Public speaking either excites or terrifies us. Those entrepreneurs who stand up to give talks, speeches, or run events will reap the many benefits.
The art of speaking in public is a skill you can learn and develop over time, and the opportunities it provides for you and your business are worth exploring.
The ability to speak well not only captivates an audience but also helps you to speak confidently with colleagues, clients, and employees.
In the corporate world speaking well would often lead to promotion. So how can you boost your confidence as a business owner and turn your spoken words into an income generator?
If you are passionate about growing your business then it’s worth looking at ways to include public speaking in your business strategy. That doesn’t mean you have to stand up in front of a room of four hundred people, but it does mean stretching your boundaries and facing your fears.
When you facilitate groups or events and talk about the topics and themes that you are enthusiastic about you automatically become a leader in your field.
Why bother? Why not continue to write blog posts, share content on social media, and publish a monthly newsletter?
You can do all of those things and still build a successful business, but the power of public speaking takes your content marketing to another level. You become the influencer, the inspirational voice for your industry, and the go-to choice when event organisers are looking for keynote speakers.
What can public speaking do for you?
Build confidence
I’d be lying if I told you the nerves disappear the more you speak in public, but they do lessen over time. The more you stand up and talk the more confident you become. In our networking sessions we often talk about strengths and weaknesses, and embracing your nerves is a fabulous way of dealing with your fears.
Start small. Do a talk for a handful of people in a safe space. At Socially Shared, we invite all our members to present a short talk as part of our monthly networking sessions. They use this experience to promote their business, add value to the network, and build their confidence.
Build skills
Speaking in public not only requires a calm voice and articulated thoughts, but it also involves building your speech writing, and language skills. How can you get a specific point across so your audience understands and acts upon your words? How can you tailor your message so it leaves a lasting impression on your audience? Speaking in public requires you to hone all of your communication skills.
Build relationships
If you are speaking in public you are putting yourself in the spotlight and allowing new connections access to you and your expertise.
At most events, keynote speakers have the opportunity to mingle with the audience and network. Leave a lasting impression, not only through your speech but also by the way you conduct yourself. Use these moments to build your community, make new friends, and connect with other speakers who you may collaborate with in the future.
How can you become a better public speaker?
Planning
“The backbone of success is hard work, determination, good planning, and perseverance.” Mia Hamm.
Think about the content you write, the books you read, and even the television shows you watch. Without a good hook, you lose interest. To ensure you captivate your audience it helps to plan in advance.
No matter if your public speaking is a 60-second pitch, facilitating a workshop, a TEDx talk, or a short presentation, you must take time to plan out what you want to say, why, and how.
Use the following elements to help you:
- Be clear
- Be concise
- Be concrete
- Be correct
- Be coherent
- Be complete
- Be courteous
Practice
You have a plan, you know what you want to say and how you’re going to say it, the next step is to practice.
This can be done by yourself until you feel confident that you won’t need to use any flashcards or notes. I would then recommend finding trusted friends or colleagues to practice on so you get a true feel for speaking in public. They will also be able to give you honest and practical feedback.
It can be handy to film yourself giving your talk (even when doing a practice run) so you can watch it back and see where you might make any changes to your talk, or even your body language.
Positivity
Within our network, we often talk about mindset and the power of positive thinking. When it comes to public speaking it helps to build on that positivity which, in turn, boosts your confidence.
The inner chatter that most of us give in to will be at its loudest before you start your public speaking journey. “You can’t do this” or “Who do you think you are?” are the limiting beliefs that keep us small.
Staying positive and changing that narrative allows you to embrace and enjoy this opportunity. Use affirmations or visualisations to help.
“You can speak well if your tongue can deliver the message of your heart.” John Ford
Finally, take every opportunity you can to speak. The more you do so, the better you become, the more confident you feel, and the wider your reputation will spread.
Learn more about public speaking with Socially Shared
Join our networking group in North Warwickshire on Wednesday 29th March between 10am – 12pm and hear from our expert speaker, Abbi Hoxleigh from Little PR Rock Marketing.
Abbi will be talking about Public Speaking with Confidence (Improving your business communication)
In the middle of the lockdown, Abbi was launched into public speaking as an online member of Toastmasters International and the Woman Who Academy. She has given personal and educational talks to hundreds of people such as the FSB Business Bootcamp 2022. She now speaks at various business networking events and as part of her PR know-how training sessions.
This session will include snippets from her chapter in the anthology The Speakers Journey: Amplifying Your Voice Volume 1 about how to learn to stop worrying and love public speaking, including:
- How she struggled with public speaking until she realised her past held her back
- The one pivotal moment changed her speaking journey forever
- What all public speakers need to know about online presentations
- When brave words and courage helped her to address a crowd after the lockdown
- Mastering skills to make you the most effective and comfortable public speaker
- Talking calmly on live television and a spin on BBC Radio 4 Money Box
- If you’re nervous about speaking to the camera, these tips will help
- How to speak with authenticity and vulnerability without losing who you are
- Discover how to become the expert in your industry with Credibility Confidence
Buy your ticket for the North Warwickshire Socially Shared Event HERE.
Interested in joining the Socially Shared Women’s Business Support Network? Our affordable annual membership is £99 and includes many benefits to help your business thrive. Find out more via our website.
“This is a wonderful networking group that offers support, guidance and countless friendly faces – all committed to helping each other and working together to achieve. I would highly recommend the group to others.” Lorraine Checklin, Flourish Health & Wellbeing Ltd
