The Best Public Speaking Tip That I Want to Share With Everyone Is Authenticity

“My life journey is the best testimony to living the message of a growth mindset, venturing out into the unknown and improving every day with self-leadership and consistent transformation.” Simerjeet Singh

1. 1.Tell us about your background and journey.

I was born and brought up in a quaint little city called Batala in District Gurdaspur, Punjab. After finishing my 12th standard here, I moved to Chandigarh for Hotel Management in 1996. Then I moved to the shores of Sydney, Australia in 1999 to complete my Bachelor’s Degree at the Hotel School and subsequently, traveled across the world as a Hotel Management professional in leading global hotel companies.

My stint for almost a decade as a hotel management professional led me to acquire a dynamic set of skills like leadership, people skills and problem solving; and I am ever so thankful to the profession for this. I could meet so many people and I learnt to understand the world through a diverse range of cultures and sensibilities.

My journey as a motivational speaker really began in 2007 when I quit my hospitality career and moved back to India with the clarity that I wanted to be an entrepreneur and do something on my own. I also wanted to give back to the country that has made me who I am today by bringing my global knowledge home and doing something in the field of education.

My desire to give back something to society formed the basis for my subsequent journey as a speaker and India was the perfect place to start; what with a wave of young raw energy across the country and the desire among youth to make it big being so obvious. There were no two thoughts about this decision - although it did raise many an eyebrow. In my heart, I knew this is the journey I want to take and I am grateful for it.

2. How do you choose and prepare for a talk?

I see myself as a problem solver, apart from seeing myself as a keynote speaker. When I speak to the heads of various organizations where I am expected to give a keynote, I try to understand their challenges, where they currently stand; and where they would like to go - and I then design my workshops and keynotes to assist them in this journey.

With this goal in mind, I share insights, practical tools and design interactive interventions that encourage people to contribute better, feel better about themselves, lead better and ideate and innovate better.

When I prepare for a talk, most of what I design revolves around the composition of my target audience, their challenges, their perspectives and I tailor my talk according to their worldview. That’s how I have been able to hit the right chord.

There are topics like innovation, leadership, culture, self-growth, law of attraction and growth mindset, which are very close and personal to me - I am deeply passionate about implementing them in my own personal and professional life and they have been an unquestionable part of my entrepreneurial journey till date.

My entire life has panned out as a result of my strong beliefs about keeping a positive mindset, and implementing innovative ideas by making unconventional choices. My life journey is the best testimony to living the message of a growth mindset, venturing out into the unknown and improving every day with self-leadership and consistent transformation. The lessons I’ve learnt along the way often serve as a source of inspiration for my keynotes and videos.

3.How can one become a public speaker?

By speaking! Speak at every opportunity you get! - especially if you have a great message to share. Don’t seek anyone’s approval or permission - you don’t need anyone’s validation either. Just go out there and choose your audience. Raise your hand at the next available opportunity, volunteer to become the MC at the next college or corporate event, raise a toast at the next birthday party.

That’s how you do it. If nothing, switch on the camera of your cell phone and start recording your message to the world. It won’t always be perfect and that is alright. Take feedback as it comes. Don’t take it personally but make it a point to improve yourself each time. That’s how you hone your public speaking skills and that’s how you become a public speaker.

4. Can motivational speaking become a full-time career?

Absolutely yes! But don’t get into it for fame, followers, money or accolades. These will come eventually, if you start with the right intention. Go into this career with a service mindset. If you have a credible message to share with the world that you believe can help people and benefit them; and if this impacts their life positively, go for it. That is the only way you can make motivational speaking your full-time career.

5. 5.Which is your favourite talk ever and how did it change your life?

Nothing that I can single out here. I have drawn inspiration from multiple sources, be it the Gurbani in the Shri Guru Granth Sahib that laid the foundation for my thought process, or the Srimad Bhagavad Gita, be it the ancient proverbs from the Holy Bible, the teachings of Sufism, Mevlânâ Rumi, Baba Bulleh Shah ji, or modern authors like Abraham Hicks, Dr. Wayne Dyer, Seth Godin, Robert Greene - there are so many who have inspired me and changed my life. It’s all about the right pieces of information; the right messages coming to you at the right time in life. I was lucky to have mentors and spiritual guides on my journey. It also has a lot do with your own readiness to accept and absorb these messages. I am thankful to the Universe for blessing me with this readiness and a beginner’s mind.

6. 6.What are the best public speaking tips that have worked for you?

Very simple. The best public speaking tip that I want to share with everyone is authenticity.

In a world ruled by social media that is increasingly becoming superficial, with most people trying to put on a persona of everything that they are not for the world to see, I think it is authenticity that will take you far. It will cut across all language, cultural and socio-economic barriers and will help you establish a strong connect with people.

Authenticity is something that one can sense immediately - and people appreciate authenticity. No matter how good your material is, or how good a speaker you are, if you are not authentic, chances are you won’t go very far. So, my number one tip for public speaking is, be authentic, be yourself.

7. 7. What impact do you want to make in the world?

I would like to leave the world a little better than I found it!

We hope that through all the content that we have created - the publications, the podcasts, the YouTube videos, blogs and tours, we are able to implant hope in people who might have lost it at some point of time in their lives. We all have the strength in ourselves to achieve everything that we desire and it’s only when we lose hope that we end up making the wrong decisions.

So, the legacy that I wish to leave behind is that of hope. I hope the footprints I leave give other people hope.

8. Which is your favourite book and why?

My favourite book is Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. I love reading it because it is very well researched and has a wealth of wisdom that one would read and re-read it to understand its depth fully. I can really relate to its wisdom. Slightly academic in its structure, Flow is a serious book that is unconventional, with a depth that is highly rewarding.

Simerjeet Singh- Motivational Speaker

Interview by - N.MURALI KRISHNA