When we fear public speaking or are required to give a speech you may ask yourself why is public speaking important? Believe it or not but public speaking is one of the most important skills you will ever develop in your life.
Skills refer to the competence of effectively addressing an audience. Whether it is in front of a group of people you already know or a crowd of complete strangers, your ability to communicate to them with clarity, charisma and confidence is called public speaking skills. There may or may not be an opportunity for interaction between the speaker and audience. The basic difference, however, between a general conversation and public speaking is that the latter is more purposeful and meant for celebratory, entertainment, influencing, or informative purposes.
What Is Public Speaking, Anyway?
Think about a time that you had to stand in front of a bunch of people and tell them something. Maybe it was an oral report in grade school or a proposal at work. After gathering your materials and preparing what to say, you arrived at the podium and started talking.
That, my friend, is public speaking, and it involves communicating information before a large audience. What makes public speaking different than, say, just talking to a crowd of people, is in the way information is conveyed. In public speaking, the information is purposeful and meant to inform, influence or entertain a group of listeners.
There are five elements of public speaking, and it basically boils down to who is saying what to whom using what medium with what effect. In other words, who is the source of the message. What is the message itself. Whom is the audience, while the medium is the actual delivery method and ending in the effect. Think of the effect as the speaker’s intent for the speech.
Public speaking dates back centuries, yet still remains one of the most important skills we can acquire in modern times.
Why Do We Need to Do It?
So, you’re thinking of a time when you had to present something in front of a group. And the only memory you have might be of sweaty palms and knocking knees. There are some very good reasons why you need to know how to do it. Actually, there are so many reasons why everyone should learn how to speak in a public forum. Let’s check out a few:
Every time you speak in public, it increases your self-confidence. As we become comfortable speaking, we become more comfortable around people.We can reach a large audience in a shorter time than having individual conversations. It’s a great way to show how much you know about a subject. You can build a fan base of followers.
Benefits of public speaking
Overcoming fear
Improve communication
Improve social skills
Enhances your conviction and determinations
Career growth
Inspire influence and motivate others
Enhance your listening skills
Become role-model for younger generations
It’s a game changer for professionals
Improves your research skills
Improves your chances of getting hired
Makes you more conscious
Learn to be calm during stressful situations
Enhances your critical thinking
Improves your personal development
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