PUBLIC SPEAKING CAN BE A NIGHTMARE

I’ve had many nightmare situations in public speaking, but this story takes top prize. You might guess it’s from my school years, but it actually took place when I was already experienced in public speaking.

Eager to improve, I joined a special course to communicate better. This class was all about emotional intelligence and effective speaking.

We had a simple task: introduce ourselves in less than a minute and hear what about 80 people thought about it.

I’ve learned the ropes of public speaking VERY well. 😎With my 20 years of experience, I used every skill I knew.

In that short time, I made the audience laugh and think. 🔥🔥🔥

🎤🎤🎤 After my speech, everyone seemed thrilled.

But then, the course leader, a real pro in emotional intelligence, shocked me. She said: “That was the fakest 🤬🤬🤬🤬 I’ve ever seen. Don’t you DARE sell out on him like that?”

She noticed I was just using techniques, not being real. I just wanted to be liked, and it showed.

This hit me hard. It was tough to hear but very important.

However, her goal wasn’t to put me down. She wanted to make me see the truth: I had been hiding behind techniques, focusing more on myself than the people listening.

A Turning Point: That tough moment changed my life and career.

🎯 I realized then that being true to myself, knowing my message, and bravely sharing it is more powerful than any speaking technique. Public speaking is not just what you say but how you say it, and that starts with being authentic.