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Did you know that public speaking is ranked #5 on Americans’ list of things they fear the most? Shocking. Public speaking is an art, which can be improved in every stage of life. If you are nervous speaking in front of groups of people, you’re not alone. Case Solvers’ competency mapping software called Spartafy is here to help you out.
What is public speaking?
Basically, it is a presentation that is given live in front of an audience, whether it is only one person or a group. Public speeches can cover almost every kind of topic and the goal of the speech may be to educate, entertain or influence listeners. Often it is backed up by visual aids that help the presenter in highlighting key information. What differentiates public speaking from other communication forms is that public speaking is typically limited to a specific time or space.
Public speaking is a skill in the Communicate constellation of Case Solvers’ Skill Universe and is defined:
“The sharing of information between individuals by using speech.”
Case Solvers
Let’s have a quick look back on history to understand the importance of public speaking. There is a good chance that there has been public speech, in one form or another, as long as there have been people. Of course it did not begin with presentations supported by perfect infographics, but ancient people developed public speaking methods that are still in use today. For instance, the ancient Greek citizens had the right to suggest or oppose laws during their assemblies which eventuated that speaking in public became a desirable skill and was taught.
Later, after World War II, a less formal and more conversational style of speaking became popular. People who were not afraid of telling the truth in a common way got popular with their speeches. Don’t be fooled, though. Even though today’s public speaking forms are less formal, they still need to be well-structured and traceable.
The importance of public speaking
The reason why public speaking was essential throughout these years is that the spoken word can be even more powerful than the written word in the hands of the right speaker. It has a major role in education, politics, but most importantly in business. Speaking in public is especially important for businesses to market their offers, to get people to understand their proposition. Sales people and executives are often expected to have good communication skills.
But there are a lot more reasons to be competent in public speaking. This skill is interconnected with many other competencies, thus it builds your confidence which leads to an improvement in your oral and nonverbal communication skills. It also improves your research skills, because for a good presentation you need to understand the topic thoroughly. Good research skills can serve you in many other professional and personal tasks such as business report writing or job hunting. Moreover, public speaking requires you to work from a premise and draw a conclusion based on the information you've researched. thus it strengthens your deductive skills. The list goes on and on, the advantages of being a good public speaker is endless.
But how can you become adept at public speaking?
Many people avoid speaking in public if they can because they fear the reaction of the audience. If you're one of those people who avoid speaking in public, you don’t know what you’re missing out on. Here’s a few tips to follow to improve your public speaking skill:
Know your audience. Invest some time in discovering your audience’s attributes. If you know what they are hungry for, you have a better chance to get your message through.
Practice, practice, practice. You cannot imagine how many times the best speakers rehearse their lines before going on stage. If they need to practice that much, how much time do you need?
Record your speeches. Try to listen to your own voice before you go live. It can help you correct the mistakes you’ve made and fine-tune your tone and body language. By practicing in front of a mirror, you'll immediately get a good idea of how you look giving a speech.
Involve others in your practice. Getting feedback is essential, because others may discover different blind points you have. Attempt to perform your speech to as many people as you can. Encourage them to be totally honest with you because the last thing you need is someone who won't point out mistakes because they don't want to upset you or hurt your feelings.
If you want to improve your public speaking skills, public speaking practice is definitely the way to go. Case Solvers’ Deliver! training is aimed to develop high-class presentation skills, so do not miss out the opportunity. Also, you can test your public speaking skills via our skill development and competency mapping software called Spartafy, which can provide you with a good starting point. Contact us at support@case-solvers.com and find out more about our opportunities!
Further readings on the topic: