Desire is a powerful urge to have or do something. It is far stronger than merely wanting or wishing. Desire is a state of mind. It is a key factor for success in every endeavor. To desire something means you yearn for it so intensely that you are prepared to hurdle over any obstacle and endure any discomfort to reach your goal.
When you desire someone, what happens to you? You hold a picture of the person in your mind. You think about that person. You are passionate about them. You want to listen to them and speak to them as often as possible. You want to be with the object of your strong feelings. So your behavior changes. You look for opportunities to be in contact with that person. If those opportunities are not available, you seek to create them so you can reach you goal. As it is with a loved one, so it is with public speaking.
See yourself succeed
How can desire help you become a masterful public speaker? In your mind’s eye, see yourself as a confident person with a useful message that you communicate in an interesting way to a receptive audience. Try and make your visualization as vivid as possible. See the audience smiling, hear the sound of their clapping at the end of your talk. These mind pictures will keep you focused on your aim and fuel your desire to excel.
Go to school
Success is not accidental. To become best, systematically feed your desire to learn from the best. Go to YouTube and search for ‘public speaking tips’ to find videos of speaking coaches. Watch the videos and ask questions in the comments box about anything you don’t understand. Remember, you are aspiring to be the best so the more you know, the better you will be.
Learn from the best
You must desire to listen to great speakers. Go to as many public talks as possible and observe the speakers. Watch how they begin their addresses, make transitions and end their speeches. If you get the opportunity to speak to them after their presentations, congratulate them and tell them what you liked about their delivery. If the opportunity presents itself, you can introduce yourself as an up and coming speaker and ask for a tip. People at the top of their game are often willing to share their success secrets with people who approach them respectfully.
Put family first
How do you create speaking opportunities for yourself to build your desire to be an effective public speaker? Start from your family. Volunteer to be the MC for social events like naming ceremonies, birthday parties, wedding receptions and even funerals. Masters of ceremony employ public speaking skills to communicate with other speakers and audiences. The more you deploy these skills, the better you become.
Grab work opportunities
Do you work in a corporate environment? Opportunities abound to encourage your desire to be a better public speaker. Put your name forward any time there is an official event being organized such as a launch, a workshop or an end of year party. Apart from honing your skills, you will be networking with the decision makers in your company which will put you in a good position for future advancement.
You have to earnestly want to be an effective speaker to be able to become one. It is not a question about mere wishes. Your desire will give provide you with the fuel to fire your efforts in spite of your fears of failure. Remember, with desire you create the feelings you need to make your goal a reality. Desire to be the best and watch yourself make it happen!
Kafui Dey is a journalist, event host and author.
Twitter: @KafuiDey
Web: kafuideygroup.com
Blog: blog.kafuideygroup.com
WhatsApp/SMS: +233 240 299 122
For orders and delivery worldwide of his new book Public Speaking A to Z, call WALKING BOOKS on +233 242 808 031
