The Guru Nation Blog

So why is public speaking so important? Well, the truth is, everyone is on stage. In business, that stage is usually a meeting or a presentation.
How well you speak or perform on that business stage will identify you as a lead performer or chorus member. So why is public speaking so important? In short, your ability to speak well, or perform, allows you to have greater impact and influence.
Most successful professionals know why public speaking is so important so they spend a good deal of time mastering their presentation skills.

Strong and effective public speaking begins with the practice and mastery of three
key rules of good speaking. Here’s what to concentrate on:

1. Have It, Don’t Show It

The moment you feel a need to “show” how much you know or how entertaining you can be, or in some cases just how much you are energized about your message, curb your enthusiasm. The stronger and more effective presenter does not over-deliver, over- enunciate, over-gesture, or over-play. Instead, have it…the composure, the knowledge of your material, the confident but relaxed voice, and the grace of movement.

2. Focus on Your Best Friend in the Back Row

If you’re on the stage in front of a large audience, you may see the faces in front of you as a “sea of expressions” with no one person to serve as ballast. When that happens, whether you’re aware or not, you lose the ability to engage the people in the audience. What’s the trick? If you pretend your friend is sitting in the back row, your delivery will
be warmer, your connection greater, and you won’t need to shout. By connecting to your best friend, you will connect to the entire audience.

3. Don’t Swallow Your Punch Line

A good presentation can end up with an arrow in the heart if the punch line, or key concluding message, is lost. It happens too often. After addressing an audience, presenters can lose their energy when they know they are near the end of the speech. It’s akin to an amateur runner who slows down just when the finish line is in sight.
Do not lose your last word. It can often be the most important message that will remain with your audience. Make sure you can be heard. There is a tendency to let your voice trail off when you hit your last sentence, and that’s just a giant no-no.

When you are asked why public speaking is so important, you need simply recite this mantra: What is the point of communicating if you can’t have impact on the audience?
Practicing these rules will get you there!