At work, communication skills are crucial because we need to interact with the workforce, give presentations/speeches, have meetings… Thus, we need to master the art of public speaking.

Some of us may be more introvert or feel less comfortable speaking in public, which can make these situations nerve-wracking and stressing. Therefore, it is crucial to understand how to overcome these problems and know how to properly connect and interact with the audience, whether small or large.

Public speaking is a soft skill, directly linked to communication, which includes verbal and non-verbal. So, it is crucial to have a correct posture, look confident and enthusiastic, maintain eye contact, try not to make too many pauses or repeat ourselves too much, talk clearly with an appropriate tone and use proper language. Our speech also depends on our audience and assessing their needs and expectations is vital. Should we be very technical while speaking? Can we be funny? It all depends on who is in front of us and the subject, but we must always try to be ourselves.

In addition, we must remember that the content of our presentation/speech needs to be carefully examined and planned in advance, to be assertive and error-free. Also, if we use digital support while talking, we should not rely too much on it and make it aesthetically pleasing to the eye. This support should make our speech easier to understand and not monotonous.

As we can imagine, developing this skill has many benefits. First, an interesting and structured speech can make people effectively understand and retain our ideas and points of view. Public speaking helps us advocate for causes and develop our persuasive skills.  Preparing for a speech also improves our knowledge and vocabulary. All of this strengthens our work performance, self-confidence, personal satisfaction and enhances teamwork abilities.

It is very normal to be nervous about speaking in public. However, what we must keep in mind is that we can overcome this “fear” and improve this skill. To do so, it is crucial to think positively, as it is a way of feeling and looking more confident. Also, we should ask for feedback to understand where we should improve. Public speaking is all about practice and practice makes perfect. Given that public speaking skills are so important, we should include them in our resume and try to show them during job interviews.

References:

1. Important Public Speaking Skills for Workplace Success, December 2019, The Balance Careers
2. How To Calm Your Nerves Before Public Speaking At Work, August 2019, HUFFPOST
3. How to Improve Your Public Speaking Skills, January 2020, Very Well Mind