During my military service, I participated in the National Love Speech Contest. Although I wasn’t selected as the overall military representative, I was chosen to represent the Marine Corps.
I delivered a 10-minute speech in front of an audience of around 1,000 people, including the regimental commander, at the division's auditorium. For my efforts, I was awarded a special leave.
The biggest challenge was speaking in front of such a large audience. To overcome this, I practiced my speech over 50 times, focusing on maintaining a steady tone and consistent facial expressions.
During the speech, I concentrated on specific members of the audience to avoid getting distracted and infused my words with emotion to make my arguments more persuasive. As a result, I was able to deliver my message powerfully in front of the entire regiment.
This experience taught me the importance of thoroughly understanding the topic, as well as the significance of eye contact, vocal tone, and emotion when communicating and persuading others. It also boosted my confidence in delivering clear and compelling communication in the future.
