By Eric Feng

© 2009 All Rights Reserved. Take The Stage Now! www.TakingTheStageNow.com

About The Author

ERIC FENG, ACC, ATM-S

Associate Certified Coach, ICF
Business Week Top 25 Young Entrepreneurs of Asia
Division Champion for International Speech Contest 2006 & 2007

Eric's trademark style of speaking has won him raving reviews across all audiences –
a generous dose of humor and a deeply ingrained message that never fails to inspire.

As a celebrated Toastmaster in Singapore, Eric has won numerous national level

speech competitions. In 2005, he won the championship title for the Division Level
Humorous Contest in Philadelphia, United States. Two years later, he clinched the
First Place Trophy for the International Speech Contest at Division Level. As
acknowledgement for his speaking achievements, The Straits Times featured him as
one of the top 25 alternate achievers of 2006. His success and achievements are also
regularly featured in regional media like Channel News Asia, Business Week,
Business Times, Lianhe Zaobao, News Radio 93.8 and many more.

On top of his speaking and training engagements, Eric loves to write (and be written
about). He has currently four books under his belt, including the most recent one “The
FAQ Book on Public Speaking” which is a collaborative work between local celebrity
Irene Ang and Asia’s Master Coach Kelvin Lim.

Eric’s dream is to become the Speaker For The Living – to travel around the world
and impact people’s lives through his words and experiences. He believes that if
everyday he can touch one person’s life, be it through his words or action, he knows
that he has done his part for humanity.

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 SPEAKING
………………………………… SECRET #1
Evaluate All Speakers,
……………………….
Simon Cowell Style!
One of the fastest (and fun!) way you can grow as a speaker is to be an
active audience. Evaluate ALL speakers that come your way, Simon
Cowell style! This is how you can have a clearer understanding of what
separates a mediocre speaker from a good speaker, and a great speaker
from a phenomenal speaker. Remember this: No matter how good or bad
the speaker is, there is always something valuable to learn. This is so
important that I am going to repeat it.

No matter how good or bad the speaker is, there is always something
valuable to learn.

Remember all the positive things that the speaker does and try it for size.
See if it works for you.

Remember all the negative things that the speaker does and avoid it at all
costs. Sometimes, you may want to ask yourself how you can modify and
make it effective.

All of us - at some degree - evaluate speakers. We hear them all the time:
"This guy is awesome!" or "Look at how he charmed the audience..." or
"Gosh, he should not have crack this joke." etc. However these
evaluations are not thorough enough to offer much teaching value. They
are merely observations. In order for us to learn to be better speakers, we
have to probe deeper.

Question your reactions to the speakers. What the speaker do/not do to

make us think he is awesome? How did the speaker charm you? Why do
you think the joke was inappropriate? By asking these questions, you will
then have a deeper understanding of the speaker's motives and also
objectively evaluate (as the audience) if their techniques are effective.

I have an extremely simple way to evaluate any speaker - Use the 5W and
H. Pay full attention to the speaker and his delivery.

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And then ask yourself the following questions:

[WHAT]
What did the speaker do that you like/dislike? What are the speakers'
strengths and weaknesses? What are the speaker's strategies? What causes
the speaker to be successful (or not)?

[HOW]
How did these strengths/weaknesses manifest itself in the delivery? How
effective are the speakers' strategies? How can the speaker improve? How
can the speaker better himself?

[WHY]
Why did this aspect of the speech puts you off/appeals to you? Why do
you think the speaker select this approach/style/topic?

[WHO]
Who is his target audience? Who will benefit from the speaker's
speech/style?

[WHEN]
When was the last time you have heard a similar speech?

[WHERE]
Where in the speech did the speaker create the most impact? Where in the
speech were you lost/mesmerized?

Notice all the 5W and 1H can help you generate a whole list of questions?
However there is no way you can have answers for all these questions by
listening to the speech once (unless you have a photographic memory).
What you can do though is to record the speech so that we can re-listen to
it and uncover more learning points. Having said that I would recommend
that you start with three questions:

1. What did the speaker did well or badly?

2. How can I apply the good points into my speech?
3. How can I avoid making the same mistakes that speaker made?

Simpler?

