Public speaking is one of the biggest fears for many people; in fact, many people fear it more than death! Fortunately it is something that can be improved with practice and guidance. Improved public speaking has been linked with improved productivity at work for a variety of reasons:
It’s all about confidence
If your staff has the confidence to speak publicly they will be happy to voice their opinion either to their colleagues or to the management. They will no longer be concerned with how many people can hear their opinion and this can be a great way to improve communication between staff. Not only will all staff feel more involved in the business but they will feel that their opinion matters; this is guaranteed to improve their productivity as they are happy at work.
Awareness
The more people are aware of their own abilities the more productive they will be. By showing your staff that they can be good at public speaking they will become aware that they have more skills than they previously thought. This improved self image will inspire them to work harder and be more productive.
Promotion
Many staff like the idea of rising through the ranks in the workplace; this will improve their situation in life and at work. However to take on more responsibility it is common to need to be able to speak in public; whether presenting figures to the board or a talk to the staff. By providing your staff with training in becoming good public speakers they will feel more confident about applying for internal promotion. In order to be the best candidate possible they will work harder and be more dedicated and productive than they might otherwise be.
There are a variety of tips which can be used to help your staff improve their public speaking skills. These can be useful in many situations including representing the company:
Preparation
This is essential. You should decide what points your speech should be making and who your target audience is. The prepare bulletin points so that you stay on track without simply reading your speech. You should also make sure you are familiar with the venue and equipment available.
Know your audience
It is essential to know your audience, their background and what they expect. You will then be able to adapt your style to fit their expectations. To know more about the best ways of getting under people’s skills, you should recommend your staff to check tutorials and videos with a couple of meaningful speeches. TedX conferences for example, are a great way to get started.
Body language
The way you stand or wave your arms around can say a lot about how you feel or the meaning behind your words. It can also be distracting. You should practice your speech several times and record it to see what your body is doing. Anything which looks out of place should be removed from future speeches.
Pictures
PowerPoint can add some beautiful scenes to your speech but they should be there to simply support your speech. Keep the writing away from the pictures as this will just distract your audience.
Get personal
The best speeches start with a personal story, preferably one which deals with adversity and relates to the situation of your audience. You will immediately get them on side and interested in what you have to say. This means you are already half way there! It is fine to sprinkle a few other personal anecdotes into the speech but don’t go overboard!
Learn to control your nerves
It is natural to feel nervous, you need to harness this energy and use it to motivate yourself. The adrenaline burst you will get from your nerves will also serve to clear your head and help you focus.
The best way to improve your public speaking skills is to watch other people doing it and learn from their techniques. The more speeches you can attend the more tips you will pick up and the better your public speaking will be. Don’t let your nerves ruin your presentation and find sensible ways to keep that anxiety under control. Breathe deeply, focus on the information you’re presenting and don’t beat around the bush.
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