Interview with Scott H Young
We all have our favorite sites that we visit daily. Scott’s blog is one of them. The theme of his blog is Personal Development. What I really like about his blog is his straight-to-the-point content and commitment to his readers. There is always some gem to mine out of every article he writes.
Last month, I casually asked if I could interview him on the topic of public speaking and Scott being Scott, agreed wholeheartedly.
Let’s hear from the man himself!
1. How do you overcome your fear of public speaking (do you have it in the first place??)
I don’t get really nervous to speak in public anymore. I was fairly nervous with the last speech I had to give because my club had about fifteen new members for an open-house and I was giving my persuasive speech on why to join Toastmasters.
Physiology, confident body-posture, slow breathing. These things can help with nervousness, but often they just make it worse. You start to feel nervous about feeling nervous and you are barely keeping it under control.
I have three tips for controlling speech anxiety:
a) Plan your speech as much as possible in advance. Be confident that even if you are a nervous wreck you’ll still be able to say something.
b) Nervousness never shows through as much as you think it does.
c) You can still be nervous and deliver a speech. Part of keeping your fear under control is simply accepting that it is going to be part of your upcoming speech and even though it may be uncomfortable, you can handle it.
2. What got you to join the Toastmasters and how have you benefited?
I joined Toastmasters on a whim really. To be honest a lot of what I am passionate about now started as a whim. I heard good things about the organization and randomly stumbled upon a local club and went to its first meeting. As soon as I got there I realized this was going to be
a great addition to my life.
Toastmasters has improved my speaking ability greatly but it has also improved my communication skills in all areas of life. Communication is very important and the benefits of membership far exceed the annual cost.
3. What was one of your worst speaking experience and how did you overcome it?
My most nervous speaking experience was probably delivering my icebreaker speech. When you have to give a speech about yourself, the fear goes up by an order of magnitude. Because then you aren’t only worried about your performance but you need to open up to what are close to complete strangers.
Luckily when I got through the speech I was glad to hear not only good things about my performance but I received some genuine compliments about myself. My speech focused a lot on my own personal development, which can often seem a little crazy at first glance, so I was relieved to say the least.
4. What’s the best speaking advice you have received so far?
The best speaking advice I received was unintentional. It came from an experienced Toastmaster who later apologized for not coming completely prepared to give her speech. She briefly said how she had gotten overconfident and didn’t prepare appropriately as a result.
What this really taught me is that nervousness and fear is your friend, not an enemy. It comes from the desire and will to deliver a great speech. Initially this fear can overwhelm you to the point where your performance suffers. But having a certain degree of nerves ensures you stay alert and focused.
Now whenever I give a speech and I feel a little nervous I remind myself that I’ve built up the compentency so those nerves won’t show through to my speech and the little bit of fear is keeping me sharp.
5. In your opinion, what are three things a speaker must exude to be recognized as a great speaker?(for example, sense of humor, sincerity, passion, knowledge for his topic, must have a takeaway for the audience etc)
I don’t like the notion of being a great speaker. Communication is a skill, undoubtedly, but I think that the message communicated is more important than the craft of communicating it.
What makes a great orator?
Someone who can achieve the goals they set out with each speech. Simple enough?
Worrying about crutch words, body language and vocal variety is only important so much as it achieves the results of the speaker. An effective speaker should be able to achieve a wide variety of goals whether it is to make someone laugh, change their opinion, evoke an emotion or teach a complicated concept. An effective speaker also helps the audience achieve the goals they want through listening to the speech.
If you want to become a great speaker, master your ability to communicate. This means both delivery and content.
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Great stuff, isn’t it?
Here are some more articles from Scott that relates to public speaking. I strongly recommend you to read them AND more importantly, practice them!
Why You Should Join Toastmasters
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What’s one best advice you have received so far in speaking? Send them to eric@ericfeng.com. I will compile and send you all that I have received. Meanwhile, enjoy the articles at Public Speaking for All!
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