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As you proceed on, you will find yourself automatically looking for our
strengths and weaknesses in the speaker. When you become more
comfortable, you can delve deeper and begin dissecting the speech.

You will find yourself welcoming ALL speakers even the extremely
boring ones coz there will always be something to learn! You will find
your growth as a speaker accelerating. You avoid mistakes committed by
others. You get to experiment stuff that works. You have more chance to
make new mistakes which means more room for growth! Too good to be
true right?

Believe it!

And more importantly, start doing it. Speakers are everywhere. They can
be your daily reporter, lecturer, classmate, supervisor, door salesman,
telemarketer etc. The world is your classroom!

Oh and one more thing, remember to jot down your evaluations on a

piece of paper. You may want to start a journal or even a blog. Whatever
it is, write them down so that you can refer to them in future when you
prepare your next speech. Come to think of it, we should have some kind
of Speakers' Idol! :)

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 SPEAKING
………………………………… SECRET #2
Attract Mentors To
……………………….
Assist You
Nothing new really. Quite frankly, this is a universal advice that you hear
everyone giving yet I do not see many people embracing it. But if you are
looking at becoming a phenomenal speaker in the shortest amount of
time, then mentors are indispensable. Let me first answer a couple of
questions that you may have about these group of miracle workers called
Mentors.

What Is A Mentor?

I see a mentor as an individual whom I am inspired by and has a lot to

teach because of his or her wealth of experience. And there are a lot out
there with the potential to be your mentor BUT… not all of them will be
willing which makes them unsuitable.

So the challenge is to find someone whom you are comfortable with (and
even inspired by), with a whole lot of experience and is willing to teach
you. Now that's tough but not impossible.

Why Are Mentors Important?

A mentor helps you avoid the mistakes that he or she has made in the
past.
A mentor shares with you his knowledge and wisdom so that you can be
successful.
A mentor acts as your mirror, showing you things that you are blind to or
refuse to see.
A mentor becomes your lighthouse when you are at your lowest.
A mentor brings out the best in you by giving you space to grow.
A mentor believes in you and constantly pushes you past your limits.
A mentor never does the work for you but he runs alongside you.
A mentor knows when to get out of your way so that you can soar.

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When you have a mentor that does all of the above, there is absolutely no
way you can fail!

Over the past two years, I have found several mentors who have helped
me a great deal. Some stayed with me for a while and then left as they
believed I have learnt all that I can from them. Some continued staying
with me, guiding me and pushing me past my limits. All of them have not
only taught me how to become a competent speaker but also how to live a
fulfilled life. They inspired me to find my calling and help others with my
strengths. I would not have been where I am if not for them. And for that,
I am deeply grateful.

So How Do You "Find" A Mentor?

"When the student is ready, the teacher will appear" - Anonymous

If you have realized by now, you do not have to go out and seek mentors.
They will find you when you are ready. Let me explain.

I once asked my mentors why they were willing to mentor me but they
could not really give me a definite answer. Come to think of it, it just
happens naturally. Say Terence for example. I met him at one of his
public speaking seminars. He was extremely passionate about public
speaking (and still is). He inspired me so much that I just kept getting in
touch with him. I would come up with a whole list of questions and he
will patiently answer them. I will go out and try them for size and give
him feedback. We then repeat the process. And then we start meeting up
more often. He started sharing with me more stuff. And without me
realizing it, Terence became my mentor! The same goes with the rest of
my mentors. I showed up. I asked. They answered. I gave them feedback.
And we start all over again.

So if you ask me, it all starts with first being passionate and determined in
improving your speaking skills. Because when you are focused in getting
better at what you do, you automatically attract people to help you. And
the best part, they WANT to make you successful because of your desire.
And remember, when these people come your way, do everything that
you can to keep them by your side. Don't take them for granted!

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I will like to leave you with a line in Paulo Coelho's bestseller - The
Alchemist. You will find it very apt in the context of finding mentors.

"If you want something badly enough, the entire universe will conspire
to give you what you want!"

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 SPEAKING SECRET
………………………………… #3
Be Coachable
……………………….
To start off, I will like to quote 1999 World Champion Speaker, Craig
Valentine:

"Many people are looking for validation, not education."

