“Mike, do you really think I can become a better, more confident speaker? How do I get there? How long will it take?”

These aren't the exact words that potential clients use, but they're the sentiment. The answer to the first ones is easy: “Absolutely, positively, without a doubt, yes!”

You can be a confident speaker. I have never met a hopeless case, and I never will. But how long will it take? There are three components that dictate that: your knowledge, your starting point, and your commitment.

1. Your Knowledge

This book has given you all the knowledge you need. I don't mean I've written the final word on the topic—there's always more you can learn. That's the problem. If you wait until you know everything, you'll never get started. At some point, studying becomes a form of procrastination and a way to avoid change (because change is hard and scary). I've given you everything you need to become a confident speaker.

If you wait until you know everything, you'll never get started.

2. Your Starting Point

Not everyone starts at the same place. If someone grew up in a supportive family that pushed them to succeed and believe in themselves and was mentored by an experienced speaker, they'll have a head start on someone who grew up in an abusive family. You can't do anything about the advantages or disadvantages you face; all that matters is doing the best with what you've got.

All that matters is doing the best with what you've got.

There's a story that Jesus told of an estate owner that entrusted three servants with different amounts of money, measured in “talents” (that's the source of the English word, by the way), to see how they'd invest it.¹ Five talents were given to one, two to another, and one to the last. The first two servants doubled their money, but the last one buried his talent because he was afraid of failing. Here's an interesting thing about the story a lot of people miss: At the end of the story, the estate owner equally honored both servants who doubled their talents. He cared more about what they did with what they'd been given than the net results.

I want you to objectively gauge where you currently are in each of the three sources of confidence and mark it on a scale of 0 to 10 below. Your answers collectively represent your starting point, which affects how long it will take for you to become a more confident speaker.

Identity

Message

Skills

If you wanted to run a marathon, your starting point would determine how long it would take to train. If you can already run a half marathon, it would be less time than if a flight of stairs has you sweating profusely. But just because your starting point is farther back, doesn't mean that you can't get there. There are many inspirational stories of ninety‐year‐old grandmas or disabled individuals conquering great challenges to run marathons. Likewise, a speaker who is extremely nervous, doesn't understand their identity, and has a thick accent can still become a great speaker, but it may take a little longer.

This is key to understand: Your starting point has absolutely no impact on how far you can go. Using the marathon analogy, there is no reason that a former couch potato couldn't outrun the half‐marathoner. It all comes down to the third component.

Your starting point has absolutely no impact on how far you can go.

3. Your Commitment

In the movie Gattaca, Ethan Hawke's genetically “inferior” character (Vincent) is able to beat genetically engineered characters because of his commitment. He wanted his dream so bad that he did whatever it took to reach it. In a climactic scene, he outswims his “perfected” brother (Anton). Far from shore, Anton shouts, “Vincent! How are you doing this? How have you done any of this? We have to go back!”

“You want to know how I did it?” Vincent says. “This is how I did it, Anton. I never saved anything for the swim back.”

You can be a confident speaker, leader, and person, fully comfortable in your own skin, able to address a thousand people in an auditorium, or answer the CEO's questions in the boardroom.

How badly do you want it?

What's it worth to you?

I've given you the knowledge. Your starting point is set. The only thing you can do anything about is your commitment. That is your difference maker.

Will it be hard work?

Absolutely. You'll have to push yourself harder—mentally and emotionally—than you thought possible. You can't leave anything for the trip back. But once you're there, confident and unafraid, feeling the joy of giving a great presentation without worrying what anyone thinks of you, you won't ever want to go back.