Update! As of 18 Nov 2015, we’ve over 341 students enrolled within a week of launching the online course.
Here is what some of them have said:
Concise yet comprehensive
Content is comprehensive and informative. The bite-sized information caters to the needs of people who are keen in picking up this art but don’t have time to commit to a face-to-face course. – Cai Feng 1 days ago
Great content
Great content – straight to the point on what is required in performing as an emcee and valuable takeaways! Brilliant! – John Cho, 2 days ago
We’ve got a special deal for those of you who are serious about upping your speaking skills as an emcee, or to become more professional.
Editors Note:
This post is written entirely for learning purposes. Any sarcasm and cynical comments found herein are included for entertainment purposes, and not meant to offend.
[C’mon… give me a break I head to go through the video 5 times!]
[5 minutes 46 seconds, if you average 3 words per second]
By now, if you live in Singapore, or have friends who are Singaporeans – you would have heard about the latest video controversy making its round on the internet.
I was asked by a local news paper, The New Paper to give my views on the video and the reasons for the reception it received.
Here’s my take on the misses and hits, and what we can learn from it.
MISSES:
1) Robotic “Personalities”
Go through the first 40 seconds of the video, and you’ll see bodies people largely standing still. Even for people who speak, their gestures and mannerisms appear largely controlled.
Having worked in front of the camera, I’m aware of the need to minimize distracting mannerisms.
Unfortunately, minimizing mannerisms in this case has swung to the other extreme, causing a number of people in the video to appear contrived and “emotionless”.
What really stood out for me, is how one person, apart from his/her voice, speaks and sounds almost the same as the other person – how’s that for personality and personalization?
What could’ve been better: Variation in tone, pace and hand gestures would’ve broken the seeming monotony of “robotic personalities”. They key is to present one’s personality and energy.
2) Synchronized Movement: An Irony of Preparation
This is probably a sad irony of preparation. Where an audience demands sincerity and connection with the people who may eventually be their leaders, synchronized gestures throughout the video (ie, at 0:26s) suggests a rehearsed attempt and hardly suggests that actions from the activists (pardon the pun) “came from the bottom of the heart”.
Even the following segment by the West Coast Region YP, an apparent attempt at presenting a united front – backfired, when the actions appeared overly orchestrated.
Tanjong Pagar Region YP (3:44) upped the ante with their segment with an even more uniformed recital of what they wanted to say and with their eyes all over the place except the camera.
Eyes at the camera, please?
What could’ve been better: Have close ups of individual activists from within the group, present shortened, specific segments. So everybody gets air time, but there’s less “group” coordination required for the recital.
It’s also perfectly fine to look at the camera to simulate eye contact with the audience.
By the way, having one’s eyes moving systematically, from left to right gives people the perception that you’re reading off a script/teleprompter and not speaking from the heart… so doing that is also highly discouraged.
It’s hard to convince people that you truly believe in and care for something, when the delivery appears to be devoid of emotion, scripted and prepared.
3) Language: Can you Connect with the Common Man?
I noted a couple of instances, when the words used by the presenters weren’t naturally relatable to or immediately understandable by the man on the street.
In short, we don’t use them as part of of our daily conversations.
Take for example the segment presented by Holland-Bukit Timah Region, where it was said, “We must continue to be responsive to the ever-changing social, political and economic environment, by distributing resources in a caring manner, and balancing market forces and government intervention for Singaporeans to better cope with living expenses.
That’s a lot of big words there.
Instead of that, how about, “We must continue to be sensitive to the needs of Singaporeans – by sharing with them the fruits of the country’s labour and help them with the costs and challenges of living.
(I don’t like the word “challenging” here… but hey, I came this at the top of my head and it’s still better than the original version, no?)
Then there are terms that even I find confusing… such as East Coast Region YP’s “Diversity in Social Mindset” – I understood the explanation that came after the term… but I did find myself scratching my head wondering why that can’t be replaced with the phrase “Having more members from more diverse backgrounds” (… other than doctors, lawyers, etc).
If only the other YP branches heeded the advice of Choa Chu Kang Region YP, who called for communication to be simple, concise and easy to understand…
===============================================
Okay, now that I’m done with the misses… let’s consider the hits.