How true isn't it? There was once this guy came up to me to ask for
comments on his speech. In response, I complimented him and also
pointed out a part of his speech that he could improve on. And boy was I
in for a shock. All of a sudden, he became defensive and started justifying
his actions for the next 15 minutes. Apparently I heard him wrong. He
wanted me to compliment him and tell him what he wants to hear. He
doesn't want any tips on how he can improve. If I would have realized it,
I could have avoided the embarrassment.

So how open are you to other people's comments and advice? How
coachable are you?

You may get the best mentor in the world who has the most incisive
insights but if you are not willing to listen and try it for size, there is no
way you will ever improve. The most dangerous thing that can happen to
a speaker is when he or she becomes complacent. You will find them
sitting on their laurels, building false sense of security from their past
successes. They stop asking for help. They stop trying new things. They
stop becoming hungry and thirsty for new opportunities to grow. And
soon, they stop becoming as good as they used to be... and they wonder
why...

When you are not coachable, you essentially shortchanged yourself. You
shut doors of opportunities to become a phenomenal speaker. And worse,
you run the risk of becoming a mediocre speaker. Is that what you want?

Instead, I encourage every one of you to be a sponge! Soak up everything

that you can from everyone around you. Remember the first speaking
secret I shared with you? Start evaluating any speaker that comes your
way.

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See how you can incorporate the good stuff into your speech and avoid
all the bad stuff.

Be willing to question the old way of doing things. Each time someone
comes up to you to offer his or her suggestions, listen really hard because
he or she has just given you a golden opportunity to be better at your
craft. If you find yourself resisting, drop it and listen. Take notes if you
want. And spend time thinking through their suggestions. See how you
can apply them. If it works, keep it. If it doesn't, chuck it aside. And no
matter what you do, keep moving forward!

The next time you think you have hit your peak; stretch yourself and you
will find yourself reaching out for a higher peak!

© 2009 All Rights Reserved. Take The Stage Now! www.TakingTheStageNow.com

 SPEAKING
…………………………………SECRET #4
Speak From The Heart
……………………….
Over the two years, I have seen and heard my fair share of speeches that
fell between the spectrum of "Spectacular" and "Horrendous".
Interestingly, it is not the most spectacular or most horrendous speeches
that leave me the deepest impression. It is the speech that is given from
the heart that made the most impact. In my opinion, when you give a
speech that comes from your heart - a message that you care deeply about
- you have already won the audience over!

In the past two days I have witnessed two speeches that were of "heart"
quality. One of them was a speech given by Jennifer in Panorama
Toastmasters. Her speech was titled "Inspiring by Example". It was a
very simple message yet at the end of the meeting, her speech was the
most talked about. I believe it was because she spoke from the heart.
Right from the start of the speech, we were drawn into the life of
grandma Florence, a lady whom she loved and respected a great deal. Her
speech was spiced up with interesting anecdotes of her encounters with
Grandma Florence. For that seven minutes, we felt as if Grandma
Florence was right here with us...

Then there was Dr Chris Pak. He was one of the panelists for last night's
entrepreneurial event - The Making of an Entrepreneur 2. He wasn't the
most articulate or charismatic speaker in the panel. But I will never forget
his message. Never ever give up! It was with conviction and fervor that
he delivered the message. He meant every word he said, with every fiber
in his body and every chord of tenderness in his heart...

Jennifer and Chris are two ordinary speakers who have spoke with
extraordinary passion and sincerity. These are the kind of speakers that
will always leave an impression. The next time you give a speech, talk
about something that you are passionate about or share with your
audience some personal stories that have inspired you. You don't have to
have the coolest passion or be the greatest storyteller. As long as you
speak from your heart, your audience will be with you all the way!

© 2009 All Rights Reserved. Take The Stage Now! www.TakingTheStageNow.com

 SPEAKING
…………………………………SECRET #5
Lots And Lots Of
……………………….
Stage Time
Ok let's be honest. There is no way you can improve your public speaking
skills unless you get out there to speak! Just like swimming, you will
never be able to master it just by reading a book. Granted that the book
may offer you a comprehensive guide to 101 swimming techniques or
over 200 dos and don'ts of swimming, but you will never master
swimming until your feet touches water. Ask any experts and coaches,
they will tell you the same thing. You got to get your hands dirty before
you learn anything. This applies to any skills you want to pick up too.

