There’s this quotation about speech-making by Dale Carnegie that I just love.
“There are always three speeches for every one you actually gave. The one you practised, the one you gave, and the one you wish you gave.”
It’s so true! No matter how many times you practise a presentation, when you’re up there on stage it just comes out differently somehow. Whether it’s because you’re nervous or because you experience technical difficulties or because you get an unexpected reaction from the audience, like laughter after an anecdote you didn’t realize was funny – your speech just never goes exactly as planned, does it?
So who was this wise man Dale Carnegie, anyway? Well, he was the author of the oh-so-famous book How to Win Friends and Influence People, one of the best-selling self-help books of all time. You’ve heard of it, haven’t you? It’s such an important book that even though it was first published in 1936 – over 70 years ago! – people are still buying it, reading it and talking about it today.
In fact, Carnegie was one of the very first public speaking professionals. He began teaching workshops on public speaking at a New York City YMCA in 1912 and by 1916 he was speaking in front of sold-out crowds at Carnegie Hall. Inspiring, or what? He went on to create Dale Carnegie Training, which still operates today offering courses based on Carnegie’s numerous writings, including topics such as leadership training, communication skills and building self-confidence.
I highly recommend you read both How to Win Friends and Influence People and his book on public speaking, Public Speaking for Success. While Public Speaking for Success was first published in 1926 under the name Public Speaking: A Practical Course for Businessmen, it has since been updated several times and is still incredibly relevant today. Enjoy!
