3 Essential keys for you before you start working on your speaking skills.

Training in public speaking is not a matter of externalsprimarily, it is not a matter of imitationfundamentally; it is not a matter of conformity to standardsat all.

Public speaking is basically public utterance, public issuance, of the man himself. Unless there is something of real value within, no amounts of training or gimmickery can make you a good public speaker. You'll be nothing more than just a machine who can talk. So the plan or the key starts from developing yourself.

This is the Secret key to become a good public speaker. Develop or mould yourself. Did you knew, Dan kennedy(one of the top marketing consultant & top speakers in US) used to stutter as a teenager? Yet, he become one of the Highest paid speakers in the country. The key lies inside you, Not outside.

Second Principle to Power Speaking...

The second principle lies close to the first, Which is just basically an extension of the first. The man must enthrone his will to rule over his thought, his feelings, and all his physical powers, so that the outer self may give perfect, unhampered expression to the inner.

You can learn perfect bodylanguage, voice training, intonation and what not, Unless you are in tune with first 2 priciples the magic from your voice will be missing... Do you think you can imitate Tony Robbins? You might be able to imitate his gestures, speaking style but his energy and will is something that you cannot master.

Third key to Power speaking...

No one can learn how to speak who does not first speak as best he can. You do not learn how to speak by reading or learning how to speak. You learn speaking only by speaking. It's like you cannot learn swimming unless you jump into the water and start paddling.

You can only improve after you have spoken your best and then take note where you made mistakes. But this can be really tough for starters who don't know how to critize themselves.

Simply by finding out three things:
1. What are the qualities makes an effective speaker?
2. What are the methods to acquire some of these qualities?
3. what wrong habits of speech should be avoided?

Practise, practise, PRACTISE in speaking before an audience will tend to remove all fear of audiences, just as practise in swimming will lead to confidence and facility in the water. You must learn to speak by speaking.

From today onwards become a student of speaking by doing. Experience is the fastest way to learn from the best (& strict) teacher.

Neol David
http://www.my-infoworld.com/book/speak.html