7 WAYS PUBLIC SPEAKING CAN IMPROVE YOUR LIFE

Learning to speak in public about who you are, what you do, where you come from and what you can do without fear can go a long way in expanding your social circles, building strong relations with successful people, getting yourself your dream job and representing and giving a voice to the voiceless in your community.

In this article, I want to share with you the 7 biggest ways public speaking can drastically improve your life:

1. Helps Identify Yourself: In a very real sense, we are the sum of our communication experiences with other people. As you put together speeches on topics that you care about, you will explore your own interests and values, expand your knowledge base, and develop your skills of creative expression. In short, you will be seeking your own voice as a unique individual, a voice distinct from all other voices.
2. Critical Thinking: Public speaking is also a great way to build critical thinking skills. Writing a speech requires a great deal of careful thought, from the audience analysis to the outline and conclusion. It's not enough to have a message – you also need to figure out how to tailor the message to fit the needs of your audience. How can you make your points relevant to your listeners? How can you help the audience understand your views? Thinking in this way is a great exercise for improving general communication skills. If you start thinking critically about your speaking style, you may find ways to improve your general communication style at home and at work.
3. Personal Development: Communication skills are crucial for personal and professional success. Preparing a speech forces speakers to take a step back and think critically about effective ways to communicate. In day-to-day life, it is easy to fall back on communication habits we formed many years ago. If communication is the backbone of the important relationships in your life, isn't it worth taking some time to work on? Improving your communication skills can make life more fulfilling on many levels.
4. Develop Transferable Skills: Transferable skills, such as finding information and organizing ideas, can be carried over from one context or occasion to another. So, for example, when you learn to manage anxiety in your public speaking class, you’ll be able to apply that skill in other settings such as a job interview. The skills you learn in your public speaking class will help you in other communication situations as well.
5. Increased your social networks considerably: Putting yourself forward as a speaker makes it easier for you to meet others. You'll find people want to talk to you. You will draw people to you. Are you looking for new ways to network and make social connections? Try public speaking. Giving a speech is like starting a conversation with a room full of people – and you can continue that conversation as soon as you step down from the podium. You and your audience share an interest in the topic of your speech, so you already have something to talk about! If the schedule allows, try to mingle with the audience after your speech, answering questions and seeking fresh perspectives on your topic. Give audience or members the option of getting in touch with you at a later date by listing contact information on handouts or slides. If you have a website, you can direct audience or members to find more information there.
6. It Increases Your Opportunities: Your increased visibility will no doubt lead to new opportunities. In the workplace, you’ll be given more opportunities to present at important meetings. Coworkers that are either afraid to speak to groups or feel they lack the charisma that you possess, will ask you to help with them with their presentations (or even request you help give the presentation). This can give you a mentoring relationship with someone at or slightly above your level in the workplace, which can be used to argue your case when it’s time for promotions. It can also help you establish relationships with people outside your regular work group. In business, you’ll be able to pitch your products and ideas to larger audiences. You’ll be invited to speak at conferences, share your knowledge in workshops and address audiences full of people that can buy your product. If you get really good at it, you can even make money speaking or barter for referrals and publicity. And when you can communicate to groups well, you’ll not only enjoy career success but success in your personal life.
7. Career Benefits: Advancement: Public speaking is a great tool for career advancement because it provides opportunities to impress the boss, seek publicity, and networks             You can read more about Public Speaking in my Book Titled The Confident Speaker's Book on Amazon