Comments on: Are public speaking skills necessary for business success?

By: Jill

Jill — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 15:06:39 +0000

Confessions of a Public Speaker (Scott Berkun) is the one book that helped me with my speaking.

http://www.amazon.com/Confessions-Public-Speaker-English/dp/1449301959

By: Andrew Tarvin

Andrew Tarvin — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 06:12:11 +0000

In reply to Jen P.

Jen–Great question. I think we all assume the value and relevance of public speaking skills, but a quick Google search didn’t lead to much in the area of why and to what extent.

I’m sure it depends on the type of job, but I would think that the ability to give engaging presentations could be a point of differentiation versus other people (at least it was for me in the IT field).

By: Myra Mings

Myra Mings — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 18:23:37 +0000

I rented a book from the library written by Larry King several years ago. It was very easy to read and I really liked what his advice. One of the things that helped me the most was his approach to being honest up front about your insecurities. It seems that after we announce it, we aren’t hindered by it. I was in a sales job at the time and that approach really helped me get through some sales pitches.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Talk-Anyone-Anytime-Anywhere/dp/0517884534/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1357842190&sr=1-1

By: Jim F.

Jim F. — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 16:52:11 +0000

Jen P,

How about this example. You have heard from a number of managers and subordinates that they hate the current corporate mandated review process. As the HR representative, you have 5 minutes to present your response to corporate management on how to either do away with or completely update this process. It goes without saying that your career at this company depends on how you handle this one assignment. Keep in mind that no one will ever read your report.

You do not need a book when a simple example can serve just as well.

By: Jen P

Jen P — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 15:52:48 +0000

Charlene, no deep story, actually. I’m a college professor (history) with a friend who is a professor who teaches public speaking. We were talking about the difficulty of getting “buy-in” from our business students in required (public speaking/world civ). (I use a teaching format that is heavily public speaking oriented, fwiw.) I thought that it might be useful for the students if I could offer them a bit of reading from an “expert” that argues that what they’re doing is also necessary/foundational for their careers, despite the fact that it’s a required course outside of Business.

By: Charlene

Charlene — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 00:26:00 +0000

@JenP now I’m desperate to know the story behind the question, but I’m nosy like that. It’s really interesting, we all know that public speaking is a valuable skill, most of us have been asked (sometimes forced) to do it but there’s little advice on why it’s necessary compared to other methods of connection…

By: Alison K

Alison K — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 21:00:35 +0000

Not directly on topic, but related – regardless of gender of person with the original question, & other readers/commenters – I’ve found “The Eloquent Woman” (at http://eloquentwoman.blogspot.com) really interesting & useful: again, addresses some of the “why” as well as the “how”. Cheers.

By: Holly

Holly — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 17:04:20 +0000

Ditto the Toastmasters comment. You won’t get what you need from a book, but you will from Toastmasters. It’s a wonderful learning environment.

By: Rachel

Rachel — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 23:48:23 +0000

I second (or third) Toastmasters as a method of improving your management skills

However, the real benefit from Toastmasters lies not in the improvement to speaking skills, it’s in the ability to give and receive constructive feedback.

One hallmark of an inept manager is the inability to give timely feedback in an appropriate manner. Some hold back for fear of hurting feelings, or wait until they are so angry/frustrated that they lash out. Others are inappropriately harsh. And then there are plenty of employees whose development is limited because they find it hard to hear feedback and take it personally.

At every Toastmasters session, every club member performs some service and is evaluated, and most weeks they will also provide evaluation to others.

This makes people more comfortable at offering and receiving criticism – and I think that’s the hidden secret which makes Toastmasters membership so effective.

By: fposte

fposte — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 19:51:48 +0000

In reply to Jen P.

I suspect most of the titles mentioned, especially the recent ones, will do just that in the introduction or first chapter. They might not be from the HR standpoint (though they might, too), but I would imagine that some compelling research about the value of such a skill in corporate success–which I bet is in these titles somewhere–is relevant to the HR case regardless of who’s citing it.