A presentation titled, 'Generational Rifts' delivered for QBE Insurance (Singapore). To find out more about similar keynote presentations that are designed and delivered for your organization, visit http://www.benjaminloh.sg.
Interview - Benjamin Loh - Speaking with Flair and Starting young
Training and Speaking as a skill has been getting popular with the youth these days. Personally I know about 4 peers who have made speaking a career choice. Often at Twofold we get question both from aspiring speakers as well as participants to get an insight into the Life of a speaker.
Naturally we picked a young speaker to chat with this week. Benjamin has been speaking and Training since his youth. He has honed his speaking and presentation skills from an early age.
Speaking and training may seem like one person on stage rambling about how you can better some aspect of your life but without the passion for the subject and the innate belief that you can impact people's lives, your message probably will fall on deaf ears. Thus the ability to convey energy and passion while speaking is extremely crucial and Benjamin is well on his way to reaching those levels.
He started a consultancy straight out of University and has been speaking professionally ever since. We wanted to share his journey because it is one that is inspiring as well as practical.
Also at Twofold we want our teachers/trainers to grow and we provide them avenues to grow professionally, contact us to find out more - but for now read Benjamin's story and should you want to be a professional speaker/trainer, you could very well find a road map to follow.
Interview with Benjamin Loh - Speaker's Flare Training & Consultancy
Hi Benjamin, Thank you for agreeing to this interview. It is meant to provide inspiration to younger Entrepreneurs
Let’s Begin
How/When did you get into speaking?
It came about as quite an epiphany for me. When I was 19 years old, I was in search for directions and purpose in my life – I thought for the longest time, there must be more to this “rat race” I’ve unconsciously subjected myself to. Hence, the search led to much desperation until I chanced upon Executive Coach International (ECI) and undertook a life-coaching program where I had the great privilege to be coached by my mentor and coach, Soon Loo.
Through the coaching with Soon, I realized that I had wanted to achieve and do so many things but I sold myself short because I felt I “did not deserve it” and “it was just not my thing”. Realizing those disempowering beliefs and also with new tools and consciousness, I jumped straight into my “new life” and went after what I once connected deeply to – one of which was speaking in public. When I was much younger, I used to be so fascinated when I watch debaters engage in verbal sparring and I thought, “Hey, it’ll be really cool to speak on stage and in public”. So I took the plunge to found Speaker’s Flare Training & Consultancy (http://www.benjaminloh.sg) and everything else that happened subsequently became my history in the making.
When did you decide you wanted to do it professionally?
Speaking professionally as the term suggests that the act of speaking becomes more of a paid profession rather than a hobby or pastime, which were my roots in speaking. In 2011 after having coached over 40 clients and acquiring my professional credential as one of the youngest Associate Certified Coach (ACC) in Singapore and Asia Pacific by the International Coach Federation (ICF), I realized that something wasn’t quite making sense.
Then, I have been coaching a good number of my clients into starting their own businesses but I haven’t quite gotten my own practice going. Hence during one night when I was on an exchange in Seoul, I registered my business in the spur of the moment on the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) website in June 2011 and in the same week when I made my intention as an entrepreneur known, business came in. Before I knew it, I got my hands all tied up with negotiating rates and structuring training programs. Since I have founded my practice in 2011, I have been working with executives and youth clients in public speaking, presentation skills and interview skills. Of late, it was a rare honor for me to work with the CEO of one of the largest catering companies in Singapore on his 30th company anniversary speech.
What makes a good Speaker? And consequently what makes a good Trainer?
A good speaker realizes that delivering a speech is not about himself but about his audience. That can be said about a trainer as well vis-à-vis his relationship and responsibility towards his clients.
I’d say a trainer takes on a heavier responsibility and engagement above and beyond engaging his audience for the good 7 – 10 minutes on stage like that of a speaker… you need to be aware of the learning patterns and needs of your audience, small and large group dynamics and be constantly cognizant of why you have taken on the role of a trainer and what value you need to ensure your audience take home at the end of the engagement.
What really makes speakers and trainers great is when you are able to get your audience to think wildly about their possibilities they thought never existed, be connected deeply with their emotions and also to act unreservedly and passionately in the course of action that the audience deems is most forwarding to them.
Did you learn operations and business skills from someone or are you self-taught?
