There are many ingredients that can go into becoming successful: good education, strong ambition and a great work ethic. But, I think the most important attribute is the ability to speak publicly, either in front of a small audience or a large room full of people. I’m not talking about just simply talking, I’m talking about being able to communicate information in an understanding way, and being able to engage and persuade the audience or other people.

You may be the most ambitious person and have an MBA, but if you can’t communicate effectively, you’ll never reach your full potential. And, if you want to achieve far beyond your potential, I would encourage you to work hard at becoming the best speaker you can become.

If you’re interested in where to start to become a solid public speaker, you may want to consider the following:

• Join a local Toast Masters speaking group, and take it seriously. They can help you organize a speech and help you with any fear you may have of speaking.
• Learn to how to be a great story teller. A “Once Upon A Time” story is the best story for someone to remember the point you’re trying to make.
• Study and read about the early orators. These are some of the best: Aristotle, Socrates and Cicero. Yes, I know these are old, high-browed philosophers, but what they wrote about back then, still holds true today.
• Study and read about the art of Rhetoric (Aristotle), which is the art of persuasion.

There are two types of speeches: informative and persuasive. There’s only one type of person who should give an informative speech, and that’s a teacher. But, I think they should also be very persuasive in how they teach. EVERY other speech is persuasive! Think about it, if you want to convince someone to act, or to do what you want them to do, begin to speak persuasively. Make it an everyday habit.

There are a lot of people who can get up in front of people and talk, and the really good speakers can make us think. But, as Cicero puts it, “Anyone can speak, but not everyone can make you take action.” To be one of the best speakers, you must speak in a way that makes people get up and do something.