A few years back, I took a public speaking course at Dale Carnegie... and it was excruciating to take... I have an intense fear of public speaking because of my perception that it's just one of the many things I suck at...but Ineed to do it for my job... As part of the class, we were taped speaking before the class and after the class to see a change in our style... And then given an assessment by our classmates... Every single person said I was more relaxed and performed better BEFORE taking the class-- after the class They said I came across as very stilted and displayed no personality...
Took another class a year or so later, on public speaking for actors that did help a lot -_ I still hate public speaking - I still think I suck at it (other's will disagree) I still get nervous - but the tips I learned in the class for actors taught me a lot about voice control and staying calm when you don't feel calm.
I've read the Dale Carnegie books on how to win friends and influence people -- and I'm sure it's the bible to some - but to me it seemed all about manipulating people to get what you want... I've had people try to apply those tactics to me and it just pisses me off..
