I recently got a fullpage feedback from Darren LaCroix (2001 World Champion Speaker). He is one of the champion speakers that I admire a lot. Not only did he gave me very useful and timely insights to improve my contest speech, he also reminded me that to speak like a champion, I have to first THINK like a champion. It all boils down to mindset.

Here’s part of Darren’s feedback.

—Start—

First of all, I must comment on your purpose. You say that you want the audience to go “wow” after the end of my speech… to me that implies that you want the audience to be impressed by you. Then you say that you want to be at the level of a champion. Do you understand that to speak like a champion, you must think like a champion?

Champion speakers do not aspire to getting a wow. We aspire to get the audience to do something for themselves, or to think differently about your subject or themselves when we are done. You need to think the same way. You cannot worry about what the audience thinks of you…that is an amaturish way of thinking. Think bigger. What will they “do” as a result of you speaking… make sense?

Don’t worry, we all start that way. A speaker grows incredibly when - as Brian Tracy says - you go from here I am to there you are.

Love your message though. It’s an important one, one that i feel close to…”

—End—

Darren, if you are reading this, a big thank you for the wake up call!

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