Build Speaking Skills for Success

In the U.S., only public speaking is more feared than death. Yet, professional speaking skills will take you farther in your career than almost any other skill. The reasons for this are varied, but let's boil it down to the basics.

Public speaking builds confidence.

Self confidence is a strong indicator of success in the workplace. If you can get up in front of a group of strangers and talk, you can easily handle important meetings or social obligations. You will, as you become more comfortable as a in front of groups, find that you stand straighter, make better eye contact and feel less hesitant to initiate conversations with strangers.

Public speaking provides opportunities.

Let's say that you work in a corporate position and have been asked to be part of a project team. When it comes time to present the project, you are the only one willing to step up. As a result, you will be seen as a leader. From that perception will come promotions and other opportunities for advancement. Leadership is valued by employers.

Public speaking makes you articulate.

In everyday speech, we all find ourselves stammering, repeating phrases as we try to put our train of thought back on the rails, and using filler sounds such as "um," or "you know." A lot of this behavior is unconscious. But if you were to attend a presentation and the speaker used a lot of fillers or stammered, you would likely question that person's qualifications for giving the presentation in the first place. Right?

As you build your speaking skills, you eliminate much of the messiness from your speech patterns. Instead of "um," you pause. You are comfortable with that quiet moment. The effects of this are that you sound more intelligent than the average person, whether you are or not!

Each of the three advantages listed above can be the difference between climbing to the desired rung on your career ladder, or not. Public speaking can be scary at first. But it is a learned skill. If you want to learn more about how you can get public speaking training, visit