Article: Public Speaking
The Secret Weapon in Career Development
As seen in USA Today Magazine, May 2005

By Vickie K. Sullivan

Marcia Reynolds came from an upper-middle-class Jewsih home.  Growing up, she was a top athlete, star student...and drug addict.  Getting lost in her addiction landed her a six-month stay in the Maricopa (Phoenix, Ariz.) County jail.  It was there that Reynolds found her voice and learned it was safe to speak up--and she has been speaking ever since while earning two master's degrees and building a successful 16-year career in health care and high-tech companies.  She now performs public speaking internationally to build her coaching, keynote speaking, and training business.  "Speaking has given me the confidence to know that I could get work in many different arenas," Reynolds professes.

Having days filled with endless e-mail and voice mail messages while attending countless meetings, it is natural to be hopeful that someone higher up will notice the effort and consider a promotion.  The reality, however, is that those who are not visible become invisible and, therefore, expendable.  While some prefer keeping a lower profile, many employees want anything but.  By participating in panel discussions and programs at company conferences and industry events, savvy professionals with solid speaking skills are able to broaden their bases and open up new opportunities.  Even more, their confidence spreads into all areas of their work because they have learned to communicate more effectively, even in one-on-one conversations.  In the long run, they develop more presence and become better leaders.

With the possibility of layoffs and reorganizations always looming, it also helps that speaking can create friends in high places.  "After leaving one job," Reynolds relates, "I learned that my former boss wanted to fire me a long time ago.  But she told Human Resources that she couldn't because I had too many champions at the higher levels of the company."  Despite all these benefits many professionals relegate public speaking to the "necessary evil" category.  Because it feels risky, it becomes something to dodge or talk someone else into doing.  For those unlucky enough to be elected to speak, abject terror can set in, derailing confidence and career goals.

"What makes speakers so nervous is that they haven't connected with the audience yet, even if it includes people they work with," explains professional speaker Garrison Wynn.  "They think everyone else is okay with them."  Wynn's solution:  When speaking, focus on the individuals sitting in the front.  "By talking directly to the folks in the front row, you get connected with them.  Once you feel connected, the nervousness goes away."  Using the power of stories to connect and communicate is vital.  "As soon as you tell stories, the audience is available to hear your message," points out Sandra Zimmer, director of The Self-Expression Center in Houston, Tex.  "Stories get you out of your head and into your gut."

Instead of effectively dealing with the stress of speaking, many would-be heroes spend every spare moment obsession over worst-case scenarios and creating power point slides.  The result is a speech that is nondescript with very few "atta boys" for all the effort.  The underlying message that is communicated to the powers-that-be:  This person is adequate, but nothing special.

Like anything else, public speaking is an opportunity; the benefits depend upon how it is used.  Professionals who speak for notoriety find it easy to come across opportunities that carry their careers forward.  They see speaking not as a source of discomfort but as a focal point to build their networks and personal reputation.  "Speaking can be fun.  And if you're not feeling a little nervous, then you don't care enough to do well," contends Barbara Price, senior vice-president of marketing at Mercer Capital in Memphis, Tenn.

Giving presentations during company meetings and events increases visibility quickly throughout the organization.  "Because of my presentations, I became known really fast as the fireball with an opinion," Reynolds recalls.  Industry stars also know that speaking on panels and leading concurrent sessions at trade and professional association events build networks that are becoming mandatory in today's ever-changing job market.  Associations need speakers with industry experience to discuss trends and hot issues.  They actively look for them by providing Requests for Presentations (RFPs) online and launching e-mail campaigns to generate interest for prospective speakers among their members.  Those who do not care to go it alone do not have to; conferences often feature formats that include case studies as well as panel discussions.

The real key to reaping benefits from public speaking is to go beyond the speech itself and mine the opportunities it creates.  That is when public speaking becomes a secret weapon.  Instead of assuming that those slides will draw attention, good speeches become tools to build contacts both inside and outside of organizations.  It can be done using different strategies.

Dare to be different. The first point that transforms an ordinary speaker into an industry beacon is a new perspective on a major problem.  One meeting planner for a speakers' association in the Midwest has selected non-professionals for its annual convention for years.  What does she look for?  An interesting take on a hot topic.  "Our audiences expect to find solutions they didn't know existed," she says.  "Speakers with different content get on our short list fast."

Content needs to be delivered in a daring way, yet many speakers are afraid to give strong opinions, fearing some attendees will be offended.  If the speech does not convey provocative information, audience members feel their time has been wasted (and rightfully will feel offended).  They expect their thinking to be challenged.   So, speakers should shake things up by pointing out how conventional wisdom has not been applied appropriately or does not apply at all.  However, facts and logic must back up all arguments, never crossing that invisible line where the speech becomes obnoxious.  After all, it is a speech, not a personal rant.

Speakers who create tools and processes that help implement recommendations also are viewed as different.  Having a sophisticated model or PhD level assessment is not necessary.  Something as simple as a list of questions that spurs new thinking positions good speakers as experts, not just talking heads.

