Speaking for a Reason

Steve Jobs was born the year Dale Carnegie died. It is an interesting coincidence considering what each one has offered to the world of public speaking.

Carnegie was a lecturer and a teacher. Born in 1988, Carnegie grew up to be a skillful orator. He was inspired by those he heard speak, perform, and entertain during Chautauqua assemblies. He sharpened his own orating skills by joining the school debate team. While in college he worked on reciting speeches and improving his oratory skills. He was such a great public speaker that other students began paying him to train them. Because Carnegie was such a great speaker he had great success as a salesman. Carnegie began teaching public speaking classes at the YMCA. In his lifetime he published two very successful books titled Public Speaking and Influencing Men of Business (1913) and How to Win Friends and Influence People (1931). In short Carnegie spent his life teaching people how to speak.

Jobs was an innovator, inventor, and pitchman. He was the face of the Apple corporation. Apple products have revolutionized technology. Jobs had a great impact on the success of Apple products because of the way in which he was able to pitch the object. It didn't matter that he wore jeans and a black turtle neck, it was his enthusiasm, humor, and eloquence in his speeches that made all the difference. Check out his pitch on the iPad.

Jobs knew his products were great, so he was able to pitch that they were great. His passion in his speeches reflects his passion in the product.

Although Jobs and Carnegie both used their speaking talents for different reasons, they both influenced the people who heard them speak. Jobs and Carnegie both had experience as salesmen. In their speeches they were teaching the public about something particular. For Jobs it was Apple products, for Carnegie it was how to speak. It seems as though Jobs could have taken some of Carnegie's classes because Jobs'  seems to have followed the titled Public Speaking and Influencing Men of Business. Jobs and Carnegie had two very different reasons for the public speaking they did.

So, what is it exactly that made these two men such influential speakers? Both had a way with words. Both were not afraid to speak out. Carnegie constantly worked on improving his speeches. While Jobs may not have taken any formal classes on speaking, he continued to improve his speeches as he pitched, unveiled, and sold more Apple products. How can you take what these two great speakers did and apply them to your own speeches? Practice and also educate yourself on how to speak.

Here is a personal example of lessons I've learned from public speaking. I had prepared and run through my 10-10 speech on Walt Disney several times. I knew the information relatively well and had notes to guide me. When it was time for me to present, there were several technical difficulties, which made me nervous. Once the presentation was in place, I was unable to see the notes I had set up. Therefore, I had to speak from memory. It is a good thing that I had practiced several times, however, my presentation wasn't as good as I had hoped it to be. I repeated myself a few too many times and stumbled over some words. However from this experience I gained valuable lessons. One would be to stay calm, two know the subject matter very well, three to be prepared for the worst. If I had my notes on notecards I wouldn't have had to worry about the technical aspect. I am relatively good at giving speeches, but to become a better speaker I will follow Carnegie's and Jobs' example. They learned from the speeches they made and thought about ways to improve them. You too can take their lessons and apply them to your own speeches.