Stage time does not necessarily refer to hour-long speeches. It could be as

short as a three min speech. In this case, frequency is much more
important that the quantity of time you have to speak. I will encourage
you to be creative when it comes to securing stage time for yourself.
Joining the Toastmasters is one way since you will have a chance to
speak at least twice a month. You can also look for other speaking
opportunities - however short - in your school, workplace or even in your
private organization. It can come in form of hosting for a dinner/meeting
or conduct business presentations to your clients.

In this entry, I will share with you two ways you can maximize your stage
time.

1. Change Your Mindset

A lot of us complain about giving speeches for many reasons. I used to be

one of them. In the past, giving a speech means grueling hours of work
because of my perfectionist attitude. I want to come up with a perfect
speech, one that will wow my audience's pants away. And since I am not
at the peak of my craft, it was excruciatingly frustrating to come up with
a "perfect" speech.

However during a conversation with my mentor, I came to realize that my

perfectionist attitude could jeopardize my growth.

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I decided to take a step back and reevaluate my mindset towards
preparing and giving speeches. Instead of coming up with a perfect
speech, I aim to improve at every speech that I give i.e. to be better than
my previous speech. This change in mindset reduced the undue pressure I
have on myself and gave me space to grow. The change in me was
dramatic. I found myself grabbing at any opportunity to speak and the
process of preparing a speech become much more fun. I was more
interested in the process of coming up with a speech, rather than the
speech itself. And naturally, I got better.

So before you proceed on, I want you to first step back and reexamine
your mindset towards giving a speech. If it is preventing you from
moving forward, I urge you to change your mindset, one that will
motivate you to get better at your craft. Because without a positive and
constructive mindset, no amount of stage time (and self help) is going to
help you!

2. Set Goals

Great! So you have change your mindset and you are all motivated to
speak. Now what?

You got to set goals. Let's recap. Your intention is to be a better speaker
correct? In other words, you want to get from X to Y. You have found
motivation to get to Y. But if you have not figure out where Y is, no
amount of motivation will get you there! Make sense? That's why you
have to set goals, particularly S.M.A.R.T goals! Specific, Measurable,
Attainable, Realistic and Timely. In the case of giving a speech, you want
to narrow down two or three areas that you want to improve on.
Sometimes it could just be one area based on the feedback that you have
gathered previously.

Specific:
Say you gave a speech last month and you have gotten some feedback.
One particular area was in the organization of your speech. In your next
speech, you may want to focus on giving a speech that is more organized.
Or someone commented that you moved too much (thus causing
distractions). Hence you may want to work on body gestures in your next
speech. The point is you will decide what goals to set!
However, you need to ensure that you are not overwhelmed with your
goals. There is no way you can improve on everything within a short

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period of time. Hence the best strategy is to see which area is the most
important to you and then work on that particular area.

Measurable:
Make sure that your goals are measurable else it is impossible to
objectively evaluate if you have improved or not. And that can be very
demoralizing. The best way to measure the change is to ask your
audience! They are your best judges. For example you are working on
improving the organizational structure of your speech. Go back to the
person who has commented about your speech organization. Ask if he or
she has seen any improvement. And if so, how did it manifest? If it
works, good for you. Move on to the next goal. If not, try another
approach and then ask for feedback again.

You can also measure your performance using other variables such as
timing, preparation time, confidence level or even trophies that you won.
But here is the bottom-line: set goals that can be measured. If they aren't,
I suspect your goals are specific enough. If that's the case, redefine your
goal. Make sure it is specific.

Attainable and Realistic

I will put these two requirements today. One of the main reasons why
goals don't work is because we set extremely unrealistic goals. Some may
argue that we should remain optimistic but you got to be honest with
yourself too. If your goal is to win the International Speech Contest and
you have yet to make a single speech, I would encourage you to pick a
more attainable goal, like giving five speeches in the next three months.

