Dynamic Marketing Communiqué

“No risk, no reward.” – What can you get from being an effective public speaker? [Wednesdays: “Speak on the Shoulders of Giants”]

December 29, 2021

New York Times bestselling author Harvey Mackay once said:

“Once a first impression is made, if it’s less than great, unfortunately it takes a long time to change it.”

In a study conducted at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts, researchers found out it only takes 3 to 5 seconds for people to form an impression about someone they meet for the first time.

With such a short amount of time, how can you leave a lasting impression on people and make them remember you in a positive light?

In the context of public speaking, the answer lies in speaking well in front of your audience and delivering your message with grace and authenticity

Doing these will help you make a positive impression and build strong connections with your listeners.

According to Arina Nikitina in the book, “Successful Public Speaking,” 

“How well people perceive you and the conclusions they make about your professionalism and character will largely be influenced by your confidence when presenting yourself.”

So… how can you project yourself confidently in front of the audience? 

The first step to achieve that confidence is to overcome your public speaking fear or anxiety. 

In a past “Speak on the Shoulders of Giants” article, we talked about how terrifying public speaking can be and that there is always the risk of fumbling over your words, freezing up on stage, forgetting about your speech, etc. 

However, in public speaking, remember that no risk means no reward!

The only way for you to overcome your fear of public speaking and to be more confident as a speaker is to speak in front of people more often. 

Once you’re past this fear, you will find that public speaking has lots of benefits that can help you both personally and socially. 

Personal Benefits of Public Speaking

  • Personal Satisfaction

Once you get used to speaking in front of an audience, you will find it satisfying to share your views with people. You will then appreciate every opportunity to share a message you care about. 

  • Enhanced Critical Thinking Skills

Public speaking is not just about sharing what you want to share but also about effectively relaying your message to your audience. Delivering a speech or presentation requires careful thought and planning―from analyzing your audience to outlining your presentation down to the conclusion. You need to figure out how to make your message resonate with your audience.

Doing these things is a great exercise for improving your general communication skills. As you improve this particular skill, you will also improve your communication style.

  • Personal Development

Having good communication skills is crucial for personal and professional success. 

How does public speaking help you with that? 

By training you to think of effective ways to get your message across! This enables you to make a lasting and positive impression on your audience. 

Once you see the satisfied faces of your listeners as you deliver your talk, you’ll be more confident to stand on stage. This is the same confidence that will help you develop your personality even if you’re just having a casual conversation with your family, friends, or colleagues. 

Social Benefits of Public Speaking

  • Career Advancement

Success in public speaking is a good indicator of valuable professional skills. Sustaining an audience’s attention and exuding confidence during a speech or presentation demonstrates both your leadership skills and your ability to remain professional under pressure. 

These will help you gain your listeners’ trust and establish connections with other professionals in the field. 

  • Self-promotion

Are you looking for a way to… 

Build your personal brand? 

Boost your brand’s visibility? 

Increase your reputation as an expert? 

If you are, here’s good news: Public speaking will help you achieve these goals! 

As a speaker, look for opportunities to discuss your area of knowledge and present yourself as an expert. 

However, don’t forget to do a thorough audience analysis before preparing for your talk. Remember that your expertise on a particular subject will not matter if your audience can’t relate to your message.

  • Networking

Public speaking is a great way to connect with people who share the same interests as you. 

Think of delivering a speech as starting a conversation in a room full of people. Even after presenting your topic and stepping down the stage, that conversation can continue as you mingle with the audience, answer their questions, and seek fresh perspectives on the topic. Before you know it, you have new people in your social, professional circle!

External Benefits of Public Speaking

Aside from the personal and social advantages of being an effective speaker, there is one more major benefit you have to keep in mind:

You can influence the world around you.

In fact, an article in the “International Journal of Management & Business Studies” states there is a strong correlation between communication and leadership.

It is a leader’s communication skills that motivate and inspire his or her subordinates to work hard and achieve their goals. This shows that effective communication is one of the key elements that help leaders manage their teams effectively. 

Think about people like Martin Luther King Jr., Winston Churchill, and Nelson Mandela. They are just some of history’s greatest speakers who had a significant impact on society.

If you want to be like these speakers and positively influence your audience’s perspectives, one question you can ask yourself is this:

“How can I use my skills to influence the people around me?” 

Once you have a definite answer to this question, incorporate that into your goals. You’ll see, setting up specific, realistic, and attainable goals in every public speaking engagement will motivate you to present better on stage. 

– – – 

At this point, you might still experience feelings of anxiety or fear about speaking in front of an audience. 

As a human being, it’s okay to feel like that. However, keep in mind that as a speaker, overcoming your fear of public speaking will enable you to improve your communication skills and develop yourself on a personal and social level. 

Don’t let your fears outweigh the benefits you can attain by being a great public speaker! 

Take a deep breath, get on that stage, and create a great and lasting impression on your audience through your speech!

About The Dynamic Marketing Communiqué’s
“Wednesdays: Speak on the Shoulders of Giants”

In a meeting with one person

…a boardroom with five people

…or a huge venue with hundreds of people

—whatever the situation or setting, it’s very important to learn and eventually master the art of public speaking.

No matter what, you always need to effectively get your message across.

What good is a presentation with awesome content if you don’t deliver it properly?

Every Wednesday, we publish different tips, insights, and secrets on how you can improve your presentation skills to captivate your audience and lead interesting discussions.

The need for great presentation skills applies EVERYWHERE.

(Small meetings with your team, big meetings with your boss, an important marketing pitch, speaking engagements for events with a big audience, etc.)

Learning these skills is not just for the corporate world. Being in other industries such as the Arts, Information Technology, Medicine, and Education while knowing how to present well will definitely give you an edge.

Have that advantage.

Hope you’ve found this week’s public speaking tip interesting and helpful.

Stay tuned for next Wednesday’s Speak on the Shoulders of Giants!

Cheers,

Kyle Yu
Head of Marketing
Valens Dynamic Marketing Capabilities
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