Carnegie devoted almost his entire life to helping people overcome fear and timidity in conversations and speeches and develop courage and confidence.

Before the start of the "Dale Carnegie Course", he conducted a survey to ask people to explain why they came to the course and what they hoped to gain from this eloquent speech training course.

The results of the survey are surprising. Most people's central desires and basic needs are basically the same. They answered like this: "When people ask me to stand up and speak, I feel very uncomfortable and scared, so that I cannot

Think clearly, can't concentrate, don't know what I want to say. So, I want to gain confidence, be able to stand up in public and think freely, be able to summarize my thoughts in a logical order, and be able to speak in public.

Carnegie believes that to achieve this effect and gain public speaking skills, you should train yourself in the following aspects.

Use the experiences of others to gain courage.

Carnegie believed that no animal is a natural public speaker.

In some periods of history, public speaking was a delicate art that required strict adherence to rhetoric and elegant speech methods. Therefore, it was extremely difficult to become a natural public speaker and could only be achieved through hard work.

Now we think of public speaking as an expanded conversation.

The old way of speaking, moving and thunderous voice is gone forever.

When we have dinner with others, worship in church, or watch TV or listen to the radio, what we like to hear is straightforward words, conceived according to common sense, and talking about problems with us sincerely, rather than at us.

Empty talk.

Public speaking is not a closed art. It is not like the knowledge taught in many schools. It requires years of training in voice beautification and years of hard study in rhetoric before success can be achieved.

Normal speaking is a breeze, just follow a few simple rules.

Carnegie had profound experience with this.

When he began teaching students at the Young Men's Christian Association in New York City in 1912, he taught the lower grades in much the same way he had been taught while attending college in Warrenburg, Missouri.

But he soon discovered that it was a big mistake to teach adults in the business world as college freshmen, and it was not helpful to blindly imitate orators such as Webster, Burke Pitt, and O'Connell.

Because what students need is not that, but the courage to stand up and give a clear, coherent report at the next business meeting.

So he threw away all the textbooks and used some simple concepts to communicate and discuss with the students until their reports were full of meaning and won the hearts of the people.

It worked, because they came back again and again, wanting to learn more.

During Carnegie's life, he received mountains of letters of thanks, some from industrial leaders, some from governors, congressmen, university presidents and celebrities in the entertainment industry, some from housewives, pastors, teachers,

Some of the young men and women come from managers at all levels, skilled or unfamiliar workers, trade union members, college students and working women.

All of these people feel a need for self-confidence and the ability to express themselves in public so that others will accept their opinions.

After they achieved their goals, they gratefully took the time to write to Carnegie to express their gratitude.

Mr. Gent was a successful businessman in Philadelphia. Once after class, he invited Mr. Carnegie to lunch.

At the dinner table, he leaned forward and said: "Mr. Carnegie, I have avoided the opportunity to speak at various gatherings, but now I have been elected as the chairman of the university's board of directors and must preside over the meeting. You see, in my half-century

"Is it possible to learn to speak in public?" Carnegie said, "Sir, you will definitely succeed." Three years later, they had lunch at that place again.

Carnegie brought up the previous conversation and asked him whether his original prediction had been realized.

He smiled slightly, took out a small red notebook from his pocket, and showed Carnegie his schedule of speeches scheduled for the next few months.

“The ability to give these lectures, the joy I get from doing them, and the additional service I can provide to society—these are the greatest joys of my life,” he admitted.

Then, Mr. Gent triumphantly showed his trump card.

People in his church invited the British Prime Minister to come to Philadelphia to speak at a religious conference.

The British Prime Minister rarely comes to the United States, and it is none other than Mr. Ghent who is responsible for introducing the statesman.

This was the gentleman who three years ago leaned over this table and asked Carnegie if he would one day be able to speak in public.

His rapid improvement in speaking ability, in Carnegie's view, is closely related to changes in his psychological quality and self-understanding.

There was a doctor named Curtis who was an enthusiastic baseball fan and often went to see the players practice.

Soon he became good friends with the players and was invited to a banquet held for the team.

After the waiter served coffee and candies, several famous guests were invited to the stage to "say a few words."

Suddenly, without prior notice, he heard the host of the banquet announce: "We have a friend from the medical field here tonight, and I specially asked Dr. Curtis to come up and talk to us about the health problems of the baseball players.