How to Improve Your Communication Skills -The Real, Big Secret by Akash Gautam, Motivational Speaker

In this 75‑90 minute motivational session, Akash Gautam shares his 20‑year journey and a no‑fluff, practice‑driven roadmap for becoming a master communicator. He argues that mastery is a boring, repetitive process – “boring is the new sexy” – and that instant‑gratification mindsets hinder growth. Gautam illustrates his points with everyday analogies (cooking, driving, investing) and personal anecdotes about early struggles and eventual success. He introduces three core, actionable techniques: the Headlines approach (structuring speech like newspaper headlines), the PREP framework (Point‑Reason‑Example‑Point), and “microwave” quick‑hacks for interviews and group discussions. He stresses the importance of reading widely, building a supportive peer circle, and consistently practicing over months or years. The talk blends motivational storytelling with concrete, repeatable methods aimed at improving spoken English, interview performance, and public speaking confidence.
Chapters
Okay, over the next 75 to 90 minutes, I promise you, that's my commitment, that each and every person sitting out here, when he or she walks out, He or she shall have known कि communication का James Bond कैसे बनना है। ये मेरा आपसे वादा है, provided you give me two hundred percent. Can I expect that? Right. No global gyan, no theory, anything which doesn't come handy, जो उस time काम नहीं आएगा, वो मैं नहीं बताऊँगा। Nothing that I'm going to share with you is available on the internet. It's all my twenty years of experience about how to communicate better, and I'm going to do it in a धाबा way. I'm hoping you're in a mood to receive the धाबा way. ठीक है, so आज मैं आपको बीच की बात बताऊंगा, the secret बताऊंगा कि कैसे हम वो कर सकते हैं, बन सकते हैं। और इसमें let me put it very straight to you, it's a boring process to become what you want to become. It's not an easy thing. Those people who the names that you took, those people have really perspired and given their ten, fifteen, twenty years of their lives doing something, iterating something consistently, doing something repeatedly. That's why they became what they are. Right, let me put you an analogy. For example, कितने लोग यहाँ पे पुलाव बनाते हैं? खाना cooking कितने लोगों को आती है यहाँ पे? जो हाथ नहीं खड़ा कर रहे हैं मैं जब वो दहेज में आए थे क्या? कि ये संदूक के साथ लड़का है। Anyways, cooking आती है आपको? तो जब पहली बार पुलाव बनाया था तो पुलाव कैसे बना था? खिचड़ी बन गई थी हाँ? पानी ज बहुत ही गंदा बना था। अच्छा, don't marry her, okay? Right, right. Anyways, सबका मेरा भी तो आपसे गंदा बनाऊँगा, I'm sure, right? So but but what happened when you आपने उसको पांच-छः सात-आठ दस बार बनाया, फिर ग्यारवीं बार कैसे बना? अच्छा बनना शुरू हो गया? पहले तो मामा कहती थी कि दो गिलास पानी डालना है, इतने मुट्ठी चावल आप measure कर करके डालते थे, टेक्निकली चलते थे आप रेसिपी गूगल से देख के यू नो ऑल दिस स्टफ। बट अब आइडिया है क्या है अब? आइडिया लगाओ डालो और अपने आप बनना शुरू होगा। लेट मी गिव अनदर एग्जांपल विच विच इस प्रूविंग तू यू द होल कॉन्सेप्ट ऑफ इम्प्रूविंग एट एनीथिंग, बीट कम्युनिकेशन और बीट एनीथ so गाड़ी चलाते हैं तो जब पहली बार गाड़ी चलाना सीखी थी और आपने पहला गियर डाला और क्लच छोड़ा तो क्या हुआ था बुरबुरबुर करके हो गए हो गया था उसका है ना what whatever right you know what right so लेकिन अब जब अब क्या है अब जब क्लच छोड़ते हो गियर डालते हो baby साथ में बैठी होती है और गाना चल रहा होता है अन्य ग्लोबल फंडे बेबी बेबी को दे रहे होते हो, you know? I want to be the next शशि थरूर