What do the words public speaking bring to mind? Large halls and after-dinner ramblings? Executive seminars where you listen to a speaker expert in some key area of business? Politicians at election time? Presenters using complex PowerPoint slides?
These answers are all correct, but big events and big names are just the tip of the public – speaking iceberg. Public speaking embraces not only the formal settings for speeches but also myriad events in any businessperson’s day.
Public speaking affects every aspect of communication. It refers to your ability to get ideas across and to inform and persuade your audience. Even though most people admit to disliking it, everyone has to rely on his or her speaking abilities in meetings, on the phone, when asking for a raise, or when explaining procedures to a new employee.
There are two varieties of business communication: written and spoken. And while many professionals, managers, and executives complain about the number of memos and e-mails they have to write, they communicate verbally much more often.
Powerful speaking is not a new phenomenon. I searched for a book to see how public speaking has started.In his 1880 book, History of England: Volume I, Thomas M. wrote about William Pitt the Younger, who became Prime Minister of England at the age of 24.
Parliamentary government is government by speaking. In such a government, the power of speaking is the most highly prized of all the qualities which a politician can possess; and that power may exist, in the highest degree, without judgment, without fortitude…without any skill in diplomacy or in the administration of war.
That is why Pitt, who was lauded for his remarkable talent for making speeches, was a successful politician despite his lack of experience and political savvy. There is just so much spotlight to go around, and it’s a given that speakers occupy it regularly.
Presenting in public is advertising with subtlety: You are displaying your abilities without touting them. In other words this mean: Sell yourself on a high scale, offering value to others.
And now, I want you to remember the benefits:
- courage
- value
- long-term relationships
- self- confidence
- experience
All things mentioned above, are real and extremely useful in many occasions when speaking in public, so that’s why you should use every speaking opportunity possible. When someone needs a speaker, volunteer! If someone else is speaking, volunteer to introduce them! Get yourself in front of other people as often as you can.
The more you do, the more you will be perceived as the confident, take-charge kind of person you truly are.
You engage your audience by drawing them in, by being interesting, by never being boring. You inspire your audience to take action by reaching their emotions-to get them to see things and feel things.
People never take actions for intellectual reasons, there is always an emotional benefit or fear that spurs them on. As a speaker you want to stimulate people to think and to be open enough to consider your ideas.
Confidence and speaking ability go hand in hand. The more speaking you do, the more confident you become-not only of your ability to present but also of your overall corporate skills. When you overcome your fears more easily, you have the ability to truly persuade superiors, peers, or customers.
So read on, and start to look at your workday differently – not as a series of random conversations but as myriad chances to polish your skills as a powerful public speaker
With fear behind you, you will be free to reap the benefits enjoyed by commanding speakers.
Fear may not be welcome, but it is normal. Every successful speaker has his or her own tricks to psych out fear. Winston Churchill liked to imagine that each member of the audience was naked. Franklin Roosevelt pretended that the members all had holes in their socks.Carol Burnett thinks of them sitting on the commode.
The point is, even though your mind seems to work overtime before a speech, filling you with dread, you can counter with tricks of the imagination that make you feel confident and in control.
Fear has its good side:
The perception of public speaking as difficult and demanding adds to a confident speaker’s power, because people are perceived as more knowledgeable and confident simply because of their ability to conquer the dreaded task of public speaking.
That confidence comes from within; once you believe you have the ability to be a confident speaker, it’s a lot easier to be just that.
The best way to bolster your confidence before a speech or presentation is to think positively, start with a good attitude. Saturate your mind with positive thoughts. Repeat to yourself any positive catch phrase that appeals:
I am poised, prepared, persuasive, positive, and powerful. I also feel composed, confident, convincing, commanding, and compelling.
So; How do you prepare? The traditional answer-taking notes and memorizing them-is just a small part of it. Real preparation means digging something out of yourself; it means gathering and arranging your thoughts, nurturing your ideas, and finding a unique way to express them.
A speech needs time to grow; don’t try to manufacture one in a hurry. Select your topic as soon as you can but don’t rush to write down your speech. Start a speech file as soon as you know you will be speaking and put everything that comes to mind in this file: thoughts, quotations, and topics.
Let the thinking process go on for a long time-at least two or three weeks-depending on your subject and the length of the speech. Sleep on it; dream about it. Let your ideas sink into your subconscious.
Then bring your evolving speech out of hiding. Make it a topic of conversation at the dinner table. Ask yourself questions about your topic. Write down your thoughts and the examples that come to you. Once you have the pot cooking, keep stirring it and adding new ideas and illustrations. Examples will pop into your head at random times-jot down as many of these inspirations as you can.
That’s it from this part. Soon I’ll write the 3rd part wich will be the last part from this subject.I hope you’ve learned something from this, and thank you for your time reading this article.