Seven reasons on why you need to become a better speaker
Posted on May 08, 2017 by Faiyaz Farouk, One of Thousands of Business Coaches on Noomii.
Key reasons to improving your public speaking skills.
Fear of public speaking is the #1 fear in America next to fear of Sharks. If you really study sharks as much I do, you’ll realize they are harmless and you may even want to go shark diving and see one of natures top predators in action. The fear, of sharks is self-created, so is public speaking. I acknowledge that speaking in front of people isn’t easy and most people don’t do a good job at it. I also acknowledge that most colleges don’t have enough courses on this subject to help you permanently become an effective speaker.
However, public speaking is a major component of work, community life and even sometimes your own social life. At some point in your life, you will be asked to talk in front of a group and deliver a message about something you did or want to do. If this hasn’t happened to you by now, get ready for it. As the character Neo say’s from the movie Matrix “ You can’t deny the inevitable”.
- Speaking gives you credibility as a leader or expert. As silly as this sounds, it’s true. Look around you: when you get invited somewhere, only the “experts” are speaking. People love to see someone dressed sharp and presenting on a topic of their interest. I have many friends who have made a career out of speaking alone. If you’re an expert on a subject matter, start speaking about it. Let everyone know how much you know and how it can benefit them.
- Public Speakers advance faster in their careers. Due to the fact a person is “asked” to speak and therefore perceived as an expert, they usually get promoted faster than others. Remember the old rule, “ The squeaky wheel gets the grease”. If your boss’s boss isn’t noticing you, they don’t know much about you to promote you. This is also the advise of Jack Welch in his book “winning”. An employee must figure out a way to stand out in their company and climb the ladder in a fast, strategic manner.
- Public Speaking enhances your own personal image. When was the last time you gave a presentation and felt like a million dollars. Even if the presentation was only 30 minutes in length. A person can’t help but to feel very good after a great presentation, even if they are having a horrible week. I give presentations to large group of audiences on change management and using workforce analytics often and even if I am having a lousy week, I always feel amazing afterwards. One the other hand, I gave a presentation to a very large prospective client and did a horrible job. At the end of the presentation, the client gave me feedback that I perceived as negative. On the way home, I did beat myself over it. Thank God, that feeling didn’t last long. Though, this is a rare moment that I sabotaged my own presentation, I made sure I learned from this experience. Speaking a lot in front of groups is truly an ego booster. Caution: tread carefully. The fall can hurt pretty badly.
- Have less stress. Public speaking is therapy. Speaking and getting out your thoughts releases feelings and decreases your stress. If you don’t believe me, deliver a 30 minute presentation and then go to sleep. It’ll be very difficult because you’ll be pumped up with adrenaline.
- Differentiate yourself. Due to the fact most people won’t attempt to speak in public, or in real life. Becoming a better speaker, you are creating an edge. This edge will help you with everything in your life. The better you are at public speaking, the more memorable you’ll become to people. If you’re single, you may possibly meet your future spouse at your next speaking engagement. It has happened before.
- Get your ideas across with accuracy and consistency. This is an important one but I wanted to leave this until the end. When giving a presentation, always focus on improving from the last feedback you received. Join Toastmasters and receive feedback from the participants can be a valuable way to improve in a safe environment. If you are selling something and no one bought. Next time you present, an easy way to gauge your presentation is when someone buy’s your product you’re selling. This is assuming, you’ve changed your approach and style. Always focus on improving from the previous presentation. Remember, speaking is an art and science. Keep practicing in the real world.
- Live a little. Life is short. You can’t live in fear and meritocracy all of your life. If you speak once a month somewhere, you owe it to your audience and yourself to get help and do a better job. The worst speakers are the ones that are self-absorbed and never receive any professional training. Get training at least several times in your lifespan to keep improving. Public Speaking is an art and skill, like anything else, requires training and practice. So let go of your fear and live a little. You never know what kind of amazing opportunities await you at your next speaking engagement.
Please share your thoughts on your speaking training and experiences you’ve had with delivering presentations. Thank you for reading.
Faiyaz Farouk
