I came across an interview with David Brooks the 1990 World Champion of Speaking by fellow speaker and blogger Steve Pavlina. Steve, who runs a personal development blog, saw David Brooks give a presentation in Las Vegas. You should check out the interview right here.
Okay, a bit more info, Steve asked David the following questions:
1. What overall strategy did you use to become the 1990 World Champion of Public Speaking? How did you do it?
2. Why did you become a professional speaker? Was it a conscious choice or an accident? What motivates you to speak professionally today?
3. What’s your best advice for overcoming (or at least effectively managing) the fear of public speaking, especially for people who aren’t professional communicators?
4. What relevance do presentation and communication skills have to someone who doesn’t intend to make a career out of speaking?
5. In your Magic Moments series, you dissect notable segments from various contest speeches, both from the winners and the other finalists. What have been some of the most important distinctions you’ve gained from this dissection process, as opposed to simply considering each speech as a unified whole?
6. Would you share some practical, immediately applicable ideas for improving one’s presentation skills in a job-related setting?
7. What role does humor play when speaking on otherwise serious topics? How can one effectively incorporate humor into a presentation?
8. What are your favorite do’s and don’ts for creating more effective PowerPoint presentations?
9. What are some of the biggest mistakes you’ve made as a professional speaker, and what did you learn from them?
10. In your book The Seven Strategies of Master Presenters (co-written with Dr. Brad McRae), you tell a story from February 1, 2003, when you were slated to do a presentation immediately after your audience learned of the Columbia Space Shuttle explosion — right above their heads in Texas. As a professional speaker, how do you handle such unforeseen situations?
11. You very likely hold the distinction of being the person who’s spoken to more Toastmasters in the world than anyone else. In assuming this role, what have you learned that other Toastmasters probably haven’t?
12. What other advice, ideas, projects, and/or activities would you like to share with StevePavlina.com’s readers?
So there you have it all of Steve’s questions. Now, get yourself over to Steve’s blog and read this marvellous interview for yourself – World Champion Speaker.