Thankfully, I have many mentors who are successful and amazing entrepreneurs and corporate executives who are committed to invest their time and energies on me so as to see me fly. Without their support, I probably would have still been struggling at even starting up and out. Of course as with what coaching is, they point me towards the right directions but I am the one solely responsible for walking the path and reacting to what comes.
I read widely and regularly too for there are so much wisdom that are captured in literature that we often brush it off because of our excuses for the lack of time and resources. I am subscribed to over 50 blogs and mailing lists for personal and professional development and my Kindle probably has over 500 ebooks on various titles and genres like business management, entrepreneurship, financial management, psychology, philosophy etc. Such time we live in, I think we are doing ourselves a great injustice if we do not make the best use of these resources to develop ourselves and sharpen our swords.
I am a fond believer of the saying, “Success is when opportunity meets preparation” and I know the 10,000 hours (read Malcolm Galdwell’s ‘Outliers’) I’m investing in earlier on in my life now will reap great rewards in time to come. My best is yet to be.
Any advice you’d like to give to up and coming speakers in Singapore?
The same advice as I give to anyone who is afraid of public speaking – speak. There’s nothing quite like getting on stage and getting “live” feedback than speaking to and with mirrors, rehearsing out loud in the bathroom or even, watching videos of champion speakers. Not that the latter activities aren’t important, but I believe the best way to improve as a speaker is really to get out there and speaking till you crumble from inside out and then, a new part of you emerges – one that you’re deeply connected to that empowers you to deliver speeches after speeches with your unique personality and flavor and really, be proud of your own voice.
Also, I spoke briefly about this topic at the TEDxYouth@Singapore 2011 stage on ‘Overcoming the Fear of Speaking’ and believe it or not, till today I still feel the butterflies in the stomach every time before I speak on stage.
Only difference, these “butterflies” make me realize and remind me that I am feeling so because I know I have a heavy responsibility to hold for the audience who have invested their time in listening to me and I am still every bit as real and intentional as how I had first started out in speaking and I will stay this way.
How do you manage to find time to have a social life, a business and juggle family/girlfriend?
My short answer – ‘I don’t, at least not all times.
I like to think we can have it all, but I believe the reality is oftentimes otherwise. There are many times where I’ve fumbled and failed to deliver and all these lessons serve as poignant reminders for myself on where my boundaries and limits are. We win some and we definitely will lose some. Our priorities are constantly shaken and in calibration and I think that’s the whole purpose of life – to find the ideal “sweet spots” in all the areas of your life where you are guided by an inner natural rhythm rather than being constantly shaken and distracted by the “noises” from outside.
It certainly doesn’t help that I am always hit by ideas and I have logged down over 100 ideas on my “idea pad” and I get really excited when I think of the possibilities that can unfold (just ask my girlfriend this). But at the end of the day, I still need to know and be honest with myself if I have remained consistent and disciplined to the basket of areas that I have decided to invest my 10,000 hours in because I know those areas are where the biggest impact on my life can be realized and felt.
What advices would you give to entrepreneurs?
Contrary to what most people think – I believe the most important facet of entrepreneurship is not just starting your first step, but pushing on with your following ‘n’ steps. Starting businesses are easy (you can get one registered for less than $100 online) but ensuring they sustain and stay afloat are the bigger challenges. Depending on what your business and lifestyle objectives are, I think what entrepreneurs need to do is to continually check in on their initial intentions and stay true to them even if there are a million other reasons tempting you otherwise. It does help having accountability partners and mentors too.
Take time off to reflect because I think introspection and reflection are such important activities that have taken quite a backseat in our busy lives. .
Of course, if you want to manage people and resources, learn also how to manage yourself first and expand your sphere of self-awareness as an onset objective. And Yes, have truckloads of fun along the way too.
Speaking will continue to be a choice for anyone who wants to inspire and contribute to the lives of others. The value of what speaking can do however will depend entirely on how much effort the speaker puts into making himself personable and relatable. Benjamin seems well on his way to helping the people he meets and perhaps the road map he has described can serve as a guide for anyone who wants to pick this up as a life skill.
At Twofold we want to help you learn from the most experienced and speaking is one of those skills where every single you get on stage, it feels like a first time all over again. Experience hence counts for a whole lot.
