Page 34 - How To Get Rich

effort to tune in to his audience—it was give-and-take all the way. Wayne
Newton does that, too. Even people who thought they wouldn’t like
Liberace became big fans after experiencing his live shows. And nobody
did it better than Sinatra.

Some people call it charisma. I call it tuning in and delivering.
Study Regis Philbin.
He is relaxed and funny, and he always relates to his audiences. They
love him. He’s a perfect example of the give-and-take that’s necessary for
successful public speaking. Regis doesn’t just speak—he shares. He’s as
magnanimous a performer as he is a person. Watch him, pay attention, and
you’ll learn a lot.

Be able to poke fun at yourself.
This will make you accessible to people even if you are up on the
stage and in the spotlight. We’ve all had disasters in our lives, major and
minor. To be able to laugh at them in retrospect is healthy and helpful. Use
the blips that we all encounter in our lives to your advantage. I remember
a particular question-and-answer period that followed one of my speeches,

during the time when Ivana and I were going through our divorce and the
tabloids were having a field day. The first question was from a guy who
asked, You don’t mind if I call youThe Donald, do you?
So I responded, Not if you don’t mind if I call you Ivana.
We all had a good laugh and then proceeded to his real question.
Learn to think on your feet.
Memorable public speaking involves a good deal of spontaneity. It’s a

lot like negotiating—you have to focus on your goals but remain flexible.
A lot of people are terrific writers but not so great at getting their ideas
across orally. Writing is a form of thinking, and so is speaking. The
difference is that you don’t have time to go back and correct yourself
when you’re on stage. It’s not a first draft and it’s not a rehearsal. Be

prepared for the performance, because that’s what’s expected of you.
Listen in your daily life.
Every day can be a preparation for a speech or a presentation. Have
you ever said to yourself, I’ll have to remember that one after hearing
someone say something particularly clever or unusual? Even offhand
comments that you overhear can be useful. Remember them. Make notes if
you must. Everything and everyone can become material. I was in the back
of an elevator once, behind a group of guys. Their conversation was so