Content: Pretty sound there – there’re no surprises here. Every thing is spic and span and no controversy erupted over a message that could’ve been misconstrued etc. At least the PAP doesn’t have to be embarrassed by a message.
PartyDiscipline: Say what you like, the teams still pulled together to deliver a consistent message/direction is still commendable. Achieving that by itself is a feat, considering the massive machinery that is the PAP.
A for Effort and Putting Yourself Out There: Trying to be ‘natural’ and coordinated… you’ve got to say, the people tried and they’re really NOT actors!
It would be great if the speakers could achieve the level of unconscious competency in the area of public speaking, communication and connecting with their audience.
Hey guys… just in case you’re wondering where you can learn that, I know of a coach who does a great job at helping people with that! *winks*
===============================================
Summary:
To be fair, I truly believe getting the different branches to send in a “proper” video for compilation is a mammoth task.
The PAP, known more for its discipline accuracy (think engineers and lawyers) and assuming the role of the ruling party would naturally place greater emphasis on the content of its message.
Still, try as they like, the call for people to focus on intention and the message is expected… but will very likely fall on deaf ears.
After all, people don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.
Therefore, although I believe that there exists real concern (and passion) hidden under the cloak of nervousness and unrefined performance, the art of communication and connecting with the audience is a skill the PAP needs to work on, if they wish to really soften the blow of their (hard) policies and move the audience into believing that they know what’s best.
This is old news. If you haven’t heard, an insanely addictive game going by the name of “Flappy Bird” swept through the world over the last year. Rumour has it that it garnered over 50 million downloads across both the App and Google Play stores. The game was so successful, that it began raking in $50,000 per day for its developer.
Yet early this week, its developer decided to pull the plug on it. News has it that the game became so popular… because it looked so simple, and yet was so difficult to play, made it exceedingly addictive to play.
I should know. I played it too – two days before it was taken down.
Since my acquaintance with the game, I’ve come across a wide array of people people who’ve celebrated as well as condemned it. I can see and appreciate both perspectives – and I refuse to be drawn into taking sides.
Why?
It’s because I see the value behind the game, and have drawn important life lessons from it. Here are my top five:
#1 Flappy Bird Teaches You the Value of Persistence
I’ll admit… the game has probably ‘stolen’ up to four hours of my life. On a late Saturday night out with my buds to catch a football match on TV – all it took was for one of us (okay… me) to download the game. Before we knew it, all the mobile devices had flappy bird on it… and we spent close to two hours on the game… and by game, I didn’t mean the football match.
For close to two hours, the five of us us strived to outdo each other in high scores department. There were moans, groans and lots of swearing each time ‘flappy’ died.
Did we give up?
No.
I’m no super high scorer, really. In fact, I’m not keen to get into triple digits just for the sake of it.
Instead, I recognize that through persistence and practice, we get better at some thing we put our minds to… and that makes a difference.
Lesson: Persistence matters.
Lesson #2: Practice is Only Half the Story
Instead, our scores got higher. The few of us who banded together even shared learning ‘secrets’ to outdo “the other”.
I’ll admit, my progress was really slow. But until my pair of buds decided to let me in on a little secret of theirs (they were the top two scorers) I was close to the bottom… constantly frustrated and annoyed by another irritating friend of mind.
One simple little tip later, I doubled my score and I became the annoying bugger baying for blood.
Lesson: Practice doesn’t make perfect if you don’t know what to do.
The same goes to the many things we aim to do in life. We can spend hours practicing… but until you know what to do, you might not be doing it right.
#3 It’s ‘Fun’ When You See it as a Challenge
I use open inverted commas here because I know some people will disagree.
I understand the game can be is incredibly frustrating. The curious question however, how did so many of us get addicted to it?
I believe the secret lies in seeing it as a challenge.
We believe that we can do it – and so we put our hearts, minds and souls into doing better each round.
The result (after many hours) is that there will be results – because we’ve invested time, effort and thought into it… and witnessing progress can be really gratifying and addictive.
Lesson: Our our personal development journey can be so so much more gratifying once we start looking at it as a challenging game.
#4 It You Get the Hang Of It After Awhile
I’m going to admit that I kept crashing into the pipes, I struggled to get pass the 10th point on several occasions (to put it nicely).
