Carnegie Language Breakthroughs and the Art of Communication

Chapter 7 Basic Principles for Efficient Speech (1)
Essential Skills in Public Speaking: Courage and Confidence

In 1912 I began giving classes on how to speak in public.It was also in this year that the cruise ship "Titanic" sank into the ice sea of ​​the North Atlantic.Since the opening of the training course, many people have benefited from it, and millions of students have graduated from this training course and made a huge difference in their lives and careers.

In the first lecture at the beginning of the training class, we all ask the students to tell the reasons why they want to come to the class and what results they expect to get from this kind of training.Of course, everyone's statement is different, but what is surprising is that in the speeches of these students, the main wishes and basic needs of the vast majority of people are exactly the same.They all think:

When people asked me to stand up and talk, I felt very uncomfortable, I was so scared, my mind was in such a mess, I couldn't think clearly or concentrate.I can't remember what I said, and I don't know what to say next.I hope to gain self-confidence from this training, to be able to deal with any situation with equanimity, to stand in front of people and think freely, to express my opinions clearly in front of others or when talking about business, and to persuade others effectively .

Do these words sound familiar to you?Have you ever had such an experience?Do you also feel that you have more energy than you want?Have you also thought about putting in some effort so that you can speak eloquently and convincingly in front of others?I'm sure you'll answer "yes" and desperately need to do so now that you've got this book in your hands.

If you had the chance to speak to me in person, I think you would ask:
Sir, do you really think I can develop a confidence and be able to face a crowd and speak to them naturally, fluently and coherently?
In my life, almost most of my energy has been devoted to helping people overcome fear, develop courage, and develop confidence.The miracles that happened to the students in the training class are enough to make me write many books.Therefore, in the face of such a question, I can only answer this way: It's not that I "think" you can do it, the key is you!As long as you keep practicing according to the guidelines and suggestions in the book, I believe you will be able to do it!
Why can't you think as much when you're standing in front of a crowd as you can when you're sitting?Why do you tremble and your voice tremble when you stand up and speak to someone?Of course there are reasons for this.However, these situations can be remedied and avoided. As long as you keep training, you will gradually eliminate the fear of the audience and bring you greater self-confidence.

This book is not an ordinary speech textbook. It does not focus on introducing you some skills and rules of how to speak, nor does it just teach you some physiological knowledge about how to make a voice and pronunciation. experience and results achieved.Starting from who you are now, you don't need to make deliberate changes, let it take its course and let you become the self you expect.But there is one thing you must do:

Follow the suggestions in this book and try your best to apply them in every speaking occasion. As long as you persist, you will naturally achieve your desired goal.

In order for you to get the most out of this book and get in shape quickly, please follow the following four very effective principles.

1. Use the experience of others to build up your courage
There are no natural public speakers.There was a time when public speaking was considered a fine art, one that required careful rhetorical, grammatical, and an elegant manner of speaking.Under these circumstances, it is even more difficult to be a natural public speaker.Now that we think of speaking as a broader conversation, people are tired of the overblown presentations of the past.When we have dinner with someone, attend church, watch TV, or listen to the radio, we all like to hear straight truths from others, and we like topics that provoke thought and discussion, rather than a speaker who just Preach.

Public speaking is an open art. Unlike many school textbooks, public speaking is an art that only a few people can master. Knowledge of grammar and rhetoric is required to succeed.But in fact, it's not.My entire teaching career has been about showing people that speaking in public is not difficult at all, as long as you follow some simple but important rules.

In 1912, when I began teaching the cadets of the adult training class at the Young Christians' Association on 125th Street in New York City, I felt the same way as those early cadets.I teach in much the same way I was educated as a college student in Wallenberg, Missouri.But this approach was quickly proven wrong-I even taught adults in the business world as if they were just college students.I found that the theories of famous speakers such as Webster, Burke Pitt, and O'Connell cannot be used. Letting students blindly follow imitation will not improve their actual speaking ability.What these trainees, who pay to attend the training, are looking for is the courage to stand up and speak, so that they can present a clear and coherent presentation at the next business meeting.So, I completely abandoned those textbooks. When I stood on the podium, I only relied on some simple concepts to discuss with the students on the podium until they could effectively present their own reports.It seems that our trick is really working, because people who ask for training keep coming, and they all want to get more training.

