Most say there aren’t short cuts, but they are full of prunes. Some say you must be born with the gift of public speaking, baloney. Some may seem gifted more than others at first blush, but the gift was paid for one way or another. The bottom line, barring a legitimate phobia, just about anybody can wow an audience most of the time. It helps if you are actually at least a borderline expert of course, but even that is optional.

The best of the speakers and actors today can tell you tales of a near fatal experience, or wishing it was, when speaking or acting somewhere in the beginning of their career. I am one of them. When presenting a report to my peers at Chrysler Corporation in the mid 70’s I was dumbfounded to realize I instantly went to pieces. It made no sense, and that was part of my downfall. As a natural born show-off I had no idea this event was going to be a Titanic proportioned disaster.

It began simply. I approached the podium and set my brilliant speech at rest. I turned to the opening clincher and looked at the audience to see one hundred angry eyes, that’s fifty souls if you do the math. No sweat. At first. Then I uttered something. It was suppose to be a salutation, but it sounded more like static. My throat was as tight as my grandmother’s purse. It was dry too. Like Mark Twain’s sense of humor. But I found nothing funny ’bout this. My next sound was somewhere at the upper scale of La Boheme’s aria which frightened my delighted spectators while I felt too much like a freak at the circus, which was more desirable at that distinct moment. The rest is a blur. Numbed to stupefying proportions I sloshed back to my chair. Come to find out I was drenched. Sweat indeed.

In the safety of my company car I drove the three hundred and thirty miles home with my head down least anyone recognize me for my deaf defying public appearance. It was a scary movie replaying in my mind over and over and over and over. I made a vow. Never ever put myself in that place again. I could hear the applause of my colleagues at my decision. “Good decision Mac. That was the worst. Ever.”

I had one other resolve. Dale Carnegie Course—of course. That’s it. Why shrink from civilization when you can be a speaking wizard. I was afraid a little magic would be in order.

The first night of two speeches I went through three t-shirts, but got through. Slowly and yes surely it began. In the end I looked forward to addressing my fellow captives. But the biggest prize came when the instructor exhorted, “seize every opportunity to speak in public.”

Of the things I have done without knowing any better this was the most rewarding. Yeah I know, it sounds like practice, practice, practice. There is no substitute. The polished pontificators appear that way because they refine at any and every occasion, and they observe with critical eyes.

You may never know what your public speaking ability will lead to but it will lead to something. I have over 600 performances under my belt with nearly as many rubber chicken luncheons. You can reach an astonishing number of ears even if you start with just two—your own.

Mac McConnell sold an award winning art gallery to form BibleActor.com devoting full time to scripting and performing one-man Biblical dramas. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFZfUk2EOyo
He gained a world flying speed record and received his black belt in TaeKwon-Do at age 60. His first historical novel, “Forever Changed” is now out on the life of Zacchaeus. http://www.way.org/
Press release info http://www.labmediaonline.com/macmcconnell/

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