What are the Benefits of Public Speaking?

Public speaking is a great way of building personal development on many levels, since improving communication skills is helpful in almost every area of life. Whether your goal is to engage in political debate, make a career as a motivational speaker or gain confidence in front of an audience, public speaking can help you meet your goal.

The following is the benefits of public speaking, which will encourage you to get out of your comfort zone and sign up to speak at a few events in the future.

1. Career advancement

Effective public speaking skills can help with career advancement, as they indicate creativity, critical thinking skills, leadership abilities, poise, and professionalism, qualities which are very valuable for the job market. Speaking at events and conferences is a good way of building credibility. The more well known the event the better, as you can add these speaking achievements to your resume.

2. Boost confidence

Overcoming the fears and insecurities that accompany public speaking is empowering. Furthermore, connecting with audiences can be a strong reminder that you have valuable insights and opinions to share with the world. Your confidence levels will grow as you go from speaking to small groups of people up to large audiences. This will benefit you not just on stage, but in everyday life as well, whether it be in a meeting or on a date.

3. Critical thinking

Writing a speech requires a great deal of careful thought, from the audience analysis to the closing sentence. 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.

4. Improve communication skills

When you write a speech, you have to think carefully about the best framework, persuasive strategy, and diction to communicate your message to the audience. This type of thinking can help you improve your communication skills in other areas of your life.

5. Make new social connections

Public speaking engagements are good places to meet other people who share your interests. You’ll find that people approach you after your presentation to engage in conversation. It makes it much easier to make new social connections. Try to mingle with the audience for as long as you can after your speech, answering questions and seeking fresh perspectives on your topic.

6. Personal satisfaction

Public speaking is a very common phobia , right up there with spiders and heights. Many people would prefer to do almost anything instead of standing up and talking in front a crowd of people. Delivering a speech can feel intimidating and risky. Fears and insecurities tend to multiply as the speech draws closer: "What if I forget my speech?" "What if I can’t answer the audience's questions?" Public speaking is a way of showing yourself that, with practice, you can do the things that scare you the most. What starts out as a nightmare can turn into a personal boost.

These benefits of public speaking make getting out of your comfort zone and giving a speech absolutely worth it. You’ll be nervous the first few times you speak, however you’ll quickly learn to enjoy the experience!