Author, pastor, and speaker Charles R. Swindoll (@chuckswindoll), broadcaster on the syndicated radio program Insight for Living, has penned a new book about his childhood speech impediment and how he was able to overcome it. The Christian Post (@ChristianPost) asked Swindoll about his life, his stuttering speech as a boy, and the inspiration and drive behind his new book, Saying It Well.
If anyone has ever seen the movie The King's Speech…they will see something of the struggle that I went through. There’s nothing more fearful for the average person in our society than to stand before a group of people and speak. When you add to that the battle of stuttering, your problem is exacerbated beyond words.
So when I began to learn how to speak [publicly], I still had the fear, because I always had my speaking interrupted with the impediment. So it took some time to gain confidence over that. I am thankful that over time I have been able to conquer that battle though admittedly there are still times that I go back to the principles that were taught by my speech teacher....
...when it was at its worst, I think my mind was racing ahead of my ability to put it into words. I had to learn to pace my speaking. The use of pauses was really helpful. Knowing that some words come more difficultly than others, I have found it helpful, when I get to some of those words, that I pause, say it in my mind, and then I speak it more deliberately.
...if you can find ways in your life to conquer the fear of falling on your face or in some ways appearing foolish in front of an audience it would be helpful. I found several things come to my rescue; one is a good sense of humor. I am often the brunt of my own humor. People feel comfortable when you share stories like that.
...it’s important to begin with a statement in your speech that grabs the attention of the audience. I try to make my opening line 15 words or less. It’s the only part of my speech that I memorize and it doesn’t have to be profound, but if it carries with it something that breaks the “ho-hum” of the audience, then I think that is a great way to start.
After you’ve begun with that opening statement, you need to have an introduction that helps the audience know what you’re saying is important....help convince them of the value of what you are talking about.
...then you move into the body of your speech.... You move from one point to the next and on to the next, perhaps to four or five points, and along the way you do a little review of what you just presented. Then you bring up a new point to develop. As you’re moving along through the speech you’re moving towards a conclusion; this is the part many people leave out. Just as you need to have a good takeoff, you need to have a good landing. If you’ve done everything except land well you haven’t succeeded. So instead of just bouncing on the ground when you land, you need to have a smooth landing.
...remember to quit while [the audience is] still wanting more.
Let Somersault (@smrsault) help you represent your brand well in any public venue, including public speaking.
Be sure to bookmark and use daily the SomersaultNOW online dashboard.