As the year comes to an end, let us take a moment (or two if you are slower) to reflect on your achievements as a speaker, both big and small. What is one courageous act you have undertaken which you are extremely proud of? What are two unforgetable incidents, be it good or bad, that you have encountered in the speaking arena? What are three things you have learnt and experienced as a speaker?

Got them down?

C’mon.. don’t be lazy! It doesn’t have to be long.

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Merry X’mas!!! I hope you are enjoying every bit of it… otherwise there is always New Year’s Day. (grins) Since October, my friends and clients (those who participated in the public speaking workshop) have requested me to set up a mailing list as an additional platform to share speaking tips and resources. Apparently, the blog entries here are not enough for them… However it has been on the back burner until this week. I guess it was the guilt. Nonetheless the mailing list is up. Hoorrrrraaaayyyyyy and phew…

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I just got wind that Borders is the place to be if you are (1) a book fanatic or (2) a desperado grabbing last-minute gifts. Check with your friends who are members of Borders whether they have 30% and 40% discount vouchers to spare. Or you can always get them to buy for you (as a christmas gift!) It is definitely more economical than buying one book at a time. Talk about being kiasu! (grins)

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This post is a continuation of Secrets to Story Telling Success. In my first post, I shared with you Ed secret to story telling success: the 4 Hs. In this post, I am going to give you a very simple framework to creating a story that you can use in your next speech or presentation. (Credits to Ed Tate!)

Think of something that happened to you recently and then use the following five questions to help you create the story. I shall use my story as an example.

1. What happened?
An auntie tried to hit on me in the train.

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One of the greatest pleasures of public speaking is the opportunity to impact lives. This week, I had the honor to do so with 48 extremely intelligent and energetic students from Victoria Junior College! Let the pictures do the talking. (P.S: If you guys are reading this, THANK YOU for making the workshop so much fun! Now go impress your interviewers… *grins*)

We started off with a game I learnt from James in Macau. Super effective in breaking the ice and raising the energy of the room.

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Stories are timeless. (Think “Three Little Pigs” or “Sleeping Beauty”) Your personal stories can also be timeless. They connect with your audience and add credibility to your message. They also bring a dimension of sincerity and authenticity to your speech or presentation. All these (connection, credibility and sincerity) are essential elements to be a successful and well-liked public speaker.

If you have been an avid reading of this public speaking blog, you would notice how much I expound on the importance of personal stories.

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Some readers have told me that it was impossible for them to read everything in this blog. I take it as a good thing since the intention of this blog is to be a speaking resource for you. There is a search field on the top left corner of the blog which you can use to search for relevant posts. In addition, you can read articles by categories. I have currently a total of eleven categories and I am planning to add a new category titled “Podcast” in December. Yes, more good stuff for you! ^^

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As promised, I would like to take a few moments to share with you what I have learnt over the three days in Macau.

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