Are public speaking skills necessary?
I think so!
The ability to communicate effectively is crucial for success in business. Good communication skills help employees advance in their careers, earn more money, and build strong relationships with colleagues and clients. Internal and external communication are both important, as expressing the true nature of a business requires effective communication. However, many people struggle to be heard in professional and social settings.
Public Speaking Environments
There are many contexts in which a person needs to be an assured public speaker who can communicate their thoughts and ideas clearly and authoritatively, such as when giving presentations in college, pitching for investment, interviewing for a job, or giving a best man's speech.
When talking to your manager about salary and promotion, leading a last-minute team meeting, promoting your business at large events, trying to attract foreign investors, or distributing research results to nearby businesses, there are important factors to consider.
Professor Andrew Churchill, who helps PhD candidates give oral presentations of their research, was recently a guest on my podcast. He notes three recent developments in the field of public speaking instruction:
Public speaking coach talks to presentation coach
No one who uses a computer can claim to have never watched a TED Talk. Research and evidence-based topics are discussed, but the talks are presented interestingly and compellingly.
Research is expensive, and people need money to do their jobs. You'll have more success getting funding for your research if you find new audiences outside of academia to share your findings with.
The vast majority of young researchers do not stay in academia at present, so they must learn to communicate their findings in a way that audiences beyond the ivory tower can grasp.
Informative Speaking
To succeed as a graduate student, you need the communication skills to articulate your research to others. Communicating with your team about the state of a project or the proper way to carry out a procedure is also crucial in most businesses.
Clear, assured, and effective communication can make or break your goals and set you apart from the competition. Research (Bock, 2019) shows that those with strong communication skills are more likely to advance in their careers and earn higher salaries. A professor of linguistics named Deborah Tannen claims that "how we say things often matters more than what we say." Stronger bonds with coworkers, clients, and loved ones can result from honing your communication and voice skills. It can also help you stand out in the business world.
Motivational Speaking
Keynote speeches, in which the speaker addresses a specific topic, are often delivered in this format. A Ted Talk is an illustration of this type of talk, in which an authority explains an innovative approach or idea.
Above is a video of me critiquing an address by economist Mariana Mazzucato.
Businesses highly value leaders who can persuade others to stop doing something, change their behavior, or achieve their objectives. Leaders and account managers have a responsibility to their teams and clients to present in a way that motivates and persuades their audiences to take action, make decisions, or share their vision. The goal of these demonstrations is to change audience behaviour.
Entertaining
Since keynote speakers have the ability to both inspire and entertain an audience with their one-of-a-kind flair and charisma, event organisers frequently ask them to serve as hosts for conferences and dinners. This is because keynote speakers are able to do both simultaneously.
Given all these benefits of public speaking, why don't more people engage in it?
Those who suffer from it may also experience feelings of shame and humiliation when speaking in public. It's a form of social anxiety brought on by "the threat of unsatisfactory evaluations from audiences," and it's defined as "a marked and persistent fear of one or more social or performance situations in which the person is exposed to unfamiliar people or possible scrutiny from others."
About three-quarters (77%) of the American population suffers from social anxiety.
Mild symptoms include increased heart rate and sweaty palms, while severe symptoms can cause the sufferer to avoid the profession altogether. Possible causes include a distressing mental reaction, such as shaking and panic attacks.
Gardner says… the hardest part of giving a speech was writing it.
Speaking in front of a group can be a terrifying experience for those who suffer from public speaking anxiety, and it can have lasting effects on their physical and mental health. The effects on one's mental health can be detrimental, causing one to withdraw socially and professionally and even lose confidence.
There is a remedy, thankfully...
Focusing on positive actions and outcomes while unconsciously accommodating negative thoughts is the goal of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which combines mindfulness with acceptance.
Instead of just trying to rein in their negative emotions, I also get my clients to take positive action.
You can overcome your fear of public speaking and hone a delivery that moves and inspires others through behavioural therapy and verbal and nonverbal techniques.