I Was Insanely Shy — How Could I Win the International Speech Contest?
I was extremely shy, and to some extent still am. And I hated speaking in public too. You may ask my friends in high school or in college how I always avoided participating in discussions, let alone presentations.
In 2011, however, I had an opportunity to join the International Speech Contest and I became the champion.
This is not to brag about my achievement or anything. I am just trying to show you that simply by following the certain steps I’m sharing here, you too can achieve a similar goal.
Perhaps, for some people, the achievement is not exceptional. The competition I won was a regular competition held annually by a division of Toastmasters clubs in Surabaya and Bali.
The word “international” that it bears doesn’t mean it was an international event attended by an international audience. It is called so because the winner of the contest can go on to the next levels up to the Toastmasters International Convention to compete for the title of World Champion of Public Speaking.
But for me, it was a huge leap and became the turning point of my life. I literally transformed from nothing to something in public speaking. And that moment was one of my reasons I confidently made a decision to be a public speaking trainer, a profession I had always wanted to be.
Given my unimpressive track record, you must wonder how I could win the International Speech Contest.
The followings are what I did that helped take me to be crowned as the champion.
Joined speech contests
At first, joining speech contests was just part of the routine to help the club run the agenda as scheduled. My performance in the contests was usually ordinary if not poor. Very often I felt embarrassed after having performed.
But as time passed, I could see the benefits of doing it. No matter how I performed in the contests, I felt that my confidence and skills improved afterward. And I started to see why.
Taking part in a contest is different from giving a speech at a regular meeting. Joining a contest forces you to do your best to compete. You prepare more and practice more. Nobody wants to look bad when performing in a competition.
Watched videos
I loved watching videos of the world champions of public speaking delivering their winning speeches. My favorite speakers were Craig Valentine, Jim Key, and Darren LaCroix, to mention some.
I could watch a video I loved over and over again. It helped me understand the aspects that made the speaker win.
From watching the videos I learned the importance of injecting humor in a speech. Humor can help us engage with the audience more closely.
What I also found those champions had in common was using unusual props, costumes or gestures helped them stand out from the rest. Darren Lacroix had himself falling forward in his opening. Jim Key used two chairs to stand when he depicted a scene of a girl singing on a stage.
Practiced
Practice is an important step yet often overlooked by those who want to improve their public speaking skills.
The old adage “practice makes perfect” applies perfectly here. Even though you’ll likely never be 100% perfect by practicing, at least it will get you closer, however small, to that perfection.
Practice helps you internalize the content. Internalizing your content is vital in delivering a presentation. It guarantees your fluency and improves your confidence.
Now I practice anywhere in the house. But back then, when I was still single and lived in a boarding house, I usually practiced in my room. I would stand facing the table or the bed and speak, imagining that I was speaking to an audience. I did it so many times until I was confident that my delivery was smooth enough.
Got a coach
A coach can see what you can’t see. They also help you open your mind to new ideas and possibilities.
I was fortunate a friend of mine David Pranata, an experienced speaker, offered to coach me prior to my participation in the International Speech Contest. When he told me about the offer, I immediately said yes without hesitation.
I found David’s coaching very effective. After some coaching sessions, I felt that the quality of my speech improved significantly. David could see rooms of improvement that I didn’t see. From injecting humor to body language, from word choice to the speed of my delivery.
Those are four things I consistently did that helped me become the champion of The International Speech Contest. Simply by following those steps I believe you too can achieve a similar goal in public speaking.
