To build self-confidence and easily influence people, learn public speaking!
No one is born with courage and self-confidence. You develop it. And that happens through practice. Every time you expose yourself to a scary situation and make a conscious effort to overcome that fear and function normally, you will improve. Sooner than later, you will wonder why it was ever a problem for you. My purpose here is to provide an introductory perspective on how learning public speaking can equip ANYONE with the requisite interest, who is willing to take the necessary steps, with the ability to confidently address any individual or group audience in a way that influence them to agree with his/her line of thinking or do what you want.
“There is no other achievement, that any man can have, that would make him such a fast career and ensure him recognition as the ability to speak acceptably.” -Chauncey M. Depew
The true story of a business owner who lacks the courage and self-confidence to approach high-profile clients
In early September 2011, a young man called me on my mobile line and introduced himself as a startup owner of Catfish Farm, adding that he got my phone number from an article I wrote on my Cost-Saving Farm Biz website. Support titled “Producing good catfish is important, but finding good buyers is imperative!”
In it, I recommended that if they want to ensure they get the best prices for fish the size of their table, farm owners should just approach hotel, restaurant and bar owners (who often buy in bulk) and make an offer. attractive that requires insurance. from bulk buying your soon-to-be-ready catfish.
This young man would finally confess that he found it difficult to imagine walking into a hotel without knowing anyone and making such an offer, adding “How can I just walk into the place and ask for the owner, just like that?“
It was then that I realized that he lacked the courage and self-confidence to do what I had suggested! The truth is that many business owners NEED to learn public speaking in order to prepare themselves to do the necessary sales and marketing for their businesses effectively.
Learn to speak in public and gain self-confidence PLUS the ability to get people to do what you want
When I say public speaking, I mean situations where you speak to individuals and/or groups of people. Developing the ability to express yourself in a way that attracts the attention, interest, and agreement of your listeners is an invaluable skill.
To which of these groups do you belong?
TO). Business Owners:Selling and marketing is about getting people to do what you want, which is BUY. Nine times out of ten, that process will involve TALKING to them. If you learn to speak in public, your chances of gaining more clients will increase dramatically.
Because? Because you will be MORE convincing when you speak. If yours is a large company, you may also need to target employees, their unions, or even shareholders. Learning to speak in public will make you more effective in doing so. And the performance of your company would reflect it.
b). Career people:Getting ahead in the workplace is all about getting results at your job. Very often, especially in lower and middle management, your technical expertise will help you or speak for you.
But even at that level, if you manage teams or large staffs, your public speaking skills can help you avoid union trouble, even if you’re not an HR person. A good speaker can get people to listen and convince them to see reason.
To move up in senior management, your SOFT SKILLS come into play. Your ability to communicate effectively can determine how well you perform, because at this level, you’ll need to speak to other senior executives on various issues, sometimes in order to influence them to see things your way. If you lack effective public speaking skills, you can change yourself!
against). Aspiring Speakers:Perhaps you are an expert in your field and would like to get paid to speak about what you know. Therefore, learning to speak in public would be the logical thing to do.
So how do you go about learning to speak in public?
I offer a few suggestions:
1. Get and read the Dale Carnegie book titled “How to Build Confidence and Influence People When Speaking in Public”. It’s a small book, but it’s packed with very practical insights and experiential wisdom.
Read Daniel M. Wood’s true story on his blog about how Dale Carnegie’s book helped him when he was learning to speak in front of crowds, and why he still keeps it in his back pocket just in case… Visit his blog
2. Explore the Internet: Many websites offer a variety of useful articles, reports, DVDs, books, and other learning resources for speakers. Invest some time in targeted online searches, and you’re sure to find a lot of useful stuff, much FREE that offers helpful ideas to get you started.
3. Get a competent mentor: In almost all areas of life’s endeavors, spending quality time with a more experienced and competent person can dramatically boost your learning and equip you for success faster than simply taking formal classes. Find a tried and tested public speaking expert, and ask him or her for help.