It was a rainy Thursday morning commute. Instead of listening to music like a normal person might, I was listening to a TED Talk from Bridget Sampson called “How Public Speaking Will Change Your Life.” Since I had been a communication professor for nearly two decades, she didn’t need to convince me. Still, I wanted to hear why someone else thought it was so important.
But what captured me about the talk was not any incredible statistic she cited or story she shared. What captured me was how one choice changed the trajectory of her life. She said her journey to become a public speaking coach started after she failed a speech in college. She said after that one speech she realized she had a choice to make. She could either continue to torture herself and let her anxiety run the show, or she could embark on a mission to become a confident public speaker. You or someone you know might be at a similar crossroad, facing the choice of whether or not to grow your public speaking skills. If so, try these tips for making a decision.
Make A List of Pros
A good ol’ pros and cons list can help you get a more complete and logical picture of the decision at hand. To start with, list all the pros of investing in yourself as a public speaker. You might try using this list of prompts from job search giant Indeed.com.
- What are the main benefits of this decision?
- What favorable outcome would you receive that you don’t currently have?
- What could you accomplish?
- How will this contribute to your current career goals?
- How does it position you in the future?
- How does it impact others in your life?
Make A List of Cons
Then move on to the cons of investing in your public speaking skills. When talking about the cons of embracing public speaking, it’s important to keep your list realistic. While it might be tempting to put something down like “I’ll embarrass myself in front of everyone,” think about whether that’s actually likely to happen or if you are just afraid it might. The only way you can make a good decision is if you are honest on both sides of your list. Indeed.com also gives a great list of prompts to consider as you are listing potential cons.
- What are you giving up?
- What are the risks associated with this decision?
- What challenges does [this decision] present, and could you overcome them?
- How would this [decision] impede or possibly defer your career goals?
Make Your Decision
If you’ve decided that it’s in your best interest to invest in your public speaking skills, get started. Don’t keep putting it off. Make a plan to grow and implement it. Forbes quotes Amazon’s Jeff Bezos as saying that he often makes decisions with 70% of the information he wishes he had. Don’t get stuck waiting for 90 or 100%. Chances are, you might never get there. If you feel like you have 70% of the motivation or information to make the leap, do it.
If you’ve been reading this and thinking you really want to get better at public speaking, I want to challenge you to do one of two things right now. Either set up an appointment on your phone or in your calendar within the next week to revisit what it means for you to invest in yourself as a public speaker. Or, click on the link at the bottom of this blog to get started right away.
Sampson chose to embrace public speaking. She says that decision “profoundly changed her life.” Her message is clear: “If you want to reach your full potential in this lifetime, you must embrace public speaking.” I agree. But it all starts at a crossroad. It starts with a choice.
Ready to make the choice to embrace public speaking? We’re here to help. Click here to get started.
