Jerry Seinfeld once said, “To the average person, if you have to go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.” While this is probably a bit of an exaggeration, most people do have a fear of public speaking. It might seem like an easy solution to take a job that doesn’t involve a public speaking component, these jobs are few and far between. In fact, most jobs require some level of public speaking - even if they don’t seem like they would.
Beamer, a Hiring Expert at Textron Inc. points out that presenting in front of a group can make-or-break your career. “Public speaking can help set you apart as a leader or diminish your credibility. Having confidence, charisma and conveying clear thoughts is extremely important to your career.”1 For each of these reasons, it becomes imperative to be at least reasonably comfortable speaking in front of others in the workforce.
Have you ever had a teacher or speaker use so many “uhms” “uhs” or “likes” when they speak that you stop listening to what they’re saying and instead count each occurrence of the word? Almost everyone uses filler words when they speak; it’s a way to let the brain catch up to the mouth. But too many becomes distracting, and the audience will stop listening to the content of the message.
Have you ever tried to explain something and were left with blank stares, or told a joke to which no one laughed? Moments like these are awkward for you and your audience.
Have you ever blanked out on what you’re going to say in the middle of a presentation, only to be left with a long gap of uncomfortable silence? The audience begins to get restless and you probably turn red or choke up as the pause becomes too long.
Furthermore, it’s important never to read word-for-word from a document or presentation. The audience will quickly grow bored. Memorizing a speech might seem like a solid alternative, but this, too, is grounds for a problem. When a speech is rotely memorized, it increases the likelihood that a single stumble will derail the entire thing. It’s much better to know your information in-depth and only memorize a general outline of the information you’ll cover - that way you can change elements based on your audience and maintain their attention.
Have you ever stood at the front of the room without knowing where to look, causing your eyes to nervously dart around without settling on anyone? The audience can tell.
Prove Jerry Seinfeld wrong. Be more comfortable delivering the eulogy (or at least as comfortable as one can be while delivering a eulogy) rather than being in the casket. Or in a more applicable sense, conquer any presentations or meetings work might throw your way.
For more awesome tips on how to master the art of Public Speaking, check out this TED talk by Chris Anderson, founder of the TED Conference.