Creating attainable goals are critical if you want to be successful. Give

yourself the opportunity to create small wins because they fuel your
confidence and generate momentum for you to create bigger wins!
Imagine what it does to your ego and morale when you set goals that are
hardly reachable. You will give up almost immediately when your air of
optimism dissipates into the thin air. And trust me, it will!

So start small. Take a look at your present state and then plan the goals
with respect to that. Every small step counts if it takes you to your
destination!

Timely
When will you accomplish your goal? Within the next week, next month,
next year, eternity???!!! You know what I mean. We are creatures of

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procrastination. Having specific, measurable, attainable and realistic
goals doesn't amount to anything unless you create a time frame to
achieve your goal. In my opinion, if you want to see significant
improvement in your speaking skills, you got to speak at the very least
twice a month. In fact I will suggest that you speak at least once a week if
you are really determined to improve!

So... have you set S.M.A.R.T goals for your upcoming speech? If no, get
moving!

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 SPEAKING SECRET
………………………………… #6
Inside Out
……………………….
The sixth secret I want to share with you is both the easiest and hardest to
implement. Easiest because you do not have to do any work. Hardest
because it works in the subtle. In Fred Gratzon's book “The Lazy Way to
Success", he describes human's subtlest layer as consciousness, the basis
of all human experience and expression. It is also at this level, where we
can harness great power. Without going into the abstract, I shall explain
how you can harness such power to become a phenomenal speaker!

The premise of this entry lies here - "Who You Are Speaks Louder than
What You Can Say"

To get started, I want you to ask yourself this question: When you get up
to speak, who are you being?

A rockstar that everyone is dying to listen to or a screw-up that everyone

jeers at? A charismatic leader with an important message or a nobody
trying to be a charismatic leader with an important message? A passionate
speaker with something valuable to share or an apprehensive speaker who
can't wait to get off the stage?

When you are up on stage, are you speaking in the position of clarity and
power or in fear and trepidation? What's your background conversation?
If it is "Oh no, I am going to screw it up..." then yes, you WILL screw up.
However, if it is "I've got something important to say so listen carefully",
then every part of you will command the listening of your audience.

Whether you like it or not, your thoughts manifest your actions. It works
inside-out. If you get the beingness (or essence) right, the doing (what
you actually have to do to achieve the desired outcome) will follow.
Otherwise, no amount of doing will make a difference. Let me share with
you a personal experience.

My first experience of pubic speaking started when I was in high school.

I took part in a Science Speech Contest and won First Place. Ironically, it

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was my quick success that led me to avoid public speaking for a good
five years. As the champion speaker, I was invited to speak in front of the
entire school, which was approximately 1600 students!!! That was a
HUUUUUGGGGEEEEEE crowd compared to 40 people - who
happened to my friends too - during the contest itself.

As you have guessed it, I flopped big time. I forgot almost my entire
speech, together with my name. I stuttered through whatever lines that I
could remember, which ended up incohesive most of the time. The
audience was left in amazement at how I actually won the contest. For the
next few years, I never quite succeed in public speaking, no matter how
much work I put in.

I later realized that I have been speaking in the shadows of my failure.

Each time I speak, I was speaking in the shoes of the high school "me"
who screwed up big time. As you can imagine, I never quite got over it.

My realization later became a moment of liberation for me as I

consciously recreated a new being to take on. Instead of being the high
school "me", I took on being Wayaki, a charismatic leader in my
literature text – “The River Between”. Every speech I gave became a
manifestation of Wayaki. It was then I started to see improvements in my
speeches.

The main point of this entry is this: WHO YOU ARE SPEAKS
LOUDER THAN WHAT YOU SAY!!!

The next time you give a speech, I want you to try this for size. You got
to have vivid imagination for this exercise to work. And it comes with
practice so keep trying!

First, pick a speaker. He or she could be someone whom you respect or

admire a lot. Visualize everything about the speaker in your head. The
looks. The expressions. The body gestures. The voice. The words. The
energy. Everything. And then picture yourself becoming that speaker as
you give your speech. You can also play around by combining traits of
various speakers. As you gain more experience speaking, you will find
yourself creating your own speaking style. And when that happens,
EMBRACE IT!