Handouts express more ways to be different.  In addition to the regular presentation notes, put a picture of the model or process on an oversized business card, laminate it, and hand it out.  People will use it for reference and keep it long after their notes disappear.  Most speakers are surprised by how pieces that are easy to use quickly take on a life of their own--much to their benefit.

Share the limelight.  No law requires speakers to use solely personal experiences in their stories.  In fact, when they share the limelight with colleagues and higher-ups, the speech itself can open up introductions to those they want to meet.  Some send a quick e-mail saying, "I'm giving a speech on ______ topic...any war stories will be appreciated.  And yes, I'll change the names to protect the guilty and the innocent."  In addition, the e-mails let those selected people know about the upcoming speech in a way that does not portray the speaker as a braggart.   The best part about sharing the limelight is collecting great stories that people in the audience can relate to.  "They will remember your stories long after they forget the facts and the data," maintains Zimmer.  And remember that stress and nervousness?  "When you tell a story, you relax and your nervousness dissolves.  You go into conversational mode as if you were telling your best friend what is happening."

Considerate speakers ask for permission from contributors to include their stories and materials in their presentations.  One way to show thanks is by getting extra copies of the recorded speech in audiocassettes or CDs and distributing them to all contributors.  Sharing the spotlight allows speakers to come across as team players and good people.

Stay connected.  For those who collect business cards during conferences, do not extend the effort only to let them collect dust in the desk drawer after the conference.  Many speakers meet like-minded individuals at the event, then go back to their day-to-day routines and let the relationships wither.  The samrt ones keep those connections alive.   For example, they develop a follow-up vehicle, like an informal support network or a weekly chat room to discuss experiences.  This gives them continuous visibility and, over time, their credibility among people in that group deepens.

Connections really can pay off, according to Price, "I do keep in touch via e-mail with folks who have a source of ideas, are doing things I admire, or share some of the same struggles and challenges that I do.  Through speaking, I have met some wonderful people who have become an informal network for brainstorming."

Providing more information after the speech also can open more doors.  Reynolds confides that assessment tools are especially popular.  "People love to learn more about themselves.  Every time I would offer to send an assessment, I would get a ton of business cards."

The most important benefit of public speaking is the confidence that comes with doing it frequently.  Speaking is not about giving information:  the Internet and the neighborhood bookstore provide plenty of that.  Speakers who bring their own personal styles forward (rather than recite facts and figures) are seen as up-and-coming stars.  They transcend the brand of their companies to establish their own credibility--and it is this credibility that will get them the next job or plum assignment, Reynolds explains.  "We all want to hear about the human challenge, to interact with someone who has faced the same threats you have, to see light at the end of the tunnel.   Speakers move their audience with their energy, not with their words."

Frequent speaking affirms faith in the message and confidence in the ability to articulate it as well.  "Speaking takes us out of our comfort zones and puts us in the middle of the action," Price exudes.  "If you speak enough, you get used to ever-changing situations.  Thinking on your feet becomes natural."  Most important, public speaking is a "process of transofmration," says Zimmer.  "You develop presence and authenticity through speaking.   You are learning to connect with yourself and others."

Organizations benefit when their employees speak to groups.  It not only builds awareness about the company, but broadens the thinking of the speakers themselves.  "All of our senior-level executives are encouraged to do public speaking," Price declares.  "If they are speaking with authority to groups of 50 to 500, it's one of the best ways to bring their awareness to our company and to our message.  It leads to that 'aha' moment we strive to create."

What if marketing itself it not part of a company's goal?  Many organizations still benefit by using speaking to broaden their employees' perspective.  Moreover, getting out of the day-to-day work environment to mix with others from different backgrounds helps them find new solutions to pressing issues.  "We tell executives that speaking broadens your thinking and puts you in contact with other people," Price explains.  "It spices up what you do every day."  In fact, Mercer Capital even helps set up the speaking engagements for key employees.  "It's part of our marketing plan.  With 20 years in the business, I know where the opportunities are.  Part of my job is to arrange those speaking engagements, prep the speakers, and make it easy for them to deliver a great speech."

The good news is that future generations will not experience the angst that baby boomers go through with every speech.  Because leadership positions require well-honed presentation skills, colleges and universities now are including a speech curriculum in their graduate programs.  Undergraduate courses will not be far behind.  As speaking in public becomes more common, more opportunities inside and outside the workforce will blossom.  "Once you can stand up and know that people will listen to you," Reynolds notes, "life just opens up."

Since 1987, Vickie K. Sullivan, President of Sullivan Speaker Services, has generated millions of dollars in speaking fees, book advances and ancilliary income for her clients. Sign up for her free market intelligence at http://www.SullivanSpeaker.com

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Grace McGartland Thunderbolt Thinking Inc. Author of Thunderbolt Thinking

Too many executives are wasting too much time speaking for too little reward. To go beyond "branding" and get more strategic about your speaking, contact us to brainstorm ideas.