Welcome to the 5th edition of “Interviews with Speaking Experts”. The expert for today is Darcy Keith. Darcy is a motivational speaker whose message focuses on the common challenges that we all face. Darcy has appeared in the Toastmasters magazine and on the ABC News Now program “Be Seen Be Heard”.
Marcus Smith: On a scale of 1 to 10 how would you rate your first speech? Why?
Darcy Keith: I would rate my first speech on injury prevention as a 1. The reason why I rate it this low is because I sat at a desk in the front of a bunch of high school kids reading from note cards. My self-confidence was so low that I couldn’t even stand up in front of the class.
Marcus Smith: On a scale of 1 to 10 how you rate your last speech? Why?
Darcy Keith: I would rate my last speech as an 8. I always have room for improvement. I rated it high because it was a 25 minute speech for 115 people. I used minimal notes while receiving MANY compliments and product sales after my presentation.
Marcus Smith: In your opinion what is the most important part of a speech? Why?
Darcy Keith: I feel the most important part of your speech is the opening. The opening sets that stage for the speech and gains the audience’s attention. If the opening is boring, you may have lost your audience from the get-go.
Marcus Smith: In your opinion what is the least important part of a speech? Why?
Darcy Keith: I don’t know if any part of your speech is the least important. The opening, body, and conclusion all have importance in the overall delivery of your message.
Marcus Smith: Why is public speaking such a paralyzing fear in the world today?
Darcy Keith: I feel that public speaking is such a paralyzing fear because folks are afraid of what others will think of them and what they have to say might offend someone. Many times, we are programmed not to “rock the boat”. We can’t rock the boat if we don’t speak and let others know our opinions or insight about our lives. Also, many people feel that when they speak in public, people are judging them.
Marcus Smith: Who is the speaker you admire the most and why?
Darcy Keith: James Malinchak. He is not only an awesome speaker, but an incredible marketer. I have learned so much from him and his speaking program.
Marcus Smith: What are your thoughts on writing a speech word for word prior to delivery?
Darcy Keith: Writing a speech word for word is something that I do to get my thoughts down and remember what I’m trying to relay. Then, I may summarize it into outline form. For me, this works the best in memorizing the speech and the concepts within it. However, I do not think that it is good to give it word for word, because if you forget a few sentences you could throw off your whole speech and not be able to recover. If you write it word for word and memorize the concepts behind each point you are more likely to remember where to go next in your speech if you forget some of it.
Marcus Smith: Why were you initially drawn to public speaking?
Darcy Keith: In my small hometown that had a fantastic high school Speech Team, many of my friends went to the speech workshops while in junior high. Going to the speech workshops was the “thing to do”, so I got involved in speech at a young age because my friends did it.
Marcus Smith: List 3 common myths about public speaking that you hear constantly. Tell us why they aren’t true.
Darcy Keith: (1) I can’t get up and speak in front of others. This isn’t true because a person is public speaking anytime they share a conversation with others. (2) You have to memorize your speech for it to be great. This is far from the truth. You don’t need to memorize it all, just make sure you have good eye contact with the audience. A memorized speech may fall apart if you forget part of it and aren’t able to get back on track. (3) Start the speech with a joke to get the audience laughing and listening. This doesn’t work because some of us, including myself, aren’t that funny. You can use an anecdote or a story with humor if you wish to get the audience laughing. Some jokes are offensive to some and will backfire on you.
Marcus Smith: What advice would you give someone who was about to deliver their first real speech before an audience?
Darcy Keith: Practice, practice, and practice! Take a deep breath and let it out before you start speaking.
To learn more about Darcy Keith and her amazing message go to her website at www.darcykeith.com.
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