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 SPEAKING SECRET #7
…………………………………
Set Yourself Up To Succeed
……………………….
Fearing public speaking is normal. Most people do. And there is
absolutely no doubt that this fear of ours is huuuuggggggeeeee, even
astronomical and very real. But how do we handle it? We work really
hard to fight it. We read tons of books, e-books and blogs on how to
FIGHT our fear. We pay eye-popping, jaw-dropping and gut-wrenching
sum of hard-earned money (pun intended!), attempting to ELIMINATE
our fear. And sadly for most of us, it all amounts to nothing in the end.

Today I will like to propose that you take The Alternate Path. This path
doesn’t even require you to fight the fear because it is too much of a
hassle and hard work. Instead, take time to find the right angle to tackle
the problem. With regards to public speaking, the right angle in my
opinion refers to ways you can be successful right from the beginning.
Here are some ways that worked extremely well for me.

1. Find A Group Of Audience That Loves You From The Start.

You can never go wrong by starting to speak in front of a group that

wants you to succeed. And this group could be as small as just your little
puppy or your beloved wife or even your buddies from the army! I would
also strongly recommend you to join the Toastmasters! It is an
organization that was set up with the sole goal of making you and me
successful in public speaking. And from my experience, they have one of
the best communities of people you can ever be with.

2. Start By Taking Small Steps

Yes. Stop trying to speak like Abraham Lincoln or Winston Churchill.

There is a reason why they are legendary. Instead pick someone your own
caliber first. Say your school lecturer or your CEO! If you can be half as
boring as him or her at your first speech, consider that a big success. Go
out and celebrate! Always give yourself a chance to win, no matter how
small the win is. It is much easier to move forward that way. And in no
time, you will find yourself joining the ranks of highly competent
speakers!

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3. Start By Focusing On Your Strengths.

I have mentioned this one before in my earlier post. Every speaker is

unique. Take time to discover your strengths. Focus on them. Say you are
extremely energetic on

stage. Explore how you can leverage that energy on stage. If your friends
think you are funny and not lame (that’s a world of difference!), start
studying how you can be funnier. It is painless if you focus on your
strengths. You will also start noticing yourself improve much faster. And
the praises you received from your friends will

only accelerate your growth as a speaker.

As Fred Gratzon indicated in this book:

“The right angle … is always in the direction of greater ease and

effortlessness.” Note: you are NOT avoiding the job of becoming a
successful speaker. You are merely avoiding the hard work of becoming
one. So if you are sick and tired of working so hard with little results,
take on The Alternate Path. Set yourself up for success!!!

© 2009 All Rights Reserved. Take The Stage Now! www.TakingTheStageNow.com

 SPEAKING
…………………………………SECRET #8
Have Loads Of Fun!
……………………….
Have you ever consider public speaking to be fun? An activity to indulge
in for de-stressing purposes? Something that you can play around with
and reap boundless of joy and happiness?

For most people... hardly! If you recall, public speaking has been ranked
as the number one fear, surpassing the fear of death! Who would even
associate public speaking with fun??!! However for those who do, they
cannot help but be a master at their craft, all thanks to their "play"
attitude.

Think about it. If you like a particular activity so much, doing it

excessively will not be considered hard work at all right? In fact, you will
find every single opportunity to get back to the activity; without any
coercion, persuasion or effort! You will be so involved in what you are
doing that nothing else around you matters at all. It is as if time went on a
standstill...

Unless you enjoy what you are doing, you will never be able to fully
maximize your potential. At best, you will just be a good speaker because
of all the hard work that you have put in. Imagine if you add the element
of fun in it, there is no limit to how good you can be!

So what has fun got to do with being successful in public speaking (or in
anything for that matter)?

1. Fun Is The Best Cure Against Your Arch Nemesis: Fear

It is like a shiny amour that deflects any worries, doubts and

apprehension that you may have. It blesses you with courage to step out
of your comfort zone and try new things. It grants you freedom to be
creative. It bestows you with immunity against failure.

It gives you permission to laugh at yourself. When fun is in the picture,

nothing will be too daunting for you.

