My Confession
When I was a younger executive, I was to be given an award for excellence by an organization to which I belonged. I was invited to the dinner where the award was to be presented and was asked to say a few words. I must admit that I was scared to death because at that time my background as a speaker was quite limited.
The evening arrived and I found myself seated on the platform next to the main speaker of the evening, a person with a national reputation for witty and entertaining after dinner talks.
I confided and confessed my fears to the main speaker, “I am supposed to say a few words and I cannot think of anything to say. In fact, I am terrified.”
The guest speaker smiled sympathetically, “I know just how you feel,” he said, “I have made hundreds of speeches, yet I am probably just as scared as you are.”
I was surprised and said, “But … you do not have to be afraid!”
The speaker then said, “Let me tell you a secret. Everyone on earth is shy and self-conscious underneath. All of us are timid about meeting strangers, whether singly or in a group like this.”
“That audience out there,” continued the main speaker “is just as scared as you are, believe it or not. So if you just spend the first few seconds trying to make them relax and feel comfortable with you, you will forget your own fears and make a fine speech. Just try it.”
I did and it worked for me that night and has always helped me present myself adequately. Thanks to my mentor, Sir Ronald Gould.