Looking back, I realized my rhythm was off and I struggled with my timing to ‘tap’. That’s, in comparison to how I approach the game now.
I realized I can easily get beyond the 30-40 mark now without actively thinking about when to tap. I’ve worked up a rhythm… a routine on when to tap so that I do not crash and navigate through the maze almost seamlessly.
Lesson: Like most skills in life, practice makes progress. Once you commit the process to the sub-conscious level, you don’t have to actively think about it any more… and that makes working the skill so much easier.
Think of how you learned to ride the bicycle, drive or swim – the process is similar.
# 5 It’s All About Focus
Again, I’ve another admission: I struggled with my ability to focus my attention on the game when I first started. Mainly because there were so many things going through my mind.
Yet through consistent practice (trials, to be exact), the process took effective and my mind became conditioned with the routine. Like #4 – I don’t have to actively think about what I need to do any more, my hands get the job done, and I’m able to block out distractions that render me ineffective.
In a related article, I’ve read about how so many people have written extremely critical letters to the game creator blaming him for their addiction. I find it ironic… because (I feel that) the game has taught me how to cure my own addiction to distractions.
It’s for that reason I’m comfortable and able to put my phone down to pen this article.
Lesson: A key to getting things done is the ability to focus. The ability to “focus” is a skill – and by that definition it can be honed.
Don’t blame your addiction / inability to focus on somebody else. The buck stops with you.
Summary:
Too many people give up, not due to of a lack of knowledge, but due to a lack of commitment… due to a lack of belief – either in the outcome, or the effort they’re putting in.
The key however, is recognizing that time, thought and effort do pay off as long as we we’re willing to acknowledge the progress we’re making, and continue to push our boundaries.
The fact that we are willing to put up with such an incredibly frustrating game… and push our boundaries on it… is enough proof that as long as we put our minds to something, we can become better at it.
The same principle applies to confidence building, relationships and public speaking.
As the saying goes, it’s mind over matter. If you don’t mind it, it doesn’t matter.
After spending hundreds of hours reviewing some of the best speeches presented by this two maestros on stage, we’ve distilled several key lessons that you can take away in the span of three hours.
Yes, THREE HOURS!
Our research team has worked round the clock to review and distill hundreds of hours worth of research and lessons into 3 power-packed hours for your educational benefit.
And if you’re wondering if it’s all talk and no play… I can assure that cannot be further from the truth.
Included in this workshop (repeat, WORKSHOP!) will be opportunities for you to practice, share and network with other like-minded, positive individuals.
Your investment, if you’re coming alone (why!?) would be a mere S$50/-.
That’s $10/- per skill!
But I’m going to throw in some sweeteners for you. Come with a friend (or friends!) and we’ll give you 20% off each ticket. That’s $40/- per person if you come with your friends!
Good deal?
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Nah… I cannot help it. Let’s get the party started. For those of you who are really keen, and ready to take advantage (of me), I’ll be throwing in an early registration promotion. Sign up now with a friend and enjoy each ticket at $25/- only.
You heard me right: $25/- only!
That’s 50% off the original price!
All to reward your enthusiasm and for being proactive when it comes to learning.
Select the respective ticketing options, register with participant details and you’re set.
It’s that simple!
So what are you waiting for?
Register for the workshop today!
For more information on the programme, simply click on the event poster and scroll through the posters. Alternatively, you may reach me by mail at gary@garyguwe.com or gary@speak-ventures.com. Drop me a mail at either address and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.
One of the few people that consistently come to mind, when I ask participants at my workshop who they thought was a great speaker, would be the late Steve Jobs. Make no mistake about it, hate him or love him, he did set the stages he graced alight and abuzz whenever he took to it.
Many people wondered if it was just the “Mac” factor, the undeniable success brought forth by line of sexy and elegant gadgets that Apple has come to be known for.
Hougang By-Election, Politics Singapore Photo taken off Channel News Asia
Those of you residing in Singapore would probably know the story. It was a breathtaking two weeks of hustings with a local by-election in the electoral division of Hougang. For quite an extended period, the Opposition Workers Party seemed to be on its back foot as talks of party disunity, indiscipline and issues of integrity dominated the headlines.
