Business speaking is a great skill. When you stand in front of an audience and speak you are immediately judged by everyone in the room. It does not matter how wonderful your company is, if you struggle to get your points across in a coherent way, the impression you create will be overwhelmingly negative. Not only will you be perceived as incompetent on a personal level, your company will not be taken as seriously as you might wish.
We tend to remember those people who made an impression on us by giving a great speech. A powerful and impassioned speech has the ability to change opinions, cement relationships, and lead people in a way other forms of communication cannot.
With the right words and delivery, you can have the audience eating out of your hand and ready to die by the sword on your behalf.
Remember the speech Mel Gibson as William Wallace gave his men just before the first important battle with the English? If Mel's character had fumbled over his words and muttered a few insincere platitudes instead of inspiring his men with a passionate speech, would they have followed him into battle? No, they would have dropped their swords and run off into the heather faster than you can say Braveheart!
The same applies to business speaking. Executives who have mastered the skill of effective business speaking and can successfully capture the attention and admiration of an audience will soon have find their ideas and talents rewarded. Public speaking offers a wonderful opportunity to get your ideas across to other people.
If your business has an amazing product, business speaking represents a great opportunity to persuade others that your company is one they should do business with. Public speaking is a very effective marketing tool and a powerful way to build your company or product "brand".
With the right skills and preparation, business speaking does not need to be a nerve-wracking experience. It can take a little practice, but once you have mastered the tools required to deliver an effective and memorable speech, you will soon be able to use your new found skills to influence an audience and build new relationships with your clients and business compatriots.
Always remember that nervousness is usually in the mind. You might think that everyone can see the beads of sweat on your forehead, but 99% of the time, they cannot. Instead of focusing on yourself and how nervous you feel, concentrate on the audience and give them your attention.
Make sure you are enthusiastic about your subject. If it bores you, it is not likely to inspire your audience. However, don't go overboard and run around the stage like a maniac; you want to come across as passionate, not clinically insane.
Do not try and cover too many points in one speech. The audience will not remember everything you talk about, so restrict the talk to a few key points and elaborate on those. If you only have a short amount of time, stick to one key point. For longer talks that last more than 20 minutes, you can afford to have 2 or 3 key points.
Use humor and stories to build a rapport with your audience. Humor is the most effective tool you can use in business speaking. The audience will remember a funny story far more than they would a dry narrative about a new component your company has designed. If you can make people laugh a little, they will like you more and it helps gives you more credibility as a speaker. Use your own personal experiences and embellish them a little to get your points across.
Always speak from the heart. If you believe what you are saying, your audience will believe in you too. It might seem an obvious point, but audiences are not stupid and they can spot when a person is merely paying lip service to a theme. If you are not passionate about the subject you are talking about, you will never be able to persuade your audience that they should take you and your business seriously.
To master the art of business speaking can take time. It is a learned skill and, like riding a bike, the more you practice, the better at it you will become.
