Mastering the Art of Public Speaking: The Importance of Public Speaking

By Spence M. Finlayson

NASSAU, Bahamas – Public speaking is very vital to the overall success of everyone.

Billionaire Warren Buffet credits much of his success to a Dale Carnegie Public Speaking Course and this shows more than enough proof. “I don’t have my diploma from the University of Nebraska hanging on my office wall and I don’t have my diploma from Columbia up there either but I do have my Dale Carnegie graduation certificate proudly displayed”, he says. That $100 course gave me the most important degree I have. It’s certainly had the biggest impact in terms of my subsequent success he says.

I firmly believe that politicians, pastors, business people, salespeople, accountants, television news people, journalist, publicists etc can all benefit greatly from a public speaking class.

I have seen cases where people have been promoted to a management or leadership position but do not posses the requisite speaking ability and when they have to address a meeting or a company seminar, they are totally afraid and their presentation is very below par and disappointing .

Persons who are able to speak well, can be a major influencer in organizations.  In my own case, because of my great ability to speak well and motivate and inspire, I have been hired in so many different capacities; radio commentator, television host, company spokesperson, master of ceremonies, announcer at track and field meets, and list goes on and on.

The importance of public speaking cannot be overstated. It is important because it assist you with improving your knowledge.

The work and preparation that go into preparing a speech and the fact you have to work out how to communicate and which motivational quotes that will be applicable.

Public speaking is so paramount that it can be the deciding factor in many things such as your career development, your business growth and even in the relationships you have with your friends and family.

I am a history buff and I would like to share in my opinion a few of the more memorable defining moments in history to show the importance of public speaking:

• Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg address put him on the map for president. Without this speech he may not have been the Icon that he is today.
• President Barack Obama address at the Democratic National Convention some years before he ran for the presidency
• Adolf Hitler’s many fiery speeches were delivered with so much passion and caused arguably one of the most horrific genocides of all time
• Martin Luther King gave his stirring “I Have a Dream Speech which inspired a nation and broke down racial barriers. Without his dynamic leadership and his inspirational speeches it may have taken an extra 10 years to bring equality to all races.
• President John F Kennedy moon speech at Rice University. His stirring speech largely written by Kennedy advisor and speechwriter Ted Sorensen was intended to persuade the American people to support the Apollo program , the national effort to land a man on the moon.

Public speaking can be an asset in any area of your life, whether personally, or professionally.

According to PAN, here are three distinct reasons why public speaking is important:

1. To Win over the Crowd – an important skill to have in business and especially in the public relations arena is the skill of persuasion or the ability to win over the crowd, inside or outside the workplace, the power of persuasion can carry you very far and it all starts by honing your public speaking skills.
2. To Motivate People – a great public speaker attains the power to motivate his or her audience to do something, stop doing something, a change of behavior, or reach an objective. But to carry an idea forward, you must be able to excite and enliven your peers, employees, co-workers, customers. Public speakers are leaders who are able to inspire their audience to work harder to achieve their goals. As a public speaker your role is to influence listeners and create an environment where everyone walk out ready to rock and roll.
3. To Inform – the ability to inform is one of the most important aspects of public speaking. From presenting research papers and Powerpoint presentations in school to presenting ideas and pitches to your boss or client, informative public speaking is a vital component of a successful career across all work fields.