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2. Fun Sustains You

When you are having fun, you have essentially open up boundless of pure
energy that pushes you towards success. There is no work involved when
it comes to honing your public speaking skills. It is part of the fun! Any
challenges you faced become part of the game. Instead of mulling over
how tough it is, you find yourself inventing new ways to defeat these
challenges. In fact, the harder the better. Some people call that optimism.
To you, it is all part of the game!

3. Fun Brings Out The Best In You

Having fun also allows you to walk the path of least resistance. As such
your energies are spent exploring new ground and discovering new things
about yourself. You do not care if you succeed or fail. It releases you
from the pressure of having to win. What you are more concerned about
is that you are enjoying every part of it. As long as you are moving
forward with each step that you take, nothing else matters.

Ironically, such attitude creates the most results. Take a look at Dr

Richard Feynman. He won a Nobel prize out of calculating the
relationship between the wobble and the rotation of the plate for fun. His
"play" attitude led him to stumble onto quantum electrodynamics! And
then there was Einstein, Newton and all other famous scientists.

The same happens when you are on stage too! When you are having fun
on stage, it creates instant connection with your audience. Fun is
infectious and your audience cannot help but have fun too.

Here's one way you can start having fun with public speaking - Treat It
Like A Game!

Here's what I want you to do for your next speech. Set up some winning
criteria i.e. what do you need to do to "win the game". It could come in
the form of "My audience will give me a smiley face sticker at the end of
my speech" or "I will try something new each time I speak". Pull in a few
friends to play the game with you. They could either compete with you or
even play judges. And what's a game without rewards?

© 2009 All Rights Reserved. Take The Stage Now! www.TakingTheStageNow.com

Make sure you plan some enticing rewards for yourself. Invite your
friends to pool in some of the prizes too! Increase the stake. And then
focus on winning the game! What's there to lose?

Notice the adrenalin rush?

Notice the excitement building up?
Notice that you aren't even concerned about your fears?

That's what I am talking about. Treat public speaking as a game. Be

spontaneous. Be adventurous. Most importantly, have fun with it!

The next time you have to give a speech, let your hair out and have fun!
Be wild and experiment new things. Even if it flops, you had fun trying
it! I shall go against the usual advices that you hear from speech experts.
Do NOT take your speech (or yourself) too seriously. Treat it as a game
and play your heart out!

"Man is most nearly himself when he achieves the seriousness of a child

at play." – Heraclitus, Greek Philosopher (535 - 475 BCE)

© 2009 All Rights Reserved. Take The Stage Now! www.TakingTheStageNow.com

 FINAL WORD
…………………………………
……………………….
Recently, a lot of my friends have taken an interest in improving their
public speaking skills. Two of them have even decided to sign up for a
Toastmasters club in the coming week. Way to go! Like any skill, public
speaking takes time to hone. The best advice I can give to anyone is to
start small. You can begin by reading one public speaking related article a
day or make a conscious effort to write and give a five minutes speech,
once a month. Joining a Toastmasters club is also an excellent way to
pace yourself in becoming a competent speaker. Bottom-line - do
SOMETHING, no matter how small it is. Remember the race between the
tortoise and the hare: Slow and steady wins the race! And in no time,
you will see yourself growing phenomenally.

Looking back, public speaking has changed my life dramatically…

Two years ago after watching Jim Key, 2003 International Speech
Contest champion, inspire the audience including myself with his
message: “It is never too late to dream”, I embarked on a personal quest
to become an accomplished speaker. That was my dream and it still is.
Over the two years, I read almost everything I can get my hands about
public speaking. I gave over 96 speeches and presentations (minimum
two per week) in the last one year. And yet my journey has only begun! It
was tough yet every step of the way was exhilarating. There was always
something to learn. Needless to say, my passion in public speaking grew,
fueling my desire to get even better.

I hope you make use of the eight things I shared with you that fueled my
growth as a speaker. They is no rocket science yet each of them plays an
important role in my growth. I hope that by sharing with you what works
for me, you will be inspired to embark on your own quest in becoming an
accomplished speaker!

© 2009 All Rights Reserved. Take The Stage Now! www.TakingTheStageNow.com