Why should you go looking for public speaking opportunities—when public speaking is something many people try to avoid?
As we wrap up our Executive Seminar, we encourage students to find opportunities to practice their newly-discovered public speaking talents.
"Stop hanging back and letting others give presentations," we say. "And don’t wait for someone to ask you to speak at work. Volunteer, look for chances to present—as part of your job or in your community."
But there are some other good reasons to step forward and find new speaking opportunities.
In "The Many Ways Public Speaking Increases Your Visibility," Bobbie Carlton explains in Forbes that speaking can help you promote yourself, your cause, or your business—and the size of the audience isn’t the only factor to consider.
She points out that speakers for conferences and events gain exposure through:
- Pre-event marketing—which might include emails, news coverage, or social media mentions
- Event day promotion—such as programs, signs, and event apps
- During your presentation—when audience members may post about your talk on social media and learn about you and what you do through the message you give
- Post-event—which might include a video on YouTube, news coverage of the event, or good old-fashioned word of mouth
Yes, speaking engagements take time. They can be stressful. And if you want to reap the benefits, you’ll need to do the work so you can do a good job.
Audiences do, in fact, tweet about you, your company, and your presentations at conferences.
But the returns are there. The more you take a deliberate approach to speaking, and the more frequently you stand up and present, the more you’ll grow as a public speaker.
If your speech is a good one—someone in the audience may get in touch and ask you to give it again.
And as Carlton points out, the wide-ranging exposure is another reason to get out there and deliver your message.
Read the article here. To learn more about Carlton’s agency that connects women speakers with events, go here.
