Dr Kamal Murdia – The Power of Public Speaking
The Power of Public Speaking Dr. Kamal Murdia – Plastic Surgeon- Speaker and Author
“Let thy speech be better than silence, or be silent” – Dionysius – Greek teacher of rhetoric
Until the lion tells his story, only the hunters’ brave tales will be told. You are a performer in life, speaking and oratory skills are a vital part of the theatre called life. Gone are the days, when it was an add-on asset. As I look back, I can say without an speck of doubt that public speaking as a number one soft skill has massively flipped my life. Here is a ruthless- brutal, surgical, straight forward – Million Dollar advise- ‘learn to stand and speak impressively’. This is a mind- blowing idea. 30 years ago, I did a course in public speaking, After this course my confidence became a Goliath, almost instantly.
The change in me was astounding in just 6 weeks. The ROI- Return on Investment, a lottery of divvy too huge, juxtapose to the meager investment of 10 dollars. I became a super star speaker in my medical college. Today as a Plastic Surgeon and an international speaker, with over 700 orations, I conduct and compere world conferences and the pleasure and thrill of connecting to an audience is seventh heaven. I get an opportunity to immortalize a piece of my mind into the live audience through a shared vocabulary and wisdom.
Over 2000 years ago, Mark Anthony’s speech-”friends- Romans and countrymen-lend me your ears”- changed the course of the Roman empire. Public speaking is face to face speaking to an audience. It is real speaking-before a real audience. Oration is speech in a formal dignified manner. Rhetoric is the art of speaking and writing effectively. A keynote speaker is one who raises interest in the subject. Public speaking is just doing the job better than what we have already been doing.
At some point in your life you will need to stand up and speak. The art of public speaking has an university within it hence, sky is the limit. It’s an essential skill needed for a well-rounded personality. Communication skill is the number one skill required in executive jobs. Public speaking as a life skill- it’s not an obvious advice, so the secret is known to few rare people. Sometimes one just stumbles into it.
Public Speaking – A Spectrum of Advantages.
Eloquence is one of the quickest ways to singularly change your personality and life. Words shaped and shared by speeches and ideas have changed the course of human history. There is magic in chiseled and crafted words. Words straight from the heart, touch other hearts. Benefits include:
- Public Speaking is a short cut to prominence
- The best personality development Increases self- confidence and coherence.
- Inner growth – nervousness, shyness, inhibitions dis- appear in a
- Develops leadership abilities and executive
- Improves organizational skills and self-control.
- Raises one head and shoulders above the
- Projects one as an authority, improves
- Improves brain power – Be it memory or fast and clear
- Helps carry a message – Whether to inform, convince or persuade.
- Helps communication whether in impromptu or planned
- Adds the X- factor in your personality, the unseen force of
How to Overcome the Fear of Public Speaking
The best negator of fear is preparation and training. Most speakers suffer from a degree of stage fright, also known as presentation anxiety. It’s a particularly common problem for speakers who are new to giving presentations. It can range from slight nervousness to paralyzing fear and panic. Public speaking puts you in the spot light. It exposes you. If one is not trained in mind- it’s a naked feeling. For this reason- many run away from this tyranny of exposure.
You’re not alone!!
To learn to swim- one has to jump into water. No one is a born speaker and also fear of speaking is a common fear. Fortunately, for those of us with stage fright, there are methods to cope with a case of nerves.
The Craft of Public Speaking
A lady admired, the great Picasso’s painting and exclaimed, “I can give my life for your painting.”
“I gave my life,” retorted Picasso.
The next step in speaking, is speech craft
This needs a mastery of two areas:
1. What you say – the content part
2. How you say – the delivery part.
The beginning of one’s speech must evoke attention, interest and investment of the audience. A speech has an start- – body and end -The speech needs a mastery of other areas like:
- Story telling in Public Speaking
- Voice Dynamics in Speech
- Body Language-Posture and Gestures
- Handling the Microphone like a Pro
- Use of Humour in Public
- Handling Questions and Answers
- How to Close a Talk and Finish Strongly.
- How to Make Impressive PowerPoint Presentations
The 10 Presentation Mistakes
- Lack of preparation
- No audience rapport
- Useless movements
- Monotonous voice
- No order
- No style
- No opening
- Bad use of technology
- No closing
- Lot of statistics
The KISSER Rule in Communication
An abbreviation for Keep it –
Short and Simple, Engaging and Real.
- Short – only relevant points
- Simple – organized and clear
- Engaging – keep audience attached
- Real – audience can correlate
We don’t have to say everything…to say something. Pause is the hallmark of a mature speaker. All skills need know-how, training and practice. The mind of a person comes out in the words used. Language is the dress of thought. Once you start this vocal journey, a year from now, you will surprise yourself. Society is on a look out for good storytellers and the demand far outweighs supply. A course in public speaking is perhaps more important than ever.
One cannot learn public speaking from a book.
Take this advice or throw it away- at the earliest – do a course in public speaking.
Dr. Kamal Murdia
Plastic Surgeon- Speaker and Author
“Dr. Kamal Murdia, MBBS,M.S;M.Ch.(Plastic Surgery) CS(UK), Director, Changing Faces: Changing lives; is a Plastic – Cosmetic Surgeon based in Mumbai, India and Abroad. He is also a celebrated speaker, writer, and author. He is the bestselling author of the book ‘The Million Dollar Powerful Personality’- and The Strange Case of the Billion Dollar Tortoise.”
www.drkamalmurdia.com
