Confessions of a Public Speaker

Chapter 10. Confessions

If you want to know how good a speaker really is, watch him give the same lecture twice. I’ve studied speakers and comedians, and it’s clear they do the same routines hundreds of times to get them right. If you want to learn the secrets of any performer, see his show twice. Then you’ll notice how much of what seems improvised truly is. Want to see if that impromptu joke I made was something special or part of the standard routine? You’ll only know for sure if you see me twice.

I’ve heard your question before. If I know my material, I’ve likely considered your question or been asked it before. The problem is, I can’t answer all the questions my material might introduce. It would be boring for reasons described earlier in the book. By the third or fourth time I’ve given a lecture, I’ve heard 70% of the questions I’ll likely ever hear on the topic. But all questions are good questions. Just because I’ve heard it before doesn’t mean I have a great answer yet, so I’m learning no matter how many times I’ve done it.

I have trouble making eye contact with friends. I’m very comfortable speaking to crowds, but if during the talk I see friends, my brain wants to joke with them; however, my instincts know it would be self-indulgent to do so. I love having friends attend my lectures, but part of me freezes when I see them. Not entirely sure why. You’d think I’d have sorted ...