Though most of us have the ability to speak, many are not able to speak well when in front of a group people. Yet, being comfortable and confident when speaking in public has the potential to enrich your life both professionally and personally. In fact, people who do speak well are predominantly more successful in life and work than those who don’t. Public speaking is not something that necessarily comes naturally to everyone, but like many other things, it is a skill that can and arguably should be learned. It doesn’t necessarily mean standing in front of an audience, but it can also include when you’re commenting in meetings or other at gatherings.
Being able to speak well in public will:
Improve your personal and professional reputation
Increase your influence in decision making processes
Help you to gain the trust and respect of others
Provide an increase in personal confidence and self esteem
Enable you to be seen as an expert in your field
Provide an opportunity to promote yourself and your business positively
Help you to develop the ability to articulate ideas and persuasive arguments
Allow you to demonstrate poise and leadership skills
Help you to stand out from the crowd and be memorable
Eliminate the fear of being asked to ‘say a few words’
Improve your job and promotion prospects
Help you to gain publicity for your business
Enable you to inspire and motivate others
Help you to engage people at networking events
Provide an understanding of how to use your body and voice effectively in all situations
Ensure you think about your entire image and take pride in the way you present yourself
Enable you project credibility and inspire confidence in others
Help you to handle questions and answers
Lead to you experiencing the buzz from entertaining and informing a responsive and appreciative crowd
Mel Sherwood is a Presentation Skills and Personal Impact Speaker and Founder of The RED Effect™. She works with ambitious business leaders, teams and individuals who want to express themselves with confidence, credibility and charisma. An Australian based in Scotland, Mel is an award-winning speaker, author and coach and combines over 25 years’ experience in business with a background as an actor, presenter and singer.