The benefits of public speaking

What are the benefits of public speaking? Why would I consider such a scary situation to begin with? How can it help me?  If you have been asking yourself these questions and have yet to discover public speaking then it’s time you considered the numerous benefits to being an effective speaker.

The biggest advantage of being an effective speaker is confidence. People that speak confidently to groups tend to communicate more effectively and confidently in one on one situations. All it takes is preparation and practice.  If you lack confidence you probably avoid risks because you don’t want to fail. Perhaps your lack of confidence affects you in others ways – like standing up for yourself or approaching others for help. Perhaps you avoid social situations because they make you feel uncomfortable.

What about your career? Good communication skills are just as important as the other skills required for your job. If you prepare well and learn your subject before giving a speech it boosts your confidence and knowledge. This leads to becoming good at something you feared, something that at one point in your life seemed impossible. You will become more assertive, speaking more confidently, communicating more effectively and social awkwardness will be a thing of the past.

Other situations like job interviews, presenting, networking and dealing with difficult people can be tackled more effectively. Other benefits of public speaking include organizing your thoughts, speaking clearly and focusing your message. Your ability to communicate effectively to groups can help you in the workplace – a skilled speaker will be given more opportunities to present at important meetings and may even lead to promotion.

Isn’t it time you conquered your fear of public speaking? Take the opportunity to experience personal growth, form new friendships and discover the benefits of public speaking at Picnic Point Toastmasters.

Why Should You Join Toastmasters?

Toastmasters is more than public speaking, it’s a place of personal development. At Picnic Point Toastmasters we focus on mastering public speaking and leadership skills. Together, we build our core skills needed for dealing with everyday situations. These skills are the communication skills we all use on a daily basis. We also focus on listening skills as we evaluate our fellow club members ensuring you pay attention and listen carefully. Not only are you listening, you are absorbing knowledge and analysing the speech. Listening is key to all effective communication, when you listen effectively you avoid misunderstandings, improve your social skills and can have a positive impact on your career. We often forget how important listening skills are in the workplace. Some employers provide listening skills training for their employees leading to better customer satisfaction,  fewer mistakes, increased productivity and collaboration between team members. Adults spend an average of 70% of their time engaged in some sort of communication.  Take a look at the following image, it breaks down the 70% as: 45% is spent listening compared to 30% speaking, 16% reading and 9% writing.

Based on the research of: Adler, R., Rosenfeld, L. and Proctor, R. (2001)
Interplay: the process of interpersonal communicating (8th edn), Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt

Are you ready to take the next step?  Ready to discover a supportive community and strengthen your network? Ready to take your communication skills beyond your current level?

If you are looking for a support group or professional organization to help you improve your communications skills look no further.  Picnic Point Toastmasters is here to help you present to anybody, anytime, anywhere.