और you know, right? So अब गाड़ी आराम से चलती है क्यों? क्योंकि आपने बहुत बहुत बार वो गाड़ी चलाई, बहुत बार वो काम किया। The same applies to your communication skills. You need to be having doing something anything many many many many many many times. Before you become really sharp at it or good at it, and before the world gives your example about that. चाहे वो comedy है, you know some of the comedians that you see on the TV, or maybe a Papa CJ if you read his book, or or or or a Kapil Sharma, or a news anchor, or a or anyone, a Harsha Bhogle. Those people have really given a larger part of their time and lives and energy to becoming sharp at this. The secret is that there's no secret. Becoming good at something is a boring process, and boring is the new sexy. Speak after me. बोलिए boring is the new sexy. A problem in today's generation हमारे को ये है कि instantly कुछ हो जाए। हम आए event में आकाश के event में आए जब आए थे तो before ऐसे थे after ऐसे हो गए। पहले मैं बहुत गंदी अंग्रेजी बोलती थी 90 minute आकाश साथ बिताए अब मैं फराटेदार अंग्रेजी बोलती हूँ देखो ऐसा कुछ नहीं होने वाला। इम्पेशंस ही नहीं है। अभी मैं फ्लाइट से उतरा, जब फ्रॉम चाइनी के गॉड डाउन एट कोलकाता एंड फ्लाइट अभी लैंड टैक्सी कर रही थी, फिर पूरी लैंड भी नहीं की थी। कुछ लोग खड़े हो गए उतरने के लिए। थोड़ा सा रख दे तो सारे खड़े हो गए। I call it premature evacuation or whatever, right? इम्पेशंस ही Boring is the formula, yeah, for anything. वो जो आपको लगता है ना कि ये कितना smart है, कितना sassy है, a lot of boredom has gone behind the making of that. Communication skills also follow the same rule. आपको लगता है वो इतनी अच्छी vocabulary कैसे use कर लेता है, grammar उसकी इतनी अच्छी कैसे है, कितनी sharp है? That's because he have— he or she has made errors and then had had the audacity to tide those errors and keeping on doing more errors to finally fine-tune himself or herself. You may be having any degree, but with a good communication skill, you will look like having a pedigree. Right? अब actors actresses देखते हैं जो tenth twelfth होती हैं, लेकिन इतनी अच्छी अंग्रेजी बोलती हैं। आपको लगता है ना कि वाह यार, भाई सही आवाज़, बड़ा होके मैं ऐसे बनूँगी, right? English gives you there's a lot of seductive power in the using of English. Yes or no? English makes us more employable. Then why not we learn it? It makes us more global. And the route is only boring. ये जो वोकाबुली और ग्रामारी आपने आप आ जाता है, जब मैं कलकत्ता पहली बार आया था 2003 में, तो मुझे कलकत्ता को कुछ नहीं पता था। पाकलिन पर चलिए, वो बहुत डरता था। लेकिन आप इतनी बार आ चुके हो, मुझे पता है कि कहाँ जाना है, कैसे जाना है। अब बीच के रास्ते भी समझ आ गए हैं। जब Are you with me? When your errors look like good. Have the patience to— have the patience to be doing something for good, good number of years. I'll talk about my own story. 20 years I've been doing this. What am I doing? Corporate events or events for youth. First 10 years was sad. It was boring. It was shit. I didn't get quality assignments. I felt like quitting. Yeah, one of the— I was doing funny things. I was invited by Agarwal Women Wives Association for a kitty party to address their wives, you know. Some of the quality of work that I was doing in Aurangabad, I did it, you know. But then I— we have to stand by whatever we are doing. The first 10 years were really sad, but since I could stick forth, the next 10 years became a canto of very easy plum assignments. 