Want your contributions to be recognized for career advancement? Let's hear from you! Here are 5 reasons why you should improve your public speaking.

Want a skill that can help transform your career prospects? Then consider public speaking! That is, not as a career in itself, but one that can advance your prospects in your current field.

Being well-spoken and articulate has always been a great personal asset, of course. But if there's one need that stands out on every list in human resources or training and development, it's being able to speak effectively. 

(If you've been intimidated at the prospect of greater visibility, there's help. Here's my Free cheat sheet on "10 Fast and Effective Ways to Overcome Stage Fright.")

Below are five excellent reasons for making public speaking a more central part of both your thinking and skills development. You have nothing to lose, except not being sufficiently recognized and applauded!

1. Public Speaking Can Lead to Promotion and Glory!

Obviously, if your boss asks you to speak and you find an excuse each time, he or she will start looking elsewhere for someone who will accept these speaking assignments. That's a shame, because there are few situations where you'll gain more visibility than delivering an important presentation. And nailing a high-stakes talk is sheer gold for being considered for a promotion, or gaining some personal glory in your company or industry. 

Okay, let's get back to stage fright. Among my clients at The Genard Method, are people who suffer from speech anxiety. The fear they suffer keeps them from enjoying public speaking and makes them avoid situations where they will have to speak in public. Our Fearless Speaking coaching program helps them address debilitating nervousness, and overcome it to get their voice heard. If you're up for an entire course, then please take a look at my book, Fearless Speaking, named in 2019 as "One of the 100 Best Confidence Books Of All Time."

2. Public Speaking Can Reach Everyone Fast

Apart from the enjoyment and professional advancement that can come with presenting, public speaking is a tremendously efficient form of communication. As an actor and musician, I often think about the amazing phenomenon of one, two, or three people entertaining hundreds or even thousands of people at a time. 

When you deliver a speech or presentation, you're in the same position of influence! (Here's how to speak to a large audience without fear.) Even if you're only presenting to your team of a dozen individuals, that's a 1:12 ratio. Speak in front of your company or at a conference, and you're approaching or equaling the actor's equation. What an amazing way to reach everyone reliably and quickly! And what's more efficient: speaking to a conference audience, or having 400 individual conversations?

3. Public Speaking Helps Your Message Come to Life

Though we're drowning in data these days, we make a mistake if we think that raw information is the whole story. It can never be, as long as we're human beings speaking of things that matter to others. That's why it's important to know how to command any stage for public speaking.

And there you have the essence of public speaking. It's up to you to get across to listeners what it all means, and most important, why it matters to them. Only you can get the message out in human terms. No spreadsheet will ever do that as dynamically and powerfully as you can. 

4. Public Speaking Brings Your Company Together

One of the benefits of speech training is that everyone is in the same space at the same time, learning not only with but from each other. All boats rise on that tide, which is why your company should consider it. Unfortunately, too many of us are condemned to work in silos, so that often we don't know what others in our own department are thinking, feeling, or doing. 

Exciting things always take place in public gatherings, creating a synergy that's greater than the  sum of its parts. And you can role play: executive and employees, salesperson and prospective client, doctor and patient—you name it. Too emotional? Here's how to handle yourself in an argument. Talk about eye-openers for more effective communication and solving problems!

5. Public Speaking Builds Your Confidence

One of the often unexpected delights of public speaking is how it builds confidence. For instance, here's are 7 ways to handle audience resistance. And here's how to recover from a brain freeze while presenting.

Knowing that you can stand in front of a large gathering of stakeholders—sometimes complete strangers—and effectively weave your magic is a powerful elixir for greater confidence. Don't be surprised if you stop "enduring" public speaking and start to enjoy it! And if your personal communication skills also benefit? Well, that's just icing on the cake, isn't it?

You should follow me on Twitter here.

Gary Genard is an actor, author, and expert in public speaking and overcoming speaking fear. His company, The Genard Method offers live 1:1 Zoom executive coaching  and corporate group training worldwide. He was named for nine consecutive years as One of the World’s Top 30 Communication Professionals, and also named as One of America's Top 5 Speech Coaches. He is the author of the Amazon Best-Sellers How to Give a Speech and Speak for Leadership: An Executive Speech Coach's Secrets for Developing Leadership Presence. His book, Fearless Speaking, was named in 2019 as "One of the 100 Best Confidence Books of All Time." " He is also the author of the Dr. William Scarlet Mysteries. Contact Gary here.  

Main image credit: Armi Lafiniarivo from pixabay.com.