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“I don’t care how you did at Nick’s Comedy Stop on a Saturday night, I want to know how you did at the bowling alley on Tuesday.” Vinnie Favorito, my comedy mentor, said this to all new comedians. What he was saying was that it’s easy to get laughs at a real show with an attentive audience in a perfect environment. The question is how you do in a difficult setting with a semi-attentive audience. That’s where you discover what really works. This is much like a professional speaker at a Rotary Club or and speech contestant practicing at a Toastmaster Club.

Whether you’re a competitive speaker, or an emerging professional, my message is the same. The tougher the process, the more you grow. The more you grow, the more you deserve to serve the bigger audiences. Competitive speaking changes your skill level forever on one condition. Your “intent” is to deliver a message you care about to serve people.

My intent to coach people in the speech contest is not to help them win, but more to help them grow.

Let me be perfectly clear, a coach can only guide you to the next level. The process you go through as a speaker is what changes you. The 77 days between my regional speech contest, and the World Championship changed me as a speaker and as a person, forever. I was not the same person I was before I competed that year.

Techniques can be taught, but intent cannot be.

In my opinion, the trophy will always elude people with the wrong intent — because they’re too attached to the outcome.

I was blessed to have Mark Brown as a speaking coach. Great coaches don’t tell you what to do… they help you discover yourself.

In 2001, if I’d been competing against Les Brown, I wouldn’t have stood a chance! My speaking coach brought me to a whole new level. I’m very different now.

Some of my speaking students have never taken their messages outside of Toastmasters. For them to work so hard on crafting a message that could help hundreds (or thousands) of people, and then to not share it beyond people attending the speech contests… it’s sad! It is their decision, of course. But it’s also my decision to not spend any more time helping them. I’d much rather help someone who has a passion and a purpose.

The prize is in the process. We’ve all heard how a butterfly struggles as it emerges from its cocoon. If you help it, the butterfly doesn’t develop the strength it needs to fly. This is exactly the same. The prize is not a trophy.

Like a piece of coal that becomes a diamond because of the pressure… the more pressure, the more prize. Someone who even competes at the club level (and perhaps doesn’t even win) won’t be the same person after the contest. Why? Because they’ve dealt with the pressure of a contest, so they’ll no longer worry about doing a basic club speech as much as they would before.

I asked Mary Cheyne and Maureen Zappala, the two people I coached in this year’s contest, to share their thoughts on the process.

Stay True to Your Vision ~

Growing a Thicker Skin ~

Don’t take anything personally. People in your audience are well-intentioned and they want you to improve and succeed! This happened to me during rehearsals for my Regional speech. Some of the feedback upset me — especially towards the latter part of the process when I felt I didn’t have time left to “fix” all that was deemed “wrong.” That taught me a valuable lesson — not to expend unnecessary energy taking anything personally. So during rehearsals for the World Championships, I was able to approach the process with a clearer mind.

Respect the Process ~

Hard work, dedication, and commitment are a big part of the process — but so is discipline. Discipline for me, is having a plan, and taking action on it despite my mood.

The Struggle ~

I struggled with whether I deserved to be on the big stage. Even though I won Region VI, and edged out some tremendously talented speakers, I felt like my skills fell so far short of where they needed to be. But if I took that thinking to the extreme, I would start to think “Why bother? I won’t do well. I won’t improve. It’s a waste of time.”

Whoa! POISONED THINKING! I had to cancel that poisonous thinking because I couldn’t possibly accept any advice if I weren’t open to it. I had to start believing I could improve, and maybe even win. I had to raise up my deserve level.

Everyone deserves great things in life. Sometimes it takes work to get it. Are you paralyzed by poisoned thinking? Check your deserve level.

My Challenge:

I am wordy. Simple as that. That’s was Rory Vaden’s biggest issue with me as he helped me wordsmith my speech. One version of my speech was close to 1000 words. He told me I had to get it down to 700. Oh the laugh I had on that one! …then I cried. He was right. My final speech was about 730 words, so I did it!

Find the Right Coach ~

Notice what Maureen is saying, she laughed and she cried. That is part of the struggle — that is the prize. As coach, I cannot take away the struggle. I don’t want to. If I did, I’d be taking away the prize.

Although Maureen didn’t place in the contest, I was so proud of her and her performance. Her speech actually changed my video coverage of the TI Convention (see clips below). I became more aware of getting other people in the video clips and sharing their stories. One Toastmaster in the videos lost more than 200 pounds, what a story! Wow! Thanks for your gift, Maureen!

Mary went on to place second out of 35,000 contestants. Wow!

Mark Hunter, from District 69 in Australia, is the new World Champion of Public Speaking. He had an amazing speech and delivered it powerfully.

I felt that Mary was a very close second. What I also loved about Mary’s speech was her foundational phrase and how much her message resonated. Even Past President Jana Barnhill, referenced Mary’s message about her Nelly. And, after the contest, many people were talking about their Nelly (their inner critic). That speaks volumes about a speech! Though Mary was awesome and in the moment, people left the event talking about themselves and what they can do to “shut up” their inner critics.

Maureen and Mary will forever be better speakers than they were a year ago. I love that Maureen pointed out how she looks back at her Regional speech and gags! She now has a whole new perspective.

Will you find the prize inside the process? Are you committed to serving your audience so much that you are willing to laugh and cry as your skills grow? If you’re not coachable, please don’t come to me or one of my Champ Camps!

I only want to work with students who willing to commit to their future. Will you?

Stage time,

Darren LaCroix
2001 World Champion of Public Speaking

This Week’s Video Clips:

My View: Video Coverage of the
2009 World Championships of Public Speaking!

Speaking Advice from the Finalists See Mary & Maureen)

On the Road to the Toastmasters Convention

The Toastmasters Convention Begins

Hanging Out with the Champs: Champions’ EDGE Dinner

Amazing Stories from People at the Convention!

P.S. Will you be on the interview call tonight with me and my “thinking” coach? Dawn Nocera is a woman I go to for coaching on my thinking. She will be interviewing me about how my “thoughts” led me to the World Championship. You may learn something new about my process that will help you with achieving ANY goal. Join us tonight! RSVP at www.DawnNocera.com