KOCHI: At a time when communicative skills are considered to be an art form, 30-year-old Neil Golsalves is becoming a master at it. Recently, Neil took part in the annual district 92 conference, ‘Coronation-2017’, of the Toastmasters at Mysuru and became the first Malayali to win a prize in the international table topics contest. His topic: ‘Freedom comes with responsibility’. (Toastmasters International, which can be found in 170 countries, helps people to become confident speakers, communicators and leaders).
Neil joined the Toastmasters club three years ago. Thereafter, he made steady progress. “There are three levels, namely, area, division and district,” he says.
From the two people selected in the area level, they proceed to Division G and H and from there, one person represents in the district level, both for Kerala and Karnataka.
Asked why he joined Toastmaters, Neil says, “My dad, a journalist, encouraged me to develop my personality and take part in competitions. I must also thank my mentors at Toastmasters, who supported me a lot.
As a result, I am able to communicate effectively with people.”
As for tips on public speaking, Neil says, “Like the proverb goes, ‘Practice makes a man perfect’, people should practice a lot before making a speech.”