ddy77

Reading Module 7

Why It Matters: Public Speaking

Why learn about public speaking in business?

One of the essential business and life skills often neglected in our “schooling” broadly is the art of public speaking. It’s an odd omission given that the oral tradition is as old as civilization. Indeed, public speaking is a through-line in our history as a people and as a nation. This is not only an American phenomenon but a human reality. Whether they’re a signal of change or a spark that ignites change, speeches accompany the pivotal events of every time and place, rallying people around a vision of the future, be it the founding of a nation, a call to arms, or a call to action.

These ideas often transcend their times, tapping into an enduring sense of possibility or responsibility. Consider, for example, this excerpt from Dr. Martin Luther King’s 1963 “I have a dream” speech: “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”[1] Over fifty years later, Dr. King’s speech remains both resonant and relevant and, as an article from the History Channel notes, it has “endured as one of the signature moments of the civil rights movement.”[2]

Hillary Rodham Clinton’s 1995 “Women’s Rights Are Human Rights” speech given at the United Nations Fourth World Congress on Women is another example of a defining vision and values statement. To excerpt: “As long as discrimination and inequities remain so commonplace everywhere in the world, as long as girls and women are valued less, fed less, fed last, overworked, underpaid, not schooled, subjected to violence in and outside their homes—the potential of the human family to create a peaceful, prosperous world will not be realized.”[3] The title of a New York Times article by Amy Chozick about Clinton’s positioning as a presidential candidate in 2016 sums up the impact of this speech decades after it was delivered: “Hillary Clinton’s Beijing Speech on Women Resonates 20 Years Later.”

Oral communication is not only a tool of preachers and politicians; it’s a tool of the people. If you don’t hear yourself or your world view represented, you can change that. Of course, you don’t have to be working on a national or global scale to appreciate effective public speaking. To gain support for your ideas at any level, you need to be a clear and compelling oral communicator. Ultimately, public speaking matters because it can be the difference between being heard and shaping your world—however you define it—or living with the consequences of someone else’s pronouncements. If you prefer the former option, let’s prepare to be heard!

Discussion

Public speaking is a skill that transcends industries and professions, playing a pivotal role in personal and professional success. Whether you're presenting to a small team, addressing a large audience, or even engaging in everyday conversations, the ability to communicate effectively in public settings holds immense value. Discuss the importance of public speaking in a business setting. Be sure to identify and explain the key aspects of effective public speaking.

Essential Activities:

Reading Module 7: Public Speaking will assist you in writing this discussion forum.

Watching the video, "How to speak so that people want to listen" will assist you in writing this discussion forum.

1. Reply

Professionals in business need to be able to speak in public well in order to lead teach and inspire people in their companies. Four things will help you be a great public speaker: clarity value flow and confidence.

Precise wording clear definitions and examples that help people understand are all ways to get clarity. Personalization based on what the audience wants and values makes the message more important and gets more people to take part (Zhan & Brown, 2018). Flowing from one idea to the next is helped by smooth transitions which also help the audience stay connected and follow the speaker's train of thought. Being able to control your voice and body language gives you credibility and shows that you care which are both important for good conversation.

You can better explain your ideas change people's minds bring teams together and push for company change if you use these skills. Marketing leaders might use public speaking to give summaries of campaigns which can help people come up with new ideas and get everyone on board. When you want to suggest new strategies to leaders you should also make sure that your ideas are in line with the company's values. You can do this by communicating in a way that is both emotional and convincing (Zhan & Brown, 2018). Telling your boss what you expect is important even when you're talking to them one-on-one.

Being able to speak clearly in public gets even more important as you move up in your job (Zhan & Brown, 2018). A lot of leaders (90%) believe that being able to speak in public is important for their job. Because of this businesspeople who want to do well at their jobs must always work to improve their public speaking skills.

2. reply

In business it's important for people in all areas and jobs to know how to speak in public. If someone is good at this they can connect with inform inspire and convince a lot of different groups from small team meetings to big conventions (Leclercq & Zimmermann, 2018). People in a company are more likely to follow a boss whose ideas are easy to understand in public. There are several important things that make a business show work or not.

To start it's important to be clear. It's important for presenters to make sure that their ideas are clear and that the slides are laid out in a way that makes sense. A lot of people can understand better when you use short clear language and explain complex terms. Slides and other visual aids should add to the talk not take away from it (Leclercq & Zimmermann, 2018).

Second it's important to keep the people listening's attention. Some things that can help people listen and understand are making eye contact changing the pitch of your voice planning your pace and telling interesting stories. Presenters get people interested by paying attention to both what is said and what isn't said.

Third it's very important to be able to change. You should change your speech based on the audience's needs and the situation. You can use short business talks to give people news to get them on board to pitch new ideas to leaders or to try to get investors to give you money (Leclercq & Zimmermann, 2018). You can make flexible delivery structures that work well if you know what the event's goals are and what the crowd is expecting.

By getting better at public speaking professionals can make their ideas more appealing support strategic leadership get buy-in from stakeholders connect with coworkers on a deeper level and gain more personal power and leadership credentials within the company.