10 years. Now for speaking, it could be 10 months, it could be 2 years, but you have to hang on. You know, my son became a very good reader only after I read the first 5 books to him, with him. छोटा था जब पहली पांच किताबें नहीं पढ़ाता तो वो नहीं पढ़ता ना यार। So environment is bigger than a willpower. If your friends don't study or not into good reading, if they don't have a good communication, you will not have. आप बकर करोगे उनके साथ। So what are you seeing? How are you spending your twenty four hours? The news channels are reading the newspapers. Content कहाँ से आएगा यार? Content वहाँ से आएगा जब आप read कर रहे हो खूब सारा assimilate कर रहे हो। Soak in कर रहे हो, and not only related to your field of study, but from diverse disparate fields of study. For example, if you read fiction, you'll get cross-contextual learning. If you read management, if you read biology, if you read sociology, political science, you'll get perspectives. You'll begin to look at the same things on a new footing with a new dimension. But अगर आप ये energy ये that's why I'm saying boring. It's boring. It's really boring. But we in today's, we have. I'm a youth of today like you, but we need an instant gratification, instant moksha. You know, everything is instant. You know, for that we are seeking. We instant coffee, instant Maggi. You know, if you go to, we even go to go to saints and say, "Can I have instant samadhi? Instant something." नहीं time लगता है भाई. Even marriages. Why are marriages breaking these days? Because you're looking for frills, you're looking for excitements. My marriage has gone boring. I think the secret to a successful marriage is to stay inside the marriage for a good number of years. When you stay inside the marriage, obviously the marriage will start working. And the same is the case with communication. You need to stay doing that part— debating, declamating, doing extemporaries. Talking to friends, having a circle, making a diary of the content, perspectives, idioms, vocabulary words. You know, use internet for good purposes. This everything is available. Yeah, content मैंने देखा बहुत लोगों के पास बहुत अच्छा content होता है। Content तो ये सब करके आ जाएगा जब मैंने आपको बताया reading करके, circle of friends बनाके, regularly वो करके iterate करके पर बोलने का तरीका कैसे आएगा? उसके लिए मैं आज ये इवेंट आपके लिए कर रहा हूँ। Right, this will help you not only in your speaking with your personal in your personal life but in your interviews and your GDs as well. Important thing that I found that people a lot of people आप देखा होगा कॉलेज के प्रोफेसर्स होते हैं कुछ आप देखे होते हैं ना बहुत बड़े-बड़े अंकल टाइप होते हैं इतना well educated इतने डिग्रीज इतने डीलेट्स इतने पेपर पब्लिश हुए हुए हैं लेकिन जब बोलते हैं with all due respect to them they are brilliant people. They have उन्होंने जो किया हम कर भी नहीं सकते। लेकिन जब बोलते हैं, they are putting people to sleep. Imagine if people with that kind of research are amazing speakers. Their points and their research would become more valuable to people like us. Right? Communication is like kissing, yeah? Or I'll go a step further. It's a city of joy. I'll make it more romantic. We are almost into February. Communication is like smooching. Yeah, close your mouth. So, वैसे हो गया। Communication is like smooching because imagine if the other person is not interested. What the hell are you doing? So this event is how do you get your charms right before you pounce? I'm before you speak. है ना अब लोग बोलते हैं कुछ लोग इतना चक्कर में बोल ये तो एनर्जी इन वॉइसेस क्रिटिकल आप में जान होनी चाहिए बोलने की लोग ऐसे बोलते हैं जैसे अभी शोक सभा में आए हूँ and why what are your strengths