Surveys of people’s biggest fears show that the number one fear of the typical person is speaking in public. It rates ahead of dying, air travel, buying a car, and going to the dentist. Public speaking! This means that more people would prefer to be eulogized than to deliver a eulogy!
That fear can be reduced, but it takes practice. You need to recognize that public speaking is a skill worth having, and you have to set your mind to accomplish it.
It is unlikely that to win your job you will have to stand up and deliver a speech to a standing-room-only arena. It is almost certain, however, that you will need to give a credible performance in an interview, and there is a good chance that you will need to speak with a group of people at some point in the interview process. These groups are often called search committees, because they assist in the search for candidates for a particular position. Sometimes they are called focus groups. Regardless of what they are called, it is quite possible that sometime in the job search process you will speak with a group of people who represent various constituencies within the organization. These people may be potential coworkers, peers, customers, or supervisors.
Because of this possibility, it is worth your while to practice your public speaking. Practicing these skills will help build your self-confidence and your assertiveness as well. As you practice, keep a few basic guidelines in mind.
Know Your Material
If you are giving a speech to a professional association, you are going to make
every effort to be sure that you know what it is that you will be speaking about.
You need to take the same care as you go into a job interview, or make a presentation
to a search committee. In the case of a job interview or a presentation to a search
committee, this means that you go in with a thorough knowledge of yourself—an
understanding of your strengths and weaknesses, as well as your potential. It means
that you have also done your research on the company, and that you have a good
idea of how you would be able to contribute.
Rehearse
This is not the same as memorizing. Your answers will be different each time you
interview, because the questions will be different. The key here is to anticipate
what kinds of things might be asked, and simulate how you would answer them.
Have a friend practice with you, or tape yourself so that you can get a more objective
sense of how you are doing.
Speak to the Listener(s)
As you prepare to make a presentation or go into an interview, you need to
constantly remind yourself to think from the listener’s perspective. The odds of
someone remembering what you say have a great deal to do with the extent to
which what you say resonates with each person as an individual. Using words like
“you” while you are speaking will help force you to put things in that listener’s
terms.
Keep It Brief
People have limited attention spans, so you need to communicate your message clearly and concisely. Otherwise, you risk losing their attention, and they will remember little of what you have said. Do not feel the need to explain in detail why you respond the way you do. Just give the answer or make the point. If the audience is confused about why you made the point you did, they will ask you. Dale Carnegie was world renowned, partly because of his skill as a public speaker. If you were to take a Dale Carnegie course, you would practice making speeches that are two minutes long. Make your point, make it with confidence, and sit down.
Create an Image in the Listener’s Mind
You could tell an audience about how you took a trip to the Butterfly Conservatory
in Niagara Falls, Ontario and saw 1,000 species of butterflies, and they might
remember it. If you tell them that you walked through the conservatory wearing a
red shirt, knowing that it is an attractive color to the butterflies, and that within
five minutes of standing as still as you could, nearly a hundred butterflies landed
on your shirt, and, when your husband took a picture and you had it developed,
all you could see was your face in a sea of oranges, yellows, and browns, they will
remember. That is the power of imagery. If you tell a search committee that you
are a “people person,” it may mean next to nothing, because the phrase is so
overused. If you tell that committee about how you spend your weekends taking
inner-city children on hiking expeditions with your church, they will have a much
clearer idea of what you mean.
Mean What You Say
Too many people make the fatal mistake of trying to put on airs, speaking about
things that they don’t completely understand, or that they don’t feel much passion
about. Others try to “snow” people by saying what they think the listeners want to
hear. These are huge mistakes. Nothing comes through more clearly than a phony
person giving a speech. If you truly mean what you say and are passionate about
it, those attitudes will come through, too.
Join a Speaker’s Club
Many areas have clubs where you can practice your public speaking in front
of friendly faces. This is also a great way to expand your network. One large
organization of such clubs is Toastmasters International. You can probably find a
club near you. There are currently more than 8,500 clubs meeting in more than
60 countries. For more information, check out
www·toastmasters·org