Political observers, initially in unison in their analysis that despite it being the opposition’s stronghold, a number of voters could be swayed to support the ruling party, due in part of reasons why the by-election was called for in the first place. Yet, as allegations and issues surrounding the opposition party and its members surfaced, the ruling party seemed to jump on unto the bandwagon to amplify the issues in a bid to whip and collect political advantage.
Unsurprising I would say. It’s politics. It’s a game of one-upsmanship. Why let your opponents go, when you can use the opportunity to show the world, the audience – your voters – that your opponents are not up to the mark? That their quality, or or abilities are not up to par, or even their arguments and proposals are fundamentally flawed?
Unfortunately, what seemed to be a natural, political move, seems to have backfired, again, and the electorate returned the constituency to the opposition, margin of 62.09% to 37.91% of the total number of eligible votes.
Political commentators responded in their analysts, that the ruling PAP should’ve and could’ve narrowed down the margin… but the PAP’s constant harping on integrity issues and their attempts to pull down their opponents suggested that the ruling party “hadn’t learned their lesson” since the last General Elections.
Now I’m no political whiz, and my interest lies more in my country’s future than in political affiliations (i.e, I will vote for the best candidates available to me, after careful analysis of what they both stand for, and not necessarily along party lines).
However, based on my analysis as a speech coach and speaking strategist, it is my view that the old method of mudslinging at campaigns is over. Personality attacks simply do not work anymore, and whilst enough noise may still be generated from a sizable electorate in larger countries, the truth is that positive personalities… people who are likable are tend to draw crowds towards them and their ideas like moths to a flame.
The point in contention here isn’t just about content. You can give the best speech in the world… but nobody will buy it if they don’t trust you, and if they don’t trust you, they won’t like you, and if they don’t like you, they won’t buy you or buy from you.
Nobody cares about how much you know, until they know how much you care – John C. Maxwell
It’s not only a battle of minds, for minds, but also a battle for hearts.
It’s been an upward climb and an incredible journey, but we’ve been recognized as one of the country’s best! And we cannot have done it without you!
Our nomination and award came in as a surprise – it was not something we (my business partner and myself) were chasing, although we would be lying if we denied that we were secretly hoping for something in the like of the award to come along to raise our profile. It is essential, after all, that good ideas need to be transmitted, spread, communicated for anybody to do well – and we are glad that we’d caught the eye of the judging panel during their selection and awarding process, particularly in a competitive business environment in Singapore.
The milestone is a testament of the amount of hard work we’ve poured into, not only building the company as a training and coaching entity, but also as symbol that hard work does get rewarded – and communication is important.
What must also be highlighted also is, at the end of the day, that effective communication does not merely involve talking (the production of sounds) or language (words) – but a whole myriad of considerations involving psychology, body language and sociological considerations.
Sounds complicated, I know. What it means in a nutshell, is that we’ve got to understand and take into account, the different personalities that we speak to, their personal and cultural backgrounds, and also how ideas, information and emotions may be reflected through non-verbal cues.
Those, combined with an awareness of the situation and one’s ability to deliver an appropriate message all contribute towards one achieving success on stage.
Sound simple enough, I know. Easy to implement, no.
And that is one of the key reasons why we’re still in business – and doing one heck of a job empowering individuals like you in the area too.
So watch this space. For we’ll be coming back with more time-tested tips on what you can do to be come a better speaker soon!
And very importantly, thank you very much for the support!
Yours Sincerely,
Gary
PS: Join me on Facebook at the following pages, to receive more up-to-date information and access to great articles on public speaking, business and personal empowerment!
Too many people spend too much time trying to perfect something before they actually do it. Instead of waiting for perfection, run with what you go, and fix it along the way…
– Paul Arden – International Best Selling Writer
Many a times, many people think themselves to death when they think about public speaking. They shudder when they think about what other people might think of them on stag. They cringe and cry, paralyzed by over analyzing the situation. Then they give up – running away is always easier.
The world woke up to a startling reality today. The world lost a revolutionary leader… a legend who, through his passion and brought on a new era in technological development and living with technology.
Russian President, Dmitri Medvedev, said: ‘People like Steve Jobs change our world.
American President, Barack Obama, said: He transformed our lives, redefined entire industries, and achieved one of the rarest feats in human history: he changed the way each of us sees the world.’
