Public Speaking Skills List and Examples

Public Speaking Skills List and ExamplesPublic Speaking Skills List and ExamplesPublic speaking is seldom if ever an entire job description, but dynamic and well-prepared speakers are highly valued by employers and tend to earn leadership positions and important client contact roles.Anyone whose job involves communicating, teaching or persuading will do a better job if they have public speaking skills. Why Employers Value Public Speaking Skills The art of public speaking comes into play, not only in the deliveryof speechesand truly public talks, but also in professional presentations, training events, and motivational speaking. Consultants, training, managers, clergy, sales representatives, teachers, and others, all have a reason at times get up in front of others and speak. Effective public speakers are in an excellent position to get their messages across in the workplace. A lackluster speaker can make a solid product or proposal seem less than enticing while a polished speaker can add allure to an otherwise mediocre proposition. Most professional level roles require some amount of public speaking to carry out functions like presenting findings, pitching proposals, training junior staff, and leading meetings. How to Use Skills Lists Public speaking is a skill, but it is also a collection of skills. Lists like this one can help you name some of these skillsso you canidentify which jobs require the abilities you have.Be aya to read job descriptions carefully, because even very similar positions can have different requirements, depending on what the hiring manager is looking for. When you apply, you can use these skills as keywords in yourresumeor other application materials.Hiring managers sometimes scan through applications looking for these keywordstomake an initial cut, so it can be important to make it obvious from the beginning that you have the sought-after qualifications. Then,useyourcover lettertohighlight some of your relevant skills. Be prepar ed to give examples of specific times you embodied these skills during job interviews, becauseyour interviewer is likely to ask. Of course, each job will require different skills and experiences - hiring managers vary in what they look for, even for very similar positions in the same industry, so make sure you read the job description carefully before applying. You may also want toreview our lists ofskills listed by jobandtype of skill. Top Public Speaking Skills When you want to highlight your public speaking skills in your cover letter, resume, or even during an interview, be sure to go beyond stating that you have public speaking skills.Go into detail about which aspects of public speaking you are good at, and providespecific examples of your skills and expertise. Clear Articulation Of course, public speakers must be able to speak well. Enunciate clearly, speak loudly enough, and use good grammar without a lot of verbal crutches, like um. It helps to be able to speak well in ordinary conversation, but public speaking is a kind of wertzuwachs and as such, must be practicedand prepared for. Memorization itself is usually not necessary, because most people can speak extemporaneously to some degree, but you must be familiar enough with your material that you dont pause excessively, repeat yourself, or stumble over your words. You also need to be able to pace yourself so that you finish on time, neither early nor late. Engaging Presentation Style Presentation styleincludes vocal tone, body language, facial expression, and timing. The right style can make a talk that could have been boring come out interesting and engaging - even funny.Assessing the Needs ofthe Audience Some audiences want a lot of technical detail others dont. Some enjoyhumor others wont. There are jokes that work in some crowds but not others. To draft a successful talk and to adopt the appropriate presentation style, you need to be able to assess the needs of your audience. PowerPointSkill s PowerPoint is a popular software used for creating slides. Not all public speakers use slides, but slides are so common that doing without them is sometimes called speaking naked. You must not only understand the technical aspects of using the software, but also must have the artistic ability to create slides that are aesthetically pleasing and easy to understand-or, you must work with a collaboratorwho can do so.Either way, you must know how to integrate your slides smoothly into the other aspects of your presentations. Composition Skills Whether you write your talk up ahead of time or work extemporaneously, you must be able to construct talks that are rational, coherent, easy to understand and cover all the points you want to hit. Storytelling and humor help, and you must know how to use them. Public speaking is not only a fasson of performance art it also requireswriting skills. List of Public Speaking Skills Articulating clearlyAssessing the needs and priorities of a poten tial audience of conference attendeesConsultants presenting the findings for a reorganization plan to a group of executives at a client firmControlling performance anxietyCreating attractive PowerPoint slides with the right amount of detailDrafting an evaluation form that attendees are likely to completeGrabbing the attention of the audience with a powerful openingHanding out copies of slides in advance to minimize note-taking demands on the audience Maintaining eye contact with the audience and providing an energetic, animated physical presenceMemorizing enough content so that the speech does not come off as a reading of notesModulating vocal tone to emphasize important points and avoid monotonous presentationOrganizing a logical flow to a speechPreparing examples that are relevant to the experience of the expected audienceProviding compelling evidence to support themesRehearsing the presentation and revising rough spotsResearching information about the latest trends in an industry prior to presenting at a professional seminar Restating key points at the end of a speech to cement key conceptsReviewing feedback and modifying the approach for talks in the futureSales Representatives delivering a pitch for human resources softwareSummarizing the topics to be covered at the beginning of a talk to provide context for attendeesTelling stories to illustrate pointsTiming the speech in advance to make sure it meets the allotted timeUsing humor to enliven a talk