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Friday, March 13, 2015

'CONNECT' 33: Your speech should also be a visual treat!

'People trust their ears less than their eyes'

Herodotus

Your speech should be a visual treat to the audience and not merely a treat to their ears!

I want you to watch good public speakers delivering their speech. Watch the news hour on the TV channels and watch how professionals speak. On the YouTube you will get great speeches from leading personalities such as Bill Gates, Steve Job, Narendra Modi, Barack Obama etc. Listen not only to the contents of their speech but also how they deliver their speech. Watch their non verbal aspects of their communication. Watch their body language, how they stand, how they move and how they present their speech. Log on to https://www.ted.com and watch how professional speakers deliver. You will also find some good samples in YouTube.

Expert speakers know how to present themselves elegantly. They pay special attention to this important aspect of their speech. They also get trained on this. Novice speakers move their body in unwanted ways, constantly shift their weight from one side to the other, fidget with their papers and pens etc. Some speakers become statues and stare at their audience showing that they are nervous and uncertain about what they have to speak.

This is where attending a good public speaking course becomes very relevant.

N C Sridharan

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Thursday, October 2, 2014

365 Exciting ways to live - 30

30 / 365 Mind Your Facial Expression

God has given you one face, and you make yourself another.

William Shakespeare

Face is the index of your mind. How do you present yourself to others? How is your facial expression? What feelings does it reflect? Only the human beings have the rare gift of conveying something through their mere facial expression!

I have come across people who convey happiness, excitement, enthusiasm, energy etc. in their face. These people electrify others by their very presence. I have also come across people who carry a depressed, sad, unhappy, irritated and timid face. They destroy the enthusiasm of others around them. The third category is expressionless faces! When you speak to them, you will not know if they are listening to you at all!

Have you ever thought where you belong to in the above three types? We are not alone in this world. We are surrounded by people. How we present ourselves to others will decide the quality of our interpersonal relationship. Your facial expression conveys something very important about your internal personality. In fact your facial expression conveys how you feel inside.

From today, resolve to carry a pleasant and enthusiastic facial expression. Initially you may find it difficult. Anything is possible if you understand why you need it.

(From my book “365 Exciting Ways to Live”)