Chapter 15 Chapter 3 Confidence Benefits from Adequate Preparation

Prepare, what is going on?Is it reading books?That can only be regarded as a method, but it is not the best way.Reading may help in speaking, but if the speaker tries to own and express quickly the "finished" ideas in the book, something seems to be missing.Perhaps the audience will not be able to pinpoint what the speech lacks, but the speaker will not get their enthusiastic response. Let's prove it below. Not too long ago, I taught a public speaking course for senior officials at a New York City bank.Naturally, members of this group have very tight schedules, and they often find it impractical to prepare as meticulously as they would like to prepare for a speech.In their lives, they always start from their own thoughts to think about problems, and then form their own judgments, and look at things from their own unique perspectives and past life experiences.Therefore, in that habit, they have accumulated speech materials for forty years, but it is difficult for them to realize this, and it is often blind.

This group of trainees usually conduct speech training on Friday nights from 5:00 to 7:00.On one occasion we appointed Mr. Jackson, a man from the Town Bank, to make a speech.He will arrive at four thirty.What kind of speech will he give us?On his way out of the office, he first bought a copy of Forbes Magazine at the newsstand, and then, on the subway to train for the Federal Reserve Bank, read an article called "You Only Have Ten Years to Succeed."In fact, this article is not what he is interested in, but in order to find a topic for this speech, he chose to do so. An hour later, he took the stage to speak, and it was self-evident that he tried to tell the story convincingly and interestingly.So, what is this result, or should I say this destined result?

Obviously, he didn't digest and absorb the content of this speech, he just tried to retell the original text, so, in the speech, he lacked his real stuff.His demeanor has exposed all this.So how could he fantasize about shocking his audience?Because of the constant reference to the article I read and the author's point of view, the speech has become Forbes Magazine's, not him, Mr. Jackson's. Therefore, in response to this situation, I express my opinion: "Mr. Jackson, we have no interest in the author of the article behind the scenes. He is not with us, and we have no chance to know him. But we are not interested in you and your views. If you are interested, please speak your own thoughts, not others. In this speech, you will show us more of yourself. I suggest you speak on this topic next week. Comments on this article Read it over and over to see if you agree with what the article says, and if you agree, back it up with your own experience, and if you disagree, be factual and explain why. May this article be the start of your own speech.”

Mr. Jackson took this advice and, after rereading the article, found himself disagreeing with the author at all.For the next speech, he will not repeat the same mistakes, like sitting in the subway and perfunctory like last time.Instead, he strives to enrich himself.At the beginning, his mind was as simple as a child's, but now, like a child's body, it continued to grow and develop. Unknowingly, it seemed as if his daughter had grown up suddenly, which surprised him.When he reads a newspaper, a certain idea will flash for a moment; when he discusses the subject of the speech with his friends, a certain instance will come unexpectedly.During this magical week, with his continuous thinking, this theme has been continuously deepened and improved, its breadth has been continuously expanded, and its content has been continuously enriched and informative.

When Mr. Jackson spoke again on this subject, he had his own insights, just as he had his own mines and wealth.Since the point of view is quite different from that of the author, he is speaking rather than retelling throughout.Disagreement of opinion is arguably the greatest motivator for a speaker. How incredible it is that two speeches by the same person, within two weeks, on the same subject, can have such a different effect, and that is the result of the right preparation! Now, let's cite one more example from which we can understand the difference between preparation and non-preparation for a speech.

There is a man, whom we will call Mr. Fran, who is in a public speaking class in Washington, D.C.One afternoon he was to give a speech in praise of the capital.Before that, he just collected some factual materials hastily and without thinking, but where did these materials come from?They come from a condensed booklet published by a newspaper.And these facts sound dry, illogical and blunt.Moreover, this colleague also lacked sufficient preparation for the topic of the speech, so it was difficult to mobilize his passion.He just felt that there was not much meaning to his speech, and the whole process seemed flat, dull and ineffective.

Two weeks later, Fran was deeply moved by an incident: His car was stolen in a public parking lot.He immediately rushed to the police station and promised a reward after solving the case, but all this seemed to be in vain.The officers admitted that it was almost impossible for them to deal with such crimes.And yet, just a week earlier, these men were wandering the streets, chalk in hand, and had given Mr. Fran a ticket for parking fifteen minutes overtime.These "chalk policemen" who are busy all day long and have no time to catch criminals angered Mr. Fran.He began to resent, and he felt that he had something to say, words that no longer came from the printed pamphlets of the newspaper, but came boiling hot from his lived experience.

It is an integral part of one's real life, and it awakens feelings and convictions in Mr. Fran.In a speech full of praise for Washington, his words were not smooth, but now, he only needs to speak directly from his own point of view, and complaints against the police will spew out, just like the vigilante in active stage. Same as Sioux Volcano.Such a speech rarely fails because it is a perfect combination of life experience and insight.