and weaknesses sir my strengths are that I am this and sir and also this and sir and was sir एनर्जी इन वॉइस थोड़ा जान होना चाहिए ना पंजाबी में कहते हैं दुनिया मंदी जोरानू लक लानत है कम जोरानू have that tone and you'll build energy you are energetic about something about which you're passionate about energy अपने आप आएगी जब आपकी अंग्रेजी improve होनी शुरू हो जाएगी आप छः आठ दस महीने में अपने आप energetic होना शुरू हो जाओगे yes or no voice modulation सुभाष चंद्र बोस ने energy में कितने शीतल से कहा था voice modulation करके तुम मुझे खून दो मैं तुम्हें आज़ादी अब तुम इसी बात को मध्यम स्वर में कहो, तुम मुझे खोल दो मैं तुम्हें। ये चीजें अपने आप इम्प्रूव हो जाएंगी जब तुम लगे रहोगे for six eight ten twelve months into doing something, अपने आप मेकअप आ जाएगा। जब पुलाव बनाना शुरू किया था, अभी तो पुलाव बना है, फिर तुम गार्निशिंग करोगे, वो धन धनिया ऊपर से ऐसे निकाल दोगे, सॉस ले जाता है, लगता है कि बहुत दूर है। डर मुझे भी लगा, फासला देखकर, पर मैं बढ़ता गया रास्ता देखकर, खुद बा खुद मंजिल मेरे नजदीक आ गई, मेरा हौंसला देखकर, right? You know, जो जो उड़ने का शौक रखते हैं ना, वो गिरने से गिरने का खौफ नहीं रखते हैं दोस्त। You know, have that have that audacity, have that temerity। साला one life है यार अच्छा अंग्रेजी बोलना सीखना तो आना चाहिए ना यार। मतलब कितना अच्छा लगेगा कि सब कुछ आप उस ज़ोन में हो कि आप जो बोलना चाहते हैं वो बहुत अच्छे शब्दों में आपने व्यक्त कर दिया दूसरे को दूसरे को समझ आ गया। People will fall for you. And imagine if you're a good communicator, you can even become the Prime Minister of India. This is wrong. Even if you're not, you can still become. Right? So, you know, the डरना किस चीज़ का मुझे पता है डर किस चीज़ का बोलने से मतलब लोग डरते हैं कि लोग मेरे बारे में क्या सोचेंगे imaginary fears हैं आपके और कुछ नहीं है यार मतलब एक एक शीशे के glass में आप पाँच-छः सांप रख दो बड़े वाले मोटे वाले और आप उस बंद है पूरा जार और उस शीशे के पास जाके तुम ऐसे देख रहे हो उसको touch आज आप let's talk up we have lot of Marwadi how many Marwadis हैं? Oh very good fifty percent. Let's do a business बात करता हूँ मैं आपसे। आज आपकी अंग्रेजी पे पचास लोग हँसते हैं suppose you're letting go of an opportunity to being laughed upon and laughed at by not speaking because if you speak well tomorrow five lakh can clap for you business है ना? तुम पचास के डर से पांच लाख को सोच रहे हैं मतलब फिर तो बिजनेस फिर कैसे मरवाड़ी? फिर पीसा कैसा? With me, I come from a very humble background. I come from a small town in Himachal. Till grade six, I was in a Hindi medium school. When we were upgraded to class seventh, you know into English medium school, I was really I was flunking in my English. But कीड़ा था यार कीड़ा जानते हैं कीड़ा क्या होता है? अपने आप no one has the answers, अपने आप रास्ते बन जाते हैं जब आप चलना शुरू कर दो, right? No quick fixes, no books, no guides, no coaching institutes, nothing. You have to find your own self. बोलिए अपना honeymoon स्वयं रचाना पड़ता है। डरना क्यों? वो कहते हैं कि घबराकर मर जाएंगे। वो कहते हैं कि घबराकर मर जाएंगे। मैं कहता हूँ कि अगर मरके भी चैन न मिला तो फिर कहाँ जाएंगे? Right. So, you know, you've got how many engineers here? How many B.Coms here? What a lot of you, you know, the three years in B.Com or the four years of engineering that you spend, use it to do amazing things. Yeah. Communication is one of those. Set it up instead of falling in love with a woman and then having a breakup by the third year. And then wondering attending my class how to improve communication, right? So don't waste the problem with R N E with the life is that कि जवानी और करियर एक साथ आते हैं