Perfecting and presenting your personal brand is essential to your success. Public speaking is an easy way to share with a large group at one time and is an important skill to master for personal brand growth.
Why is public speaking so important? First, it classifies you as an expert. Think about speakers you've heard in the past. You likely considered them to be highly educated on their topic. Speaking in front of large groups also increases your credibility. Most professions have a sizable amount of local competition, and taking advantage of public speaking opportunities will make you stand out in your field.
Public speaking is a great way to network. Average events allow for a limited number of connections with promising prospects. When you share your expertise with a group, however, there is a stronger tendency for interested prospects to seek you out after you've finished speaking. Speaking in front of a group also convinces others of your credibility on the topic.
Speaking engagements will provide benefits for attendees, as well. Your listeners will gain insight into your topic. Your words may incite motivation, inspiration and ideas that can help to enrich lives, careers and/or businesses.
A few key elements will help you boost your brand significantly while speaking. The first is offering content-rich information. Give your audience something to take away from your presentation. You want your listeners to learn something and this will bolster your reputation and brand image. Always give your audience more than they expect.
A second element is to personalize your brand by weaving your own stories into content. You want to connect with your audience by sharing snippets of personal history, but don't forget they have come to hear about your topic, not you.
A great public speaker knows that delivery is everything. You want to be upbeat, dynamic and engaging. A bored audience is an inattentive one. Keep your listeners interested by showing your excitement and getting them involved.
With the many benefits of public speaking, one would think everyone would be excited to do it. Unfortunately, public speaking is one of the top fears of most Americans. The primary reasons for this fear are being self-conscious and concerned about being judged or compared to others, and poor preparation. These fears can be conquered by concentrating on having a conversation with your audience rather than talking at them, knowing your audience wants you to succeed and holding yourself to your own standard of success.
Ensure sufficient preparation by being organized, visualizing a successful performance and practicing frequently. Don't worry about occasional silence during your speaking and try to develop a rhythm of speaking that's comfortable for you.
Now that a few of the many benefits of public speaking have been laid out for you, it's time to take action. Make yourself available for speaking engagements and offer to speak for free. If fear is inhibiting your public speaking, follow the tips in this article and stop the fear before it stops you.