A course in public speaking is a most desirable training for the
professional or commercial man. It will give him training to address
a public meeting, but it will also greatly improve his conversational
powers. It will make him careful in the selection of his words,
their pronunciation and exact meaning; it will extend his vocabulary
and give more power and intonation to his voice. It will also train
his mind to quick thinking and to select without hesitation just such
words as are best adapted to express his thoughts. Few people can
speak out their ideas in a clear, concise manner, and fewer yet can
ask a good, direct question that goes to the very heart of an issue.
And yet, this ability to frame a concise question at the right moment
is one of the most desirable attainments for a person that has much
intercourse with his fellow men.