यार। दोनों नहीं हो सकते। लोचा हो जाता है, right? Anyways, so हम event start करते हैं। मैं आपको पहले चार techniques दूँगा। जो कि आप न केवल कम्युनिकेशन में इस्तेमाल कर सकते हैं, पर ग्रुप डिस्कशन्स में, इंटरव्यूज़ में, उनको नॉट नॉट ओनली यूज़ बट मिसयूज़ देम। एंड दे आर मैजिक ट्रिक्स। आई प्रॉमिस यू, वंस यू गेट इनटू द हैबिट ऑफ़ यूजिंग इट, फॉर एग्जांपल किसी को माइक्रोवेव में खाना गरम करन These are microwave techniques which will दो मिनट में सब कुछ हो जाए. Provided you know how to use them and if you use them for a longer period of time. Shall we start? Right. तो पहली trick है headlines approach. Let me ask you a question and answer and think about it. Why do newspapers have headlines? What? हाँ? To attract attention. To give us an option to read or not to read. Okay. Now, imagine if newspapers didn't have headlines. Would you even want to use those newspapers as toilet papers? They'd be so jejune, so vapid, so dry, juiceless. Yes or no? Now, if you want to improve your communication, instead of doing some degree, fancy degree, after spending so much money, do— I personally, if I were to decide for my own self, if I were to redo my youth, I'll pick up a 2-month course in Copywriting, call to action, you know. For example, if you go on those apps and your TVs in Times Now and Republic, those apps, the strong call to action. Here is why VVS Laxman thinks that Kohli should only open at number three and not any number. So that call to action is there. Having that sense of urgency that you should click and know how to know the headline, how to put a headline, how to how to गागर में सागर कैसे करना है? लोगों के पास टाइम नहीं होता आपको पस आपको सुनने के लिए। For example, if the question why MBA, people answer it in the most जलील way, headline less way, you know? Sir, I want to do an MBA because in the ever-changing field of management, I want to mark a career, I want to make a niche for myself and sir this and this and this and happy birthday. Use the headlines approach. So I want to do an MBA for primarily 3 reasons. The first of the 3 is career advancement. After that, I explain subheadline and this. The second is that a natural extension of my interest and then this. And third is this, this, this. Headline, subheadline, and start speaking using headlines approach and see, you will look so cogent. You look so convincing to the people. People will start buying from you. Headlines approach, not the mambo chumbo kahani sunake. Are you with me? Right. Second approach, very important approach, is a PREP approach. PREP, P-R-E-P. PREP is nothing but an abbreviation for point, reasoning behind that point, Example of that point, and saying the same point again in a different set of words, as if you have proven something. P R E P prep approach. ना लोगे normally आपने pre 2000 से पहले पैदा होने वाले कोई हैं यहाँ पे? मतलब 90s early 90s वाला कोई है पैदा हुआ 90, 89, 90 types कुछ women will never tell truth अच्छा so तब उस time पे आपको याद होगा रामायण महाभारत आते थे TV पे DD पे रामायण और महाभारत सीरियल आते थे तो उसमें अभी भी देखा होगा आप YouTube पे कुछ पुराने episodes आते हैं तो what उसमें क्या होता था एक तीर चलाया उधर से राक्षस ने दूसरा तीर चलाया दोनों तीर टकराए और बिंक्याओं, दोनों ब्लास्ट हो गए। हम वातलाप में भी, जीडी में भी, यूजुअली क्या करते हैं? हम तीर चला रहे होते हैं, हम पॉइंट पॉइंट करते हैं। ये मेरा पॉइंट, रुक ये मेरा, और दोनों पॉइंट्स। Right now how do you make a brahmastra? You make a brahmastra by backing up, by substantiating your points. With the reasoning behind that point, with an example