Some people, due to inclination or character, are particularly challenged by the idea of speaking in public. This derives not only from a social and cultural factor that pushes us not to want to seem inferior to someone else, but is often also a legacy of character insecurities that have their roots in the history of the person.
An example above all: a timid child, if adequately encouraged, will learn during his school career not to be afraid to speak in front of the class without feeling judged, neither by his classmates nor by the teacher. In other circumstances, he will instead develop a real fear – a sort of stage anxiety, which with age will be a cause of uncertainty and anxiety, especially in the workplace.
It is therefore very important to learn to be the master of your own voice in any situation. Only in this way can we show ourselves for what we really are by valuing our person and our skills.
Why is public speaking important?
Not all jobs require the same measure of public speaking, that’s for sure. But mastering this art will help us not only on the professional front, but also on the interpersonal one.
Knowing how to speak in public in the right way (therefore with a correct tone of voice, with thought arguments and a gesture suited to the situation) is an excellent visiting card both from a human and from a working point of view.
So it doesn’t matter whether you are a manager, a lawyer, a journalist or a small business owner. Learning to speak in public is essential to increase your value.
Who is the public?
When one thinks of public speaking, a large conference room immediately comes to mind, in which everyone keeps their eyes on one figure at the back of the room. Of course, this is certainly a form of public speaking – just think of the example provided by many large multinationals of American origin, but it is not the only one.
It is important to come down with the idea of speaking in public to our needs and to our daily, personal and working life. Only in this way will we be able to identify what we really need for our success as individuals.
In this, it is very important to stop and think about who our audience of listeners is and on what occasions we need or have to interface with them.
If, for example, we are at the head of a large company, it will be our task to interface with all employees at meetings or training courses, but also with important customers. A teacher, another example, will instead have to learn to speak in front of his class.
How is public speaking done?
Speaking well is an art. Talking well in public is a real technique that needs to be studied and cultivated. The speaker has to deal with many different emotional factors, finding the right balance between himself and others.
Only in this way will he be able to question himself, even collecting any constructive advice or criticism without seeing the latter as an affront to his own person.
In recent years, thanks to professional trainers in the field of communication but also more focused studies in this field, we have tried to understand if there are techniques to learn or implement their ability to speak in public.
Here are some tips and techniques that will help you in practice, regardless of your professional position.
Public speaking = No fear
The word fear is prohibited when it comes to public speaking. As we have said, it is normal to deal with insecurities and emotions of various kinds, but the real secret is to try to harness all this by trying to catalyze it into positive energy.
In this way, the “fear” will turn into the right dose of adrenaline that will allow you to face every circumstance in the right way. But do not forget lucidity: it is very important for any type of circumstance, from the most informal to the most formal.
Prepare the speech in advance
Speaking in public is very difficult, even the greatest leaders or trainers are used to preparing drafts to get a general idea of how to approach the speech. If you are not accustomed to speaking in the midst of so many people, it is therefore advisable to take the good habit of writing first what you want to say.
Computer, paper and pen, it is not important: rediscovering the importance of writing will help you to order your thoughts to better understand how to set up your speech. In this way you can get a general idea of how to set up the work, you will see that by re-reading the speech written by you it will be much easier to report the same topics in front of 10 or 100 people.
When you have become a professional, the draft will become a canvas from which to take inspiration during your execution.
Involvement of the present public
A good speaker knows very well how important it is to be engaging with the people present. In this way, a real connection will be created based on gesture and emotion. Otherwise, the person in question would find himself talking to himself.
There are various techniques to involve those present starting from one’s own attitude: an enthusiastic, positive and charismatic person arouses curiosity with respect to another visibly uncomfortable. Another great tip for creating a connection with the public is to look for empathy; one way may be to cite everyday examples that concern a wide target group of people or tell a personal story.
Public speaking and audiovisual technologies
Speaking in public is a performance that can also be enriched with other elements to make it more stimulating for the listener. In the case of meetings, conferences or other situations that may require it, do not underestimate the help that technological devices could provide.
It is not necessary to overdo it: sometimes a simple graphic drawing on a tablet can be enough to tell your idea. Depending on the circumstances, you can also use video and audio equipment.
In conclusion, therefore, give free rein to your creativity to tell you how human beings and professionals are: in this way, you will also be able to tell your value.
