Passion, that is right, passion. When you have passion for a topic such as public speaking you will rise to the top of your speaking game.

It was not so long ago when I was trying to learn the secrets to become the best platform speaker in the professional speaking industry. Guess what I discovered?

Okay, no more suspense. I learned that to become the best speaker you can become you must love it. That is it, no more!

Like anything you love to do, you tend to do it without watching a clock, pouring yourself into it, and or never ever getting tired of learning about your craft.

Public speaking is the top skill one must possess if you are to make a significant mark in the business world. Let me state it another way, if you are not in front of an audience leading them to achieve excellence, you are not living your passion.

After a recent speech, during the question and answer period someone ask me the following question, “Do you get nervous when you speak in front of an audience?” I responded by saying, “I get nervous if I do not have an audience to speak to.”

When you love something nothing else really matters. I love coming up with new ideas and concepts for speech delivery. For example, prior to delivering a speech I like to meet members of the audience, shake hands and see how they are doing.

I recommend you do this as well because it is very personal and people enjoy relating to someone who is going to deliver a thought-provoking message to lead them to a position of better understanding. During my speech I call upon a few people I met prior to the speech and it creates a win/win for all involved.

The bottom line is I genuinely enjoy meeting people and people connect with people they like, even if it is for a short period of time. Being a seasoned speaker I know how to work the audience and the audience reciprocates in kind.

Prior to your next speech, if you want to command the platform, take a minute or two to meet and greet a few audience members, it helps settle your nerves and helps audience members see your personality.

The key point I want you to take away from this article is for you to be yourself. Nothing is better than being yourself. The minute the audience perceives you talking above them, is the minute you lose your audience.

You were born to win as a speaker and the audience wants you to win and you will. I never want to disappoint my audience, that is what drives me to put in the research, practice, and delivery.

Find you voice by knowing who you are. You were born for greatness and your next speech will change lives. Finding your voice is synonymous with finding your audience, remember if you care enough about your audience your voice will find you.

Paul Lawrence Vann is a motivational speaker and author of the book, Living on Higher Ground. He leads Fortune 500 companies, associations, government agencies, and educational institutions to achieve higher levels of excellence through his leadership and diversity strategies. His clients include MasterCard International, United States Air Force Academy, USEPA, National Military Family Association, Toastmasters International, John Hopkins University, and numerous other organizations.
http://www.paullawrencevann.com, http://www.livingonhigherground.com, http://pvann.blogspot.com, (800) 476-8976.