of that point, and then finally saying the same point again in a different set of words as if you have validated something. P-R-E-P, PREP approach. Could I, could I get your heads and minds? Could I make you understand this approach? I'll exemplify it once more. For example, if you want to ask your father for a car, one way is use the P-only approach. पापा गाड़ी ले दो। वो अधिकतर मेंटोस की ऐड, मेंटोस सिर्फ जवान पे लगाम लगाता है वैसा नहीं, हाथ पे नहीं वो ऐसा ही होगा। I use the prep approach. Dad, please गाड़ी लेने का मैं सोच रहा हूँ। कारण ये है कि मुझे देखो उसी है कि ट्यूशंस हैं और उसके बाद जाना पड़ता है पाकलेन में पढ़ने के लिए कॉलेज भी है और और मेरा सीनियर था पापा उसका लास्ट ईयर सीए फर्स्ट अटेम्प्ट में ही क्लियर हो गया। वो ट्यूशंस में उसको इस गाड़ी थी पापा केटेन ऑल्डो। राइट, आई थिंक हम इतना तो कर सकते हैं पापा। मैं आपका एक लोधा बेटा हूँ एक सेकंड हैंड गाड़ी मैंने पता किया पापा 80 हजार क्या आ रही है। पापा प्लीज You know Valentine's Day आ रहा है शुभ त्योहार उत्सव you know भगवान मंगल में करें आप सबका अरे so one way to approach women or men is I love you what do you think वो पुराना approach था तू हाँ कर या ना कर मैं हूँ तेरी वो नहीं new approach is use headlines approach use prep approach Ma'am, I'm interested in you for three reasons. No, I'm not interested in you. Don't, right? Don't get, don't get me wrong, right? Ma'am, I'm, I, I, I am. Name क्या आपका? हाँ जी? Mayurakshi. अच्छा. Mayurakshi, I'm, I'm Mayur. Hi. Right. I'm interested in you for three reasons. अब इतना तो guarantee है कि भैंजी सोनेंगी तीनों. Sorry, Mayur. Right. Right. Because headlines तीन है ना women will always want ये तीन कौन सी चीजें हैं जिसमें मेरे में कैसी accessories लगी हैं right right so क्यों right you know what I'm saying so headlines approach prep approach can actually bring it razzmatazz to your communication yeah glorify glamour your glamourify your communication fully are you with me start you पर ये use करना पड़ेगा आपको बहुत बार use करना पड़ेगा तभी आएगा ये ऐसा नहीं कि final GD final interview में जाके मैं आज मैं prep पहली बार इस्तेमाल करूँगी I have saved my best for the last बहन ये हनीमून नहीं है, जिटी है। Right now understand, you guys are cheap people, right? I must tell you, I'm a very sincere citizen of India. Now the point is बस you need to be sweeping the ball at least hundred times in the nets. You need to be. अगर आप reverse sweep final में लगाना चाहते हैं, तो 100 reverse sweep आपको nets में लगानी पड़ेंगी। तभी आप final world cup final में reverse sweep लगा पाएंगे। पहली बार नहीं होगा। Start implementing all this and see the change. Let 2020 be the year of stellar communication for you. One year and the next nine years, the next decade will belong to you. Third approach बताएँ? मजा आ रहा है? मजा नहीं कर लाना। Boring is the new sexy, remember? Right? Yeah, you need to add example देता हूँ मैं आपको यार। Even in any aspect of your life, you're looking at instant gratification. SIPs क्या होती हैं? Systematic investment plan. It's a very boring thing. Consistently you're investing, investing. Over a period of time, the CAGR becomes more and you end up having a lot of lump sum money. But people who are into they want excitements, they trade. They end up losing more. Initial trade might give you the confidence that I'm the James Bond, might be Rambo of trading, but over a period of time everything comes full circle. So speak with me once again. बोलिए boring is the new sexy, and this is most highly applicable with respect to communication.
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