Are you afraid of public speaking? You are not alone! Public speaking is still quoted as being one of the most common fears. It takes determination, practice and support to put yourself on stage and overcome that fear. But the benefits of becoming a better public speaker go way beyond the ability to speak in public.
Most of my public speaking experience has been in voluntary organisations. Public speaking was not a part of my daily work as a surveyor. But the wider communication skills I learnt whilst public speaking were invaluable. One of those was impromptu speaking, which you can read about here. In this series of articles, I explore more speaking skills which are useful in your professional (and personal) life beyond the traditional impression of public speaking, namely standing up on stage presenting to a large audience.
Timing
We’ve all sat in meetings where someone is going on and on and on. The more they waffle, the less anyone listens to them. But they keep talking anyway. Depending on who the person is and why they are speaking is likely to determine whether anyone will cut them off, advise them to get to the point or simply let them carry on (but probably stop listening).
In a formal speaking setting, you will generally be given set timing for your speech. It is imperative that you stick to that timing. The effect of not finishing strongly or not finishing at all can be devastating on the impact you have on an audience. In order to do this, you need to be selective in what you put into that speech.
The more you write and deliver presentations to a time limit, the more you can understand what to choose to put into the presentation for most impact. This translates to anywhere you need to get a point across (meeting, interview, group discussion). Being able to express yourself clearly and concisely is a valuable attribute. People are far more likely to listen to you if, when you speak, it is because you have something useful to say. And have the ability to say it well.
Knowing what it feels like to speak for a certain amount of time is powerful. I was once asked to prepare a two minute presentation. At the time I’d been speaking a lot in a debate format which required me to deliver two minute speeches. When I came to deliver the presentation at work, my colleagues were astounded I concluded at exactly two minutes. I could do this firstly because I had written the speech and practiced, so I knew how long it should last. But also because I knew what it felt like to speak for two minutes and what I could fit in to two minutes of speaking.
If you want people to listen to what you have to say, learn to say it as succinctly as possible. Practice choosing the most important aspects of your message and delivering it within a restricted timescale. There are so many out there who do not (cannot) communicate clearly in an appropriate time. Those you work with will appreciate it if you master this ability.
