Public Speaking Skills

 I will always remember the day when I went along to my first business networking event. I had taken the plunge to start my own business working from home and knew that the best way to promote myself was to get out there and meet people face to face. Little did I know that at this particular networking event I would be required to stand up in front of over 30 people all seated around a U-shaped table and introduce myself and my services for a whole minute!

I had not spoken in public for over 15 years, having avidly avoided it at all costs since my university days. I certainly had not had any public speaking training to boost my confidence. Whilst waiting for ‘my turn’ to come, I seriously considered getting up and walking out on the pretext of having to take an urgent call on my mobile. I’m glad I didn’t in the end! I got through it OK, with a lot of staring at the floor and probably a fair amount of mumbling. Still, I managed to get my point across reasonably and was thrilled when a few people came up to me at the end and asked for my business card!

At the event, a special guest speaker gave us some tips on how to market our businesses, including the importance of becoming good speakers and communicators. He was a great speaker and I’m sure most of us thought he was somehow born with those skills. He reminded us that anyone could learn to present as well as he, with good public speaker training and experience.

There are numerous elements to becoming a great public speaker. The way you use your voice, facial expressions and body language to develop your presence. How you structure your speeches and how much information you deliver. Investing time, effort and money into speaking skills training is really the only way to develop and improve on all the individual elements that will make you a dynamic and powerful speaker.