As a representative of a company or even a student, in everyday situations one might encounter situations when there is a need to speak in front of a larger group of people. This event might occur on routine meetings in the project team, when concluding contracts with other businessmen, or during training. In order to make these situations less problematic, it is significantly important to work on an ability to speak to others in an appropriate way.
In general, a successful speech is one in which the chairperson managed not only to convey to the audience the main assumptions of the discussed issue, but also when he/she managed to focus the audience’s attention and influence their emotions. On the occasion of Speaker’s Day, it is especially worth to focus on this extremely useful ability, which will certainly be useful in everyday situations at work and beyond. Therefore, one should know several useful tips that can improve this skill.
The 30/10/60 rule
When it comes to the features of a good speaker, the popular 30/10/60 rule comes to mind. It was created on the basis of analyzes of numerous speeches made by professionals. This principle explains what aspects have the greatest impact on the audience’s reception of the moderator’s content. According to analyses, the effectiveness of the message depends 30% on what is said to the listeners, 10% on how the content is conveyed and 10% on what gestures and non-verbal elements are included in the message. This allows us to conclude that a good speaker needs to focus on both verbal and non-verbal aspects.
What are the characteristics of a good speaker?
The first aspect of a successful speaker is having an extensive knowledge connected with the topic. People can easily sense whether a lecturer feels confident and knows a given topic very-well. As a result, speaker is not afraid of situations when someone may want to ask a more detailed question that requires deeper exploration of the topic. Moreover, openness to questions not only gives the audience an opportunity to engage, but also facilitates the transfer of knowledge by the speaker who becomes more favorable to the audience.
The stress is very often observed during making speeches, as a result, it affects speaker’s appearance and gestures which will be easily noticed by the audience. Therefore, it is important to be able to control reactions, both related to gestures and facial expressions. Moreover, it is worth analyzing oneself and recording oneself while speaking in order to notice what could possibly be improved. A good orator should be able to hold the gaze of random listeners in the room and catch their attention. Another thing is to keep a straight posture which makes one look more confident and professional. Finally, adding a few hand gestures to one’s speech might be useful, such as pointing or counting on the fingers which will diversify the speech and get people’s attention.
Another characteristic of a good speaker is the bacground knowledge of the audience he/she is speaking to. A different approach will be recommended when presenting a new project to colleagues or at a business meeting where the fate of signing an important contract or cooperation with another company will be decided. Therefore, it is worth considering using specific metaphors or anecdotes that are close to the recipients, e.g. related to common situations or interests. As a result, it will help establish bonds between people, which will make the acquisition of new information more effective.
Ultimately, it is worth to focus on creating “the effects of being remembered” and ensuring that listeners remember the content they hear. A good speaker should not be afraid to repeat the most important elements of the main topic from time to time and formulates sentences, so that they are concise and easy to understand for people. Moreover, a good idea is to create tactical pauses while speaking in order to make the audience think about the particular issue for a while.
The role of a good speaker in a company can act not only as a leader who conveys important information, but also as a motivator to the others. Statistically, people are more likely to trust people who are self-confident and not afraid to go beyond a previously established pattern of action. Therefore, a good orator can be an inspiration to other employees, encouraging them to make individual efforts and improve their speaking skills in front of a group which will certainly improve their daily work.
Becoming a good speaker is undoubtedly a long process, and the professionals in this field have devoted many hours to self-improvement. It is important not to get discouraged if one’s initial performances are not as good as they should be. Speakers are often not aware of what advantages they have to use when speaking. Therefore, it is one should consider strengths and weaknesses in order to know what can be improved and what should be eliminated while speaking.
In a business environment, at almost every one has to face the challenge of speaking to a larger number of people. Often, the way a spokesman is perceived has a real impact on changes within the company and its position on the market. This applies not only to people at the highest level, but also to other employees and the HR department, which has contact with people every day. That’s why it’s worth spending time improving speaking skills.
