MOST people are afraid of public speaking, but great leaders are known for their oratory prowess. Can public speaking be mastered? Can anyone learn public speaking? What is the secret of becoming a great orator? Jonah Nyoni (JN) interviewed Arthur “Ace” Evans (AE) to mine what it takes to be a great speaker. Arthur Evan is a Zimbabwean television presenter, master of ceremonies (MC) voice-over artist and radio personality.

JN: What is the importance of passion as a speaker?

AE: Passion fuels you; passion gives you the direction as well. So you can have fuel and go in any direction. Passion gives you the to go where you want your gift to take you.

JN: So what are the basic prerequisites for you to become an effective speaker?

AE: Number one, you have got to have talent. You literally have to have natural talent. Secondly, you have got to have the knowledge, so that you are qualified and know what you are speaking about.

Whether it is professional etiquette, whether it’s leadership, whether it is financial advice, you have got to have had knowledge.

Third one: it might sound odd, but you need a business plan. I take speaking as a business, so you need to have a plan of how you are going to grow from the speaker you are today into the next speaker. So you must have some strategy.

JN: I love captivating stories, what is the importance of stories when you are a public speaker, especially your own story in the bigger picture?

AE: Stories emote your crowd. They connect you on an emotional point and it is easier to deliver your points when people can understand or know a side of you.

It’s wonderful to think that you will get up in front of people and you will bamboozle them and impress them with your hidden knowledge, but when you show people that you are also just like them, stories will always allow people to attach their own perspective on you.

Once you have that connection, then you can grow and people will definitely get some take homes.

JN: Let us talk about self awareness. How important is it?

AE: As a speaker, you have got to play to your strengths in general. I don’t profess to be the best speaker in certain areas.

There are certain events or engagements that I turned down, because I know that it is not what I’m good at. I could do it, but I won’t do it as well as some people will do.

So being self-aware means that you know your strengths, you know your weaknesses, but you always play to your strengths. Knowing your weaknesses does not mean that you’re weak. It just means that you are wise.

JN: What is your advice to aspiring public speakers on knowing your stuff when you are on stage?

AE: I will say be humble. Your knowledge will speak for itself. And there is power in knowledge. It doesn’t have to be processed, it will come out naturally. Ego is not knowledge. Ego is not a gift or a talent.

JN: How important is understanding or knowing your audience?

AE: It is very important. If you don’t know the audience, you start talking about things that they don’t realise.

So, for example, if you are speaking to a group of ladies, and you start talking about football, you become irrelevant.

So knowing your audience is important; before the event, but also during the event. I have become a good reader of individuals and I think it stems from having the ability to read a crowd, an audience, to know the life cycle of a programme, to know that a person cannot always be smiling, a person can always be excited, so you cannot force people to be excited all the time.

So reading them and finding the mood and when to bring in facts, and when to elevate a person.

If it is a wedding, you elevate the bride and groom, instead of cracking a joke for the audience. At a corporate event, you elevate the brand, instead of trying to crack a joke.

JN: What are the final tips you can give to someone who wants to be a great speaker?

AE: People get promoted not jobs. So it’s important for you to bring out your character, your personality.

If you are a speaker, you go to the events, bring out your character, and let people know who you are. Be you. Be authentically you.

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