Even Bill Gates, founder of rival company Microsoft paid tribute to Steve Jobs as one who ” has had a profound impact on the world, the effects of which will be felt for many generations to come”
Love him or hate him, nobody can deny impact and imprint Steve Jobs had left on the on world, on technology, and on our lives.
For me, he was more than the chief designer of my favorite techs: my iPhone 3G (yes… and I have not decided if I would like to get my hands on the 4S) and my MacBook Pro – the first computer I’d fully bought for with money I earned.
To me, he was a visionar leader and role model who epitomized the qualities and person I strive to be: Passionate, Resolute, Charismatic and Eloquent. Did I mention too that he was a visionary?
Perhaps, what struck me hardest about Steve Jobs, was his resilience in pursuing a dream and vision, and putting across to the people he worked with, and to the world. As a Communications Coach and Presentation Skills Trainer, his speeches are the object of my intense research and analysis – and I continue to derive new strategies and techniques simply by watching him speak.
To me, he was more than a businessman – he was an artist – and few would disagree, that there are very few in the world who could marry Art, Technology and Business together successfully… and I continue to admire him for his craft and personality for making things happen and for keeping things fresh and exciting.
Perhaps then, that’s why the world continues to be enchanted by Apple and its products. It’s Steve’s spirit of “Impossible is Nothing” and “Just Do It” personified – traits that even Adidas and Nike have to bow down to respect.
Tim Cook, Steve Job’s success as CEO Apple, paid tribute by saying that “Steve Jobs left behind a company that only he could’ve built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple…”
In my opinion, I think Steve Jobs has left more than that. To that extent, I would like to leave you with arguably the best speech he has ever presented to – the three life lessons and stories he told to the world on a elevated Stanford Stage.
To all his admirers, those who admire good speakers and those who yearn and are fighting for a better life the message is simple:
Keep Going! Follow Your Heart!
Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish.
Here’s wishing you all the best in your public speaking and personal development journey.
I had the privilege and honour of being invited to share my entrepreneurial experience to a group of highly positive and driven individuals a few months back. And as I recall the the scene in which I was approached was invited appeared comedic in retrospect, I can assure you that it came as much as a surprise as it was unnerving…
Flashback
I was sitting alone by myself close to midnight at the National University of Singapore… minding my own business (literally… I was working!) as I sought to clear the never-ending stream of emails… when out of the blue, a lady decked in a red dress, and long flowing black hair crept up to me. Gingerly, she asked, “Excuse me… are you Gary?”
At that moment, I wasn’t sure whether to run or jump. For some odd reason, I sat where I was. (It must have been because I was still clearing my emails on my Mac!)
Summoning my strength, I replied in my calmest voice, “Yes. And you would be…?”. I was pleasant and cordial, as I usually am *winks*… but secretly and silently, I hoped she would disappear. Then again… maybe not!
A smile broke out on her face (oh no!), and before I could bolt, she exclaimed excitedly, “Really! Wow! I didn’t expect to see you here!”
I had half the heart to tell her that neither did I, but I let it slide.
By then, we had shook hands, I knew she was human.
Apparently, this lady in red had chanced upon my blog… and had been hoping to invite me as a guest speaker for an event she was organizing *whew…* for the Vietnamese community in Singapore.
It wasn’t the first time I’d attended a Vietnamese-organized event, and I saw no reason not to extend my affinity with this group of extremely pleasant people.
And so, I agreed. Never mind that I had been scared off half my wits, or that the event was only 8 days away. I thought I could contribute, and we had a date.
Fast forward
It’s been months since the talk, but I still could not get it out of my head. And why should I?
Although it’d overran, and I suspect that at least 15% of what I spoke about was lost in translation… it was still an extremely successful and heartening sharing. Not only was the event a great networking opportunity, it also gave me greater insights into the lives and aspirations of the hard-striving Vietnamese community.
And it was through that session, that new friendships were born, and aspirations were ignited… and through a mere hour, lives were changed forever.
A recent participant (a local Singaporean girl) commented that it’s a great to work in the line of education, because “When one teaches, two grow together- both the teacher and the student”.
Incidentally, that was also a quote by Robert Heinlein – an American Science-Fiction writer.
Like how one Chinese pioneer remarked, that “Money is only useful when it’s used”, “Knowledge is best appreciated, when it’s shared”.
