Book Review: "The Art of Public Speaking by Dale Carnegie"- written by Ram

I was nervous;

My palms were sweaty; and
I had butterflies in my stomach.

This is how I felt one day, when I was standing in front of hundreds of students at a school event. All these years, I always tried to avoid all situations wherein I would have to be on a stage or speak in public. But something got into me last year, and all I wanted was to learn and improve my public speaking skills, and that is when toastmasters came into my life’s journey.

There is a Buddhist proverb,

“When the student is ready, Teacher will appear.”

Do you have Glossophobia?

Forget about you and me, even Google is scared of public speaking. Check out the first fear it lists out in search results. (hahaha)

Well, some individuals may feel a slight nervousness at the very first thought of public speaking, while others experience full-fledged panic and fear. Same was the case with me; I hated giving public speeches; but then it vanished when I joined Toastmasters Club in October 2018.

It was 8th December, Christmas special chapter meeting, Anchorvale TM's club president, Chee Sian took up a role of Santa Clause and gifted 3 books on public speaking written by Dale Carnegie to club members, and I received "The Art of Public Speaking by Dale Carnegie".

The book is indeed a classic, published in 1915, and covered basic lessons of public speaking. Though the book was published 100 years ago, it’s clear that nothing has changed over the years in terms of information, tips and tricks mentioned in the book to become a better speaker. All the tips mentioned in the book about how to make your content better, and the ways to articulate it more effectively, the methods to enhance voice and tone, the importance of rhetoric’s etc it just perfect.

The most important message shared in the book is very simple and straight forward. You must learn to speak by speaking; Practice, practice and PRACTICE.

Each chapter has extensive exercises but I'm not sure of their effectiveness without a mentor to check the results, or the progress. While reading initial chapters, I managed to answer the questions given at the end of every chapter but eventually I skipped I felt the need of mentor/evaluator to cover the exercises.

Overall, this book is wonderful resource especially if you are beginner. It covers vital aspects of speaking in public; showing up, standing confidently on stage, getting rid of monotonous tone, effective body language etc. For new people who want to enhance their craft, this book will help as it gives ample explanation and importance to all the skills needed to improve. I think, once you start speaking in a group, you may start referring from this book and then you can measure yourself as to how are you doing.

Key take away from the book

MASTER YOUR FEAR

Giving a speech isn’t a matter of becoming fearless; it’s a matter of mastering your fear.

Consider below 4 Basic factors to be an effective public speaker

1.      Be Absorbed by Your Subject.  If you feel deeply about your subject you will be able to think of little else. Concentration is a process of distraction from less important matters.

2.      It’s equally important to have something to say. If you haven’t prepared your material and practiced your speech, doubts and misgivings are sure to assail you the minute you open your mouth. To avoid this, the author advises memorizing at least the first few sentences of your speech.

3.      After preparing for success, expect it. Expecting success doesn’t mean you should be overconfident and complacent. Rather, maintain your humility – not a cowering, servile humility, but a sort of vibrant humbleness, an eternal openness to improvement. Cast aside your self-involved fears, and be willing to succeed.

4.      Assume Mastery Over Your Audience. If you assume it you can almost invariably make it yours. If you assume the negative you are sure to be negative.

MASTER YOUR PRESENTATION SKILLS

The below ideas help in engaging your audience.

Hammer your Monotony tone; How would you feel if someone plays only one key while performing on piano? You may wonder why this guy is hitting only one key all the times, why can’t he use other keys! People will feel same when we use same tone across our speech.

Then, what would be the solution? Emphasis is a matter of comparing and contrasting your speech’s central ideas and a basic way to do that is to stress important words.

Practice your way to effective body language; but it would be wonderful if gestures come spontaneously out of true feeling. 

The next way to use your imagination is to image the speech you’re about to give. In other words, prior to delivering a speech, you should create mental images of how that speech will go.

EXERCISES TO BOOST YOUR CONFIDENCE

How to Develop the Carrying Power of the Voice

·         It is not necessary to speak loudly in order to be heard at a distance. It is necessary only to speak correctly. If you will only use your voice correctly, you will not have much difficulty in being heard.

·         A hard-fought basketball or tennis game is an efficient way of practising deep breathing.

·         Voice is a series of air vibrations. To strengthen it two things are necessary: more air or breath, and more vibration.

·         Breath is the very basis of voice. As a bullet with little powder behind it will not have force and carrying power, so the voice that has little breath behind it will be weak. Not only will deep breathing from the diaphragm.

Purity of Voice

·         This quality is sometimes destroyed by wasting the breath. Carefully control the breath, using only as much as is necessary for the production of tone. Utilize all that you give out. Take in breath like a prodigal; in speaking, give it out like a miser.

Voice Suggestions

·         Never attempt to force your voice when hoarse.

·         Do not drink cold water when speaking. The sudden shock to the heated organs of speech will injure the voice.

·         Avoid pitching your voice too high--it will make it raspy. A wide range will give you facility in making numerous changes of pitch.

·         You can make even a whisper audible to all if you place your voice correctly.

·         The way to do this is to pitch it forward.

·         Practice this by holding your hand before your face and forcefully saying words such as “crash,” “dash,” “whirl” and “buzz.”

·         Do not form the habit of listening to your voice when speaking. You will need your brain to think of what you are saying--reserve your observation for private practise.

Concluding Hints

·         No urgency.  Haste shows lack of control.

·         Do not apologize, it won’t help. Go straight forward.

·         Increase your vocabulary.

Conclusion:

There’s only one way to become an effective public speaker: practice, practice, practice. That being said, there are techniques that’ll help you succeed. For starters, avoid monotony by effectively using emphasis, let your gestures emanate from sincere feeling, turn your audience into a crowd and improve your voice by deep breathing. Finally, test your arguments and the arguments of your opponents, and use imagery both to prepare for and to construct your speeches.

But, what happens if you keep practicing wrongly, you will end up perfecting wrong way. And joining Toastmasters club helps you build that confidence in front of audience. If you don’t know where to start or how to start, Anchorvale TM Club would be right choice.

Quotes from the book:

• Practice, practice and PRACTICE; If no one else will listen to you, listen to yourself
• Destiny is not a matter of chance. It is a matter of choice.
• The worst punishment that human ingenuity has ever been able to invent is extreme monotony, solitary confinement.
• If you believe you will fail, there is no hope for you. You will.
• The first sign of greatness is when a man does not attempt to look and act great.
• You must learn to speak by speaking.
• Speech-giving isn’t a matter of becoming fearless; it’s a matter of mastering your fear.
• Concentration is a process of distraction from less important matters.
• Buildings have need of a good Foundation that lies so much exposed to the Weather.--WILLIAM PENN.
• One day Ennui was born from Uniformity.--MOTTE.
• "Get your principles right," said Napoleon, "and the rest is a matter of detail."

Ram