probably faster than you expect. So yes, you should think in terms of 'please give me an audience'.
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2. Where can we get help?
Well if being a good public speaker has a lot to do with having confidence, then the secret to it must be to just do it. And it is! As they say: practice makes perfect. But of course you can't, because you are afraid. So what do you need?
Basically you need two things:
a supportive audience
some simple guidelines.
You can find that at some organizations specializing in developing management. They have courses and many of the people in it will have been sent there by their bosses. We have seen some good ones, Dale Carnegie still being amongst the best, because Mr. Carnegie's principles and ideas are timeless and go way beyond just public speaking.
You can also find that at the many clubs which fall under the umbrella of Toastmasters International. In virtually every part of the civilized world you can find a Toastmasters club within your immediate vicinity. Mainly two types of clubs are found. Some are formed by the employees at a particular workplace, many of which will meet once a week at lunchtime on a working day. Others are formed by local people, who meet once a week in the evening or on Saturdays.
Toastmasters International has a web site from which you can find what clubs are available in your part of the world. You will also often find that many of these clubs have their own web site. Fees vary, but are always very reasonable, especially if you think about how much (or should I say how little) you are paying per meeting.
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3. A bit more about Toastmasters
A typical Toastmasters meeting has a defined structure. However do not let that deter you. Members go there because they want to go there. Therefore they want to enjoy themselves, which means entertaining and being entertained. It also means that a good dose of humour does never go amiss. Friendships develop, and sometimes more. Mentors help you and encourage you. Depending on the area, you may find yourself in a veritable microcosmos of all cultures, backgrounds, ages, both genders. If English is your second language, you might find that nearly everybody else has an accent too.
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4. Beyond Toastmasters
When you see the Toastmasters magazine you will notice that some Toastmasters actually make a living as public speakers. There are Speakers Bureaus in which accomplished Toastmasters can enroll to get their first steps on the speakers circuit. Some people fork out into Improv and stand up comedy. Others use previous managerial experience as a source for building a portfolio of speeches based on their past business and work experiences. Some are very accomplished in one or more areas of hobbies and use that as a source for speech material.
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