Want to be a better speaker?

Would you like to be a better speaker in front of a group?

It used to be said that the fear of speaking in public was the number one fear people had. While that made little sense to many of us it was very true for those who had that fear. Well, somewhere along the way from 1950 until today we have found in the computer age that we find ourselves speaking to groups fairly frequently. So while it may not be as frightening as it once was it is an area where we now want to excel.

As a wanna-be manager, supervisor and manager we need to be better speakers. We need to know how to garner followers, give confidence, show strength, reduce stress and anxiety and show us as capable individuals.

If this is true then what are you doing to become a better speaker? I taught public speaking for seven years at the college level and have continued to teach and instruct on a contractual level for many years.

What I have found is that most of us really do not understand the subtleties of speaking in front of a group. We think we know. Most managers THINK they are great speakers but when you ask their staff most just roll their eyes. After all, we can’t speak badly of our boss, they might hear about it and take revenge.

When I ask people if they really know how to speak in front of a group, most say of course, and blow me off. But then I ask, really? So you practice making faces in front of your mirror? Answered 100% of the time… no! of course not. That’s stupid.

And then I ask, but you know what your face and body language are saying?

And again, unequivocally YES!

So have you ever had someone ask you if you were OK? Or if you were having a bad day? And you weren’t?  Then you don’t always know what you r face or body language is saying. And it’s THAT type of thing that we all need to improve.

If you are speaking in front of a group and you don’t realize that you are raising an eyebrow, or that your mouth moves a certain way, or that when you speak you tug at your lip… then you have no clue what message you are sending to your audience.

Want to get better at speaking in front of a group? Sign up for some private/group training. Have your company contact a professional. Someone who KNOWS how to train speakers. Someone who will not tippy toe around you because you have a position but will tell you what you need to improve upon and make you improve, allow you to make mistakes, video tape you and show you the flaws so you can ‘understand’ emotionally what you need to work on. And believe me when I say, the video taping is MANDATORY for your improvement.

Want to be a better speaker in front of a group? Call someone today.

www.stevesapato.com