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Does Public Speaking Equal Career Success?
I hate public speaking, which may sound weird given that in private, you can’t stop me. Over the years I have come to realise that the ability to clearly articulate your ideas in front of an audience is a key to success… You can quite literally have a average idea that is presented well, and it will be worth a lot more than a great idea without the charismatic unveiling.
It kind of makes sense, but is unfortunate for those of us who go weak at the knees at the thought of getting up in front of an audience. If you can’t talk it up in front of an audience, you create your own glass ceiling.
If you can… You can successfully cover up a lot of your weaknesses and have a very strong impression on people.
At the very least, in the next year I will be talking at a wedding. This has prompted me to figure out how to not feel like my stomach has turned into a butterfly farm for the weeks leading up to the event (I do not want to sacrifice my time as chief bridesmaid!)
So what are good techniques? I know it’s simply a confidence thing and have heard that:
- Going to a professional public speaking course can change your life
- Force yourself to just do it and it will get easier
- Just imagine you’re talking to a couple of friends
But am wondering if anyone has experienced a breakthrough ever and how it happened?
April 21st, 2008 at 10:15 am
I find that public speaking success comes from practice and a shift in mindset. Everyone’s techniques are different. The best way is to find opportunities among smaller groups first before your friend’s wedding, identify the reasons for the nervousness (e.g. lack of preparation, over-preparation, delivery) and then learn ways to deal with them.
April 22nd, 2008 at 12:29 pm
I would say the experience I had was a breakthrough, for me. The were two main parts. I felt that same as you when I left high school…I hated presenting or any kind of public speaking. Going to Otago and studying marketing meant that for each paper you had to get in front of your peers and present multiple times. By my second and third year I really started to enjoy it. I think it was the sheer number of times I had to do it that really helped.
Then a few years back I went to Toastmasters. This was brilliant because they help give you some real skills to use when speaking as well as multiple opportunities to practice.
Now? I love presenting and public speaking. It still scares me but I really enjoy it at the same time. Practice, practice, and more practice is the only way I think you can nail it. Try Toastmasters, they’re great.
April 22nd, 2008 at 5:32 pm
I know someone who did toastmasters and someone who did another professional course. They both claim that the course as their breakthrough.
I bet the doing it heaps thing works as well. But I really have done it heaps and hmm. Then I stopped doing it heaps. So maybe it is a matter of doing it heaps again.
Jack, I suspect the sisters wedding speech may not be that bad, the only reason for nerves there is that we have a tear duct problem in our family and any emotional occasions ends in us blubbering. Not such a good look!
May 3rd, 2008 at 10:07 am
Nat,
You are spot on about the importance of public speaking. Becoming a better speaker can open doors both financially and personally.
Here are a few quick tips I give clients:
-Practice truly does make perfect
-Power-point often is mis-used more than used correctly
-Focusing on the audience and their needs is crucial to connecting with the audience
-Being succinct enough to finish in time, every time, is important
-As Mark Twain said: “It usually takes three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech”
-Not having a well-structured presentation is often worse than not presenting at all
-Joking with your audience can work (but is risky), but making fun of your audience is simply foolish
Best
Terry Gault