I recently received the competent communicator award from ToastMasters International after finishing the first communication track CC which is a set of 10 speeches each focusing on a specific skills to develop:
1) Ice breaker 07.04.2009 breaks the Ice
2) The development way 19.05.2009 organize your speech
3) Reaching Out 1 23.06.2009 Get to the point
4) Reaching Out 2 21.07.2009 How to say it
5) Reaching Out 3 18.08.2009 your body speaks
6) Operation Badr 06.10.2009 Vocal Variety
7) Classification of Ethics 17.11.2009 Research your topic
8 ) Three years in business 12.01.2010 Get comfortable with Visual Aids
9) Ambition to meaning 02.02.2010 Persuade with power
10) Take the first step in faith 15.02.2010 Inspire your audience
Summary of Public Speaking and Presentation Skills for Business Executives
Based on the Nile TV Interview with Mr. Abdo Magdy
In this Nile TV interview, public speaking coach Mr. Abdo Magdy shares valuable insights on why public speaking is essential for business executives and how they can develop these skills. The discussion, hosted at Carry Toastmasters Club, covers practical tips, common pitfalls, and the principles of effective communication. Below is a concise summary of the key points from the interview, originally aired on Nile TV and available on YouTube. For more details, visit https://abdomagdy.com/nile-tv-public-speaking-and-presentation-skills-for-business-executives/.
Why Public Speaking Matters for Business Executives
Public speaking is a critical skill for business executives, entrepreneurs, lecturers, and other professionals. Mr. Magdy emphasizes that it enables leaders to:
Leave a positive impact on their audience.
Build confidence in their message and promises.
Inspire others to take action or follow their vision. Effective communication is key to influencing people and establishing credibility in professional settings.
How to Learn Public Speaking Skills
Mr. Magdy stresses that public speaking is a learned skill, not something you can master from a book or cheat sheet. The best approach involves:
Practice through experience: Delivering speeches in environments like Toastmasters clubs, where participants prepare, present, and receive feedback.
Focus on delivery: While guidelines on speech preparation and body language are helpful, the real learning happens by speaking and refining based on feedback.
Iterative improvement: Regularly stepping up to speak builds competence over time.
Top Tips for Delivering a Great Presentation
Mr. Magdy offers several actionable tips for business executives to enhance their presentations:
Cultivate Self-Confidence:
Push yourself to speak in front of others, starting small and progressing to larger audiences.
Confidence grows with exposure and practice.
Master Body Language:
A study cited by Mr. Magdy reveals that 55% of audience perception comes from body language (e.g., facial expressions, hand gestures).
Move purposefully to reinforce your message.
Use Voice Modulation:
38% of impact comes from tone, pitch, speed, and pauses.
Vary your voice to keep the audience engaged.
Prioritize Delivery Over Words:
Only 7% of perception is tied to the actual words, so focus more on how you present than what you say.
Rehearse:
Practice your speech to refine delivery and boost confidence.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
To maintain audience engagement, Mr. Magdy advises avoiding these pitfalls:
Weak Openings: Failing to grab attention in the first few seconds can disconnect the audience. Craft a strong, confident introduction.
Poor Structure: A speech without a clear introduction, body, and conclusion feels disjointed. Plan your flow beforehand.
Lack of Preparation: Insufficient rehearsal can undermine even the best content. Practice is non-negotiable.
Developing Charisma as a Speaker
While some seem naturally charismatic, Mr. Magdy believes charisma can be cultivated:
Build Self-Confidence: Understand your strengths and limitations to project authenticity and energy.
Read the Audience: Tailor your message to what the audience expects or needs, using their language and addressing their interests.
Practice: Charisma improves with experience, as confidence and audience connection grow.
Core Principles of Communication and Public Speaking
Mr. Magdy outlines the foundational elements of effective public speaking:
Understand Your Audience: Know who you’re speaking to and adapt accordingly.
Prepare Thoroughly: Research your topic and structure your speech.
Practice Consistently: Skill develops through repetition in supportive environments like Toastmasters. While some may have a natural talent, Mr. Magdy asserts that anyone can improve with effort and the right setting.
Conclusion
Mr. Abdo Magdy’s insights highlight that public speaking is an indispensable skill for business executives, honed through practice, confidence, and attention to delivery. By focusing on body language, voice control, and audience engagement—rather than just words—professionals can inspire and influence effectively. Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned speaker, his advice offers a practical roadmap to success. Watch the full interview on YouTube or explore more at https://abdomagdy.com/.
This summary distills the essence of the interview, providing a clear and structured resource for anyone looking to enhance their public speaking skills.
During August, I was appointed President of Cairo ToastMasters Club, being involved with the community of entrepreneurs in Egypt, running Egypreneur, a very entrepreneurial future is in the making now for Cairo ToastMasters Club.
I’ll be doing a lot of promotions to ToastMasters and want to expand the membership of its members beyond the club to starting new clubs all around Cairo.
Since April 2010, I had been serving as VP of Public Relations at Cairo ToastMasters Club. The only ToastMasters Club in Cairo and during this period, I’ve utilized different social media channel to establish the image of the club and generate interest within this group to join ToastMasters while keeping members updated.
Today our ToastMasters Page I started on Facebook has 600 users and we have more than 180+ followers on Twitter, beside 8 videos produced from speeches within the club.
A bit over a year ago, as I went through From Good to Great for Jim Collins, I was inspired by the topic to research more of what makes outstanding performances, the book talks to CEOs about building resilient companies, finding the hedgehog concept of their companies and flow in greatness…
So, I was invited by some awesome Microsoft Student Partners to speak about entrepreneurship during an event they organized called Microsoft Geeks Day. Being a Microsoft Geeks Day, I thought Bill Gates would be the best figure to discuss. The whole session was just a punch of videos with comments and discussions around them, that I believed conveyed the image better than a thousand words can.
Some of the videos I presented during my session are below, I guess you can figure out the whole content from the videos, Enjoy!
Bill Gates from Pirates of Silicon Valley
Bill Gates Negotiation Skills, makes a big difference from Pirates of Silicon Valley
It’s not about how big you start, but how big you THINK
You want Xerox to consider something called the Mouse
It was very interesting, being Cairo club ToastMaster for the first time last meeting, I had been a member since last March and delivered 4 speeches in the competent communicator track. I would like to utilize this opportunity to introduce my audience to ToastMasters, and encourage everyone to become a member or get involved in a similar activity.
ToastMaster is the leader of the session: introducing speakers, commenting on speeches and engaging attendees with the session while keeping track of the time.
Tech Entrepreneur, engineer, teacher and researcher.
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"A vigorous, trustworthy and meticulous hard working man. He was the principal organizer of the event"
"Inspirational, motivational and mind-broadening entrepreneur. He is surely one of the “multis”; multi-talented, multi-tasking and multi-discipline – all governed by a great vision and seamless implementation."
"Abdo is a wonderful ambassador for Egypt as he is a warm, compassionate and caring man."