It’s for moments like these, when ideas are shared and lives transformed that reminds one of the beauty of education and empowerment.
I am heartened by the transformation, and encouraged by the passion the audience had for education. Above all, I’m driven to give more.
I may only be one man, and my efforts are limited. But so as a candle may be small, it’s light still fills a room.
Join me lighting up the emptiness. Let us be the light unto the world, one flame at a time.
Wise men learn by other men’s mistakes, fools by their own. -Unknown
I gave a talk on learning and progressing as a public speaker recently, when I was asked by a participant, “how exactly can we model and learn specific skills from observing other, better speakers”.
Fantastic question!
Earlier, I had spoke about shortcutting one’s route to success, by observing the best, and incorporating the best practices into’s one’s arsenal of skills.
This is was one of the personal strategies that helped catapult my progress within a relatively short span of time, and it’s a very powerful and efficient strategy, especially in an era when resources and case studies are made easily available with the internet and Youtube.
So how exactly can one learn and model after others?
For those of you (Singaporeans) who have had the luxury and opportunity to tune in to the local television network lately, you may have noticed a new family campaign going on.
The campaign – more specifically the video – aims to strengthen family bonds and encourage the spirit of filial piety amongst the generation that grew up with the internet and culture of individualism.
Whether intentional or note, the video has sparked quite a debate about the issue of the individual wants vs family needs, the values of the young vs the old, and the issue of ‘reason’ versus ‘
Essentially, it highlights the different perspectives embraced by different generations and challenges the viewer to think and question deeper about family and how an individual reacts / should react in relation to an elder.
So it’s been almost a year since I last posted a entry… I’m well aware of that, and I apologize to all of my loyal fans and readers out there!
Well, you must say that I didn’t leave you without a treasure trove of thoughts, reflections and tips! My only ‘sin’ was that I couldn’t keep up with the flurry and influx of work and engagements – which incidentally is a good thing right (because they prove that the strategies do work… hence I’ve got more to do!)
Anyway, I digress.
I must say I’ve still been very much in touch with public speaking and communication. In fact, I’ve been doing quite some intensive research over the past year during my recluse, and there’s lots more for me to share and for us to learn… and I’m hoping to share more thoughts, reflections and lessons here again *winks*.
To start off, I’d just like to share my thoughts about a new video that I just caught over the airwaves on the sunny island of Singapore.
The bustling streets, fervor activity. I’ve long heard about their friendliness, sincerity and enthusiasm at learning. But none had really prepared me for the scenes I was to see, yet alone be part of.
I’m of course, talking about my latest training adventure at Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Organised by a team of passionate and dedicated Vietnamese students, the iPresent,iLead workshop was incepted to address the mismatch of skills between young graduates and the demands of fast changing Vietnam labor market. Communication and presentation skills (hence iPresent) was identified as one of the key areas that they sought to shore up.
And boy did we have fun… training, I mean *winks*.
Over two days, two hundred students walked through the gates of the Ho Chi Minh University of Economics to gather skills on How to Overcome their Fears of Public Speaking, How to Craft an Impactful Speech, and How to Make Body Language Work For You. Continue reading iImpressed @ iPresent 2009→
I was coaching a friend on public speaking a couple of weeks back when we were addressing about her public speaking anxiety. In her own words, her mind would go blank, she’d freeze and get paralyzed, and she’d suffer from panic attacks thinking about her impending doom… erm… I mean presentation *winks* for weeks to come.
Sounds familiar?
Anyway, we were talking and analyzing her anxiety attacks when it dawned upon me that she held several misconceptions and “displaced faith” towards public speaking.
Now let me clarify, she’s an educated, insightful intelligent and hardworking individual who knows what she wants and what she’s doing. The only problem is that she’s been so active at avoiding speaking up for so long now that she’s forgotten how speak!
In fact, I even remarked (to her) that she has been doing a great job at whatever she’s been doing for the past couple of years! Just think about it – She’s been so successful hiding, she’s successfully taught herself to run away from speaking!
Still, more importantly, the insights and concerns she shared with me about her fear, however, helped me crystallize some of the major lessons I’ve learned about public speaking and the concept of fear! And I thought it would be great to share them with you too!
The Shy Speakers' Guide to Success 