My suggestions to become a good speaker

The thing I like about my job is the novelty it gives me every day. Being an educational institution, there are veterans visiting campus and taking classes for students. My job involves meeting them, attending their sessions, and collecting details about various things, which were unknown to me before.

Today, the visitor was Prof. Karen Sneha Moawad. She currently serves as the Program Manager of Amrita Center for International Programs (ACIP), North America. Earlier, she was working as a consultant in orthodontic practices for more than 35 years, which also involves establishing Hummingbird Associates, an orthodontic management consulting firm, headquartered on Bainbridge Island, near Seattle, Washington.

  

Prof. Moawad is here to conduct a two-day workshop on ‘Public Speaking’, aimed at making the students better speakers. I sat in the workshop for nearly 30 minutes and heard various inspiring stories of people, who became achievers due to their public speaking ability. She shared interesting ideas and methods to become a good public speaker.

The session unleashed the child in me, who was once a part of extempore and elocution competitions at the school. I remembered the moments when I screwed up before the crowd. I also remembered numerous other instants when I won the love of the audience. I’m not a good story teller, yet I managed to present my views before the people well (at least, I thought I did). That gave me the confidence of presenting me and never faced many issues in interview boards or during presentations in meetings.

One thing I felt about public speaking is to be yourself when you are talking to the people. It’s natural that we feel to impress the crowd hearing our speech. For example, an interview. But, the interview is also a place where we look at the company and assess if we suit the culture existing there. We should also look at the kind of the job offered and if we could fulfill the responsibilities offered to us. This thought has helped me immensely, that I naturally tell them what I know, ask them in detail about the work, and say ‘no’ to things I cannot do. I also stay open and tell them that I can learn new things. Hence, the speaking wasn’t a tension for me. From my experience, it works hundred percent.

Also, the crowd in front of you is not there to kill you. There is a purpose why we stand in front of a crowd and let us fulfill that purpose without consuming much time. A smile and maintaining a rhythm in talking (I always end up being fast, a habit I’m trying to correct) will make it more beautiful.

In short, be true, say just what you are supposed to speak in a polite manner and smiling face, and leave the stage with a thank you.