So, now let’s catch up. I know I haven’t had good things to write about here, but today, things sprang into thought because of a discussion I had with fellow trainer Ramesh.

Let’s talk frankly about professional speaking. Do you really think that being a speaker is just about talking and talking? In reality, to be a professional, there is more you have to care about than the subject matter or your content. In my opinion, professional speaking has the following elements

• helps people to develop themselves
• outcome focused and purpose driven
• taking stock of when and where a speaking engagement doesn’t go the way you want
• having the knowledge that tells people that you know your stuff… VERY well
• speaking is a means to a higher end

Let me focus on the last one. Speaking is really a means to an end for many great speakers. It is a goal-oriented activity. Speaking itself is not an end. You still need to help people along and move them to where you really want them to be. So, have you thought clearly about what you want when you are an exceptional speaker? What does speaking serve for you? Is it for expression alone, or is it to draw people closer to you? Is it to make people happy or is it to generate a sense of loyalty? All of these elements help you to build a clear purpose for speaking. It’s a journey and your outcome is your compass.

Beyond just speaking, I know some people do it for the money. Some others do it for their ego. Others build speaking capabilities as a result of their need and quest for constant improvement and focus their energies there.

Bottom line: is there money to be made in speaking? Yes, of course. People always need someone else to look up to. But, if you don’t constantly innovate your abilities and develop better content, help other people achieve better results, your desire to speak will brake to a standstill. It’s like the enthusiasm might get sucked out of you, and the purpose is no longer there. Don’t allow this to happen if you really want to be a good speaker. It takes a lot of spunk to build yourself as a speaker. You will fumble, you will encounter bad days and audiences who don’t care much about what you say.

I remember a time when I was tasked to deliver a presentation in a carnival. I was dressed in a shirt and tie, standing amidst more interesting characters like flame eaters, merry-go-rounds and roller coasters. I managed to get nobody’s attention except my own.

But the exercise for me was that I could literally lose myself and forget what I was thinking about and just go ahead and do the things I needed to do. The concept of “no mind” in karate is about forgetting yourself and being free from thought. When you can do this and speak, you will find that you are doing nothing more than just connecting with your audience and getting them to become better.

You don’t become better simply because you had more knowledge. You became better because what you learnt meant something to you. The purpose of your knowledge gaining activities was apparent, so don’t you think that you need to be mindful of your participants and their needs more so than ever to be a great speaker?

When I run speaking workshops, I emphasize that there are many different reasons why people actually speak. You might be a technical presenter or a motivational speaker. Whatever the case, your value is prized upon the kind of content and manner in which you delivered your presentation. And more so - not just for the short term but for the long term.