I really hope you have the opportunity to visit my home or office and see the thank you letters and testimonials from students from all over the world.These letters were written by elite figures from all walks of life, and we can see their names and photos in the "New York Times" and "Wall Street Journal".Among them, there are also some state governors, members of Congress, university presidents and celebrities in the entertainment circle.There are also housewives, priests, teachers, and ordinary young men and women.Then there are corporate executives, technicians, union members, college students, and working women—all of whom share a common need: their need for self-confidence and the ability to moderately express themselves in public.

Through my training and their personal efforts, these trainees quickly realized their wishes, so they specially wrote to express their gratitude.Among these many people, one example popped into my mind as I was writing this book and has had a great impact on me.Let's take a look at this story first!
Years ago, Mr. D. W. Gantt, a successful Philadelphian businessman, signed up for my training class and invited me to lunch shortly after he attended.At the dinner table, he leaned forward and said to me: "Sir, I tried my best to avoid the opportunity to speak in various gatherings before, but this kind of opportunity is really too much for me. Sometimes I have to Speak a few words. Now that I have been elected president of a university, I have to come out and chair every meeting. From your point of view, a man of my age. Is it possible to learn to speak in public?"

I gave him my word because it wasn't uncommon in my training classes and they changed a lot, so I'm sure Mr. Gant can do the same.

About 3 years later, we had lunch again at a business club.It was still in the same restaurant, at the same table, which reminded me of our conversation at that time, so I brought up the previous conversation and asked him if my original prophecy had come true.He smiled slightly, and took out a small red leather notebook from his pocket, which contained a schedule of his speeches, and the schedule had been scheduled for several months.He said: "It is a kind of enjoyment to be able to stand on the podium and give a speech. The speech can bring endless joy and achieve some unexpected effects. This is the happiest and most satisfying thing in my life."

And that's not all!Mr. Gant went on to relate a very proud incident.Once, the British Prime Minister was invited to Philadelphia and gave a speech in a church.The Prime Minister rarely came to the United States, and the Philadelphian who accompanied the Prime Minister on his visit and was responsible for introducing this outstanding statesman was Mr. Gantt.What an honor it made him!

It was Mr. Gant who sat at the table with me in this restaurant three years ago and asked me timidly: "Sir, can I also talk freely in public one day?"

It was not some magical force that made Mr. Gant's ability to speak so rapid; he was just a common case in my seminars.There are hundreds of similar examples in my training classes.Let me give you an example at random!

A few winters ago, Cordis, a Brooklyn doctor, went on vacation to Florida.The location of his vacation happened to be not far from the training ground of the "Giants".He himself is also very fond of baseball, and he often goes to watch them practice when he is on vacation.Before long, he became good friends with some players and was invited by them to a banquet in honor of the team.

After the waiter brought the coffee and sweets, the guests invited several VIPs to come on stage to "say a few words".The host of the banquet announced: "A friend from the medical field is here tonight. We specially invite Dr. Curtis to talk to us about the health problems of baseball players." will be invited to speak.

Is this an esoteric and unfamiliar topic for Dr. Curtis?of course not!He should have a good grasp of this issue, and he doesn't even need to prepare at all, because he studies health care and has practiced medicine for more than 30 years.If you sit down with him, he can talk to you about it, even all night long.But now the host asked him to speak in public, even though he was going to speak on the same issue, and only to a group of people in front of him-but that was another matter.To him, it seemed like a conundrum that he was overwhelmed with.His heart rate doubled, and as soon as he meditated, it stopped beating.He had never spoken in front of a crowd in his life, and all the thoughts in his head seemed to fly away with wings.

At this time, everyone at the banquet was applauding vigorously.Everyone looked at Dr. Curtis, who shook his head in refusal.But the more he did this, the more enthusiastic applause he attracted, and the guests asked him to speak on stage. "Doctor Curtis! Please say a few words! Say a few words!" The voices of the people became louder and more determined, making it impossible for him to refuse.

This situation really made Dr. Curtis feel extremely sad.Because he knows best that if he stands up and talks to everyone, he won't be able to utter five or six complete sentences.In desperation, he had no choice but to stand up, without saying a word, turned his back to his friend, and walked out silently.He felt very embarrassed, and felt that this was a great shame for himself.He felt that he had failed so badly that he couldn't even speak to the crowd!
And so signing up for my effective speaking training course became the first thing he did back in Brooklyn.He didn't want to be in that embarrassment that made people blush and be speechless again.

The teachers in the training class like this kind of students the most, because such students have deeply realized a kind of urgent need, and eagerly hope that they can have a speech ability that blurts out and speaks amazingly.In each training session, he thoroughly prepares his lecture notes, actively practices them, and never misses every session in the training session.

