Chapter 2 The Essential Skills of Public Speaking: Courage and Confidence

In 1912 I began giving classes on how to speak in public.It was also in this year that the cruise ship "Titanic" sank into the ice sea of ​​the North Atlantic.Since the course was opened, many people have benefited from it, and millions of students have graduated from this course and made a huge difference in their lives and careers. In the first lecture at the beginning of my training class, I have to ask the students to explain why they came to the class and what results they expect to get from this kind of training.Of course, everyone's statement is different, but what is surprising is that in the speeches of these students, the main wishes and basic needs of the vast majority of people are exactly the same.They all agreed: "When people ask me to stand up and talk, I feel very uncomfortable. I said something, but I don’t know how to say the next sentence. I hope to gain confidence from this training, to be able to deal with any situation calmly, to stand in front of everyone and think freely, to be able to speak freely in front of others or in business Time to express yourself clearly and persuade others effectively.”

Do these words sound familiar to you?Have you ever had such an experience?Do you also feel that you have more energy than you want?Have you also thought about putting in some effort so that you can speak eloquently and convincingly in front of others?I'm sure you'll answer "yes" and desperately need to do so now that you've got this book in your hands. If you had the chance to speak to me in person, I think you would ask: "...but, sir, do you really think I'll be able to develop the confidence to face a crowd and speak to them with a natural flow and order?"

In my life, almost most of my energy has been devoted to helping people overcome fear, develop courage, and develop confidence.The miracles that happened to the students in the training class are enough to make me write many books.Therefore, in the face of such a question, I can only answer this way: "It's not about whether I 'think' you can do it, it's about you! As long as you keep practicing according to the guidelines and suggestions in the book, I believe You can do it!" Why can't you think as much when you're standing in front of a crowd as you can when you're sitting?Why do you tremble with fright and your voice tremble when you stand up and speak to someone?Of course there are reasons for this.However, these situations can be remedied and avoided. As long as you keep training, you will gradually eliminate the fear of the audience and bring you greater self-confidence.

This book is not an ordinary speech textbook. It does not focus on introducing you some skills and rules of how to speak, nor does it just teach you some physiological knowledge about how to make a sound and pronunciation. It tells about my decades of effective training for adults. Talk about the experience and results achieved.From now on, you don't need to make deliberate changes, let it take its course to make you the self you want.But there is one thing you must do: follow the advice in this book and try to apply it in every speaking occasion. As long as you persist, you will naturally achieve your desired goal.

In order for you to get the most out of this book and get in shape quickly, please follow the following four very effective principles.