Jul
19
Successful people learn to speak
People who excel at public speaking have a better chance of being noticed. They are more likely to get promoted, make more sales, get their ideas implemented, and make more money.
Why is public speaking so easy for some and so difficult for others? Some people were born with a naturally charismatic personality. Other people, like me, have to work at it. I was told, from a very early age, that I needed to act like naturally charismatic people. I needed to give myself a personality transplant. No matter how hard I tried, it didn’t work. I’m not an extrovert. Crowds overwhelm me and I need to limit how many events I attend or I go mad. I prefer a one-on-one conversation to a group gathering.
I discovered that speaking can be easy, even for an introvert like me. The secret is conversational speaking. Talk to one person at a time, just like you would in a private conversation, only the rest of the audience is there as well. Focusing on only one face at time takes away the angst.
The only way to get comfortable speaking is to speak. When you want to become a better speaker, speak as often as you can. Practice in a setting where it doesn’t matter. Don’t go out in front of a group as the featured speaker without first trying your presentation in a safe setting. You can join a Toastmasters group or even ask some friends to let you practice on them. The other option is to take a class and/or get coaching from a professional.
Remember, if you want to reach your career potential, you need to become a good speaker.