03.11.08

Guest Blogger - Eric Feng

Posted in Public Speaking, Personal Development, UK, Jeremy Jacobs, 2008 at 7:39 pm by Jeremy Jacobs

London, UK

Just the other day on my sister site, Corporate Presenter, I wrote about a fairly new blog called TigerTwoTiger where the author was extolling the virtues of guest blogging. Within a day, I received an e-mail on behalf of Eric Feng from Singapore. Like me, Eric enjoys public-speaking and when he asked whether he could have a recent article reproduced in Jeremy Jacobs.com, I agreed - of course!

So here’s Eric with an article entitled “Do you know why top speakers and leaders are THAT good in their craft”. 

I do now, and I want to share their secret with you because this could effectively turn the table around and made you as good - if not better - than them.

Here goes.

Top speakers and leaders write daily.

Some of them write on their moleskin journal book which they carry with them everywhere they go. Some of them write into their PDAs or palm tops. Some of them scribble on napkins or the back of the receipt which they will transfer to their desktop at the end of the day. Bottomline is - they write, and they do that daily.

But why is daily writing so powerful?

Because - as Jefferey Gitomer aptly points out - writing is the basis of all wealth.

Writing helps you:

1. Clarify your thoughts and keep you focused for the day
2. Capture some of your best ideas
3. Create original content
4. Track your progress with regards to your goals
5. Crystallize all the daily lessons you have learnt
6. Develop your own unique voice

And here’s a brilliant one from Scott Ginsberg - writing daily allows you to laugh at some of the crazy stuff that you never thought you will write.

Let me expand on a few points.

Writing helps you capture some of your best ideas
Ideas come and go, they are as fleeting as the wind. And we all know how difficult it is to remember that brilliant idea that flashes past your head 30 seconds ago. Hence, the writing. It doesn’t matter if the idea is a good one. If you record enough of them, chances are, you will get a really good one that you can apply in your speech. One that will create an AHA moment for your audience, one that will cause your audience to talk about you - positively - for days, weeks and even months.

Create original content
Have you ever wonder how the top speakers come up with original content on the cuff, and say things that are wise yet fresh. I definitely do and now you can too. When you hear a quotable quote, write it down. When you chance upon an out-of-the-world experience, write it down. When someone shares with you an interesting story, write it down because you never know when they can use it. Put simply, things happen, (all you got to do is) pay attention!

And here’s the strange thing about writing which I can testify to. The more fervent you write, the more fascinating things you attract. All of a sudden, your life becomes a movie. You start hearing quotes from strangers that make them sound like Confucius. You start noticing pictures that make you laugh till your side hurts. You start collecting stories that will make stories from Chicken Soup pale in comparison. That, my friend, is the power of daily writing.

Crystallize all the daily lessons you have learnt
The best way to learn is by REFLECTING on your own experiences. When you make it a habit to write daily, you are giving yourself the opportunity to track your speaking progress. By crystallizing the lessons you have learnt, you create permanency (i.e. the lessons stick!). Writing also allows you to have clarity on how you can move forward with respect to your goals.

So there you go - one of the secrets of top speakers and leaders revealed. Average or Exceptional? It’s really up to you.

Just so you know, it takes 28 days to create a habit. So if you are keen to become exceptional, I suggest you start NOW. Get yourself a portable journal (a cheap one will do) and bring it wherever you go.

Before you go to work, spend about 30 mins journalling. Write down whatever that comes into your mind. Treat it as a form of clearning. Realign yourself to your goals. Write down what you want to achieve for the day and then proceed with living your day.

Along the way, when something interesting pops up in your head (say an idea) or in front of you (say a potential story), write it down IMMEDIATELY. Don’t wait, because you will forget. If you can’t find your journal, write it down on any piece of paper. Record it on your phone if you have to.

And at the end of the day, spend about 30 mins reviewing your day. If you have just delivered a speech, do a self evaluation. Write down your observations. Write down what you have done well. Write down what could have been done better and then create an action plan. If you are reading a book, jot down some of the key lessons or memorable phrases. You never know when you will use them.

Bottomline - WRITE. And write DAILY.

Cheers,
Eric Feng
Your Public Speaking Coach

P.S: See my moleskin journal book below.

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