Public speaking is a challenge for many people and can affect even the most prepared professionals. Whether it’s due to nervousness, being the center of attention, or even the level of difficulty of the content, people can face problems when presenting something.
Many people even do what they can to “escape” from presentations or any situation in which they have to speak in front of other people, but, as difficult as it may be, this skill can contribute to career growth.
This is because the experience of giving a presentation can even be for something smaller, like joining a new company, or presenting an idea during a meeting, or even talking about yourself in an interview.
All of these moments represent situations where someone becomes the center of attention and what that person has to say is relevant. The more prepared the professional is for this type of situation, the better they will communicate and get their message across.
How crucial is public speaking proficiency?
As we have seen, there are many examples of moments in professional life where being able to give a good presentation is necessary. Understand the importance of knowing how to speak in public for your career:
Networking
Perhaps the most effective means of broadening your knowledge and contacts within the market is through effective networking, and for this, you must communicate effectively. Understanding how to approach others and introduce yourself enables you to form connections, make partnerships and command the interest of other professionals who might be seeking your services.
Knowledge transmission
Anyone who wishes to take up the role of leadership or wishes to excel in the firm based on their particular expertise must enhance the skill of providing presentations since it is a means of sharing their expertise in line with a given topic.
Being able to speak clearly and teach others about a topic you are proficient in indicates your professional ability and reinforces your knowledge.
Career Highlight
There is no way for a manager to know if you have good ideas or are capable of executing a difficult project unless you are able to communicate this. Speaking with authority about something or even communicating your vision for a certain activity can indicate to leaders your technical skills.
Professional development
Many selection processes have stages that involve group dynamics. In these cases, it is common to have to introduce yourself and answer questions suggested by recruiters alongside strangers. And good public speaking makes a difference in getting noticed in these moments.
But in many stages of professional development this skill is relevant, such as when participating in performance evaluations, for example, or presenting the results of a project to the company.
What to do if you get stuck during a presentation?
If you already know why it is necessary to learn public speaking, you already recognize that, regardless of how hard it is to begin with, this is something that must be learned. In others, if there is too much shyness or lack of self-confidence, a professional intervention might be necessary, but there are little things you can do in your everyday life.
See which ones:
Get ready
The first step is to prepare in advance. Prepare your speech, go over it as many times as necessary, write down words and points that should stand out on paper, and study the content carefully so you can answer questions or “improvise” if necessary.
If necessary, practice out loud in front of a mirror so you can evaluate your expression and movements as you speak.
Keep calm
Nervousness can cause you to freeze during a presentation. If this happens, take a deep breath and try to refocus on the content. If there is a visual projection, look at the screen and find words that will help you get back on track.
Do breathing exercises
It’s no wonder that practices like yoga have breathing as a central point. Specific exercises can help you calm down and focus, especially since breathing is the first thing to be affected when we’re nervous.
Try to take slow, deep breaths, relax your shoulders and avoid dealing with other matters in the minutes leading up to the presentation. Also, avoid taking medication and anxiolytics, as they can have a more intense effect than expected and even worsen your speech and concentration.
Be honest
As with any stage of learning, learning to speak in public is a process that will hardly begin with a large lecture with numerous guests. It is more common for the professional to start by presenting to teammates, other areas of the company, a client, and so on.
During these moments, he can perfect this skill and understand how to improve his speech. However, if it is a very specific situation, being honest can help, so tell people how important this presentation is and how it makes you feel nervous and try to “break the ice” right away.