He trains so hard and improves at a speed that surprises himself and exceeds his self-expected expectations.After the first few training sessions, his nervousness was completely eliminated and his confidence grew.Two months later, he had become an excellent speaker in the training class, and soon he was invited by many places to give speeches in various places.Now, he already likes the feeling of speaking very much, as well as the unique joy.Through speeches, he won honors and made more friends.

A member of the New York City Republican campaign committee, after hearing one of Cordis's speeches, immediately invited him around the city to speak for the Republican Party.If anyone had told the statesman that just a year earlier the orator he admired had turned away in shame and bewilderment because he was speechless and afraid to face his audience, The politician must have been taken aback and couldn't believe it!

Gaining in yourself the confidence, courage, and ability to think calmly and clearly when you're speaking in front of a group is not as difficult as most people think, and it's not a gift from God. someone's gift.Like golf, anyone can tap into their latent abilities if you have enough desire to do so.There is another example.

One day, a visitor came to my office. He was Mr. David Goodrich, Chairman of B. P. Goodrich Company.As soon as he entered the door, he said: "In my life, whenever I want to speak, there is never a time when I am not panicked. As the chairman of the company, it is impossible for me not to preside over the meeting. The directors are all regular visitors I have known for many years. , when people are sitting around the table, I can talk to them without a hitch. But when I get up to talk, I'm so terrified that I can't say a word. It's been happening for years. I don't believe you Can you help me, because this problem of mine is really serious, and it has been going on for too long."

"Well," I said, "if you don't think I can help you, why did you come to me?"

"Because I really want to try my luck," he replied. "I have an accountant who handles my private accounts. He is usually very shy. When he goes into his office, he has to go through my Office. For many years, whenever he walked by my office, he would tiptoe, stare at the ground, and rarely say a word. But recently, his whole person seems to have changed a lot. Now when he walks into my office, his jaw He looked up, his eyes sparkled, and he greeted me proactively: 'Good morning, Mr. Goodlitch.' He spoke and walked with confidence and radiance. I was amazed at this change in him, So I asked him: "Who cast a spell on you to make you change like this?" He told me that he participated in your speech training course and became what he is now! Because of this, so I I want to come and try with you."

I firmly told Mr. Goodlitch that by coming to the classes regularly and really following the training, he would enjoy speaking in public within a few weeks.

"If you really made me do that, I'd be one of the happiest people in the world," he replied.

Later, he really signed up for my training class and insisted on attending the class. Just as I imagined, he made rapid progress in the class. Three months later, I invited him to a party of a thousand in the ballroom of the Astor Hotel and arranged for him to talk about the help he had received from our training.He said he was sorry, but he couldn't go because of a prior appointment.But the next day, he called me and said, "I want to apologize to you, I canceled my appointment. I'm coming to the party and accepting your speaking arrangement, which I owe you. I'm going to train I want to tell everyone the truth about what I have learned in the process. I do this because I want to inspire everyone through my own personal experience and stories, so that they can also take the initiative to eliminate the sense of fear that ruined their lives."

Originally, I only arranged for him a 2-minute speech, but he spoke in front of thousands of people for more than 10 minutes!
There are probably far more than thousands of similar miraculous stories in my training classes.I have seen men and women who have completely transformed their lives and careers as a result of their training. Many have achieved coveted promotions, and some have achieved prominence both professionally and socially.A good speech is enough to make a person's success.Let's take a look at the story of Mario Lajo.

A few years ago, I was surprised to receive a telegram from Cuba.The telegram said: "Unless you send a telegram to object, otherwise, I will come to New York to receive your speech training." The letter was signed by "Mario Lajo".Who he was, I can't remember, and I've never heard of him.

After arriving in New York, Mr. Lajo explained: "Havana Country Club is celebrating the founder's 50th birthday. I was invited to attend and wanted to present him with a silver cup, and I would also be the host of the evening. Although I am a lawyer , but have never given a public speech. Thinking of this speech, I am terrified. If I behave badly, it will embarrass me and my wife in social situations; besides, it will reduce my status in front of customers. Therefore, I came here from Cuba to ask for your help. I can only stay for 3 weeks."

During those three weeks, I moved Mario from class to class, giving three or four speeches a night. Three weeks later, he attended a grand party at the "Havana Country Club" and delivered a speech.His speech was so brilliant that "Time" magazine even made a special report in its "Foreign News" column and praised him as "a silver-tongued orator."

This story sounds like a miracle to us, right?It is a miracle indeed—the miracle of overcoming fear in the 20th century.But this is also a fact of my own experience!
2. Never lose sight of your goals
(End of this chapter)