How can you use public speaking to advance your organization's goals?

Public speaking has an outer game and an inner game. The outer game is about where to stand, how to move, etc. as it is about the mechanics of speaking. More importantly the inner game is about connecting your world view, your perspective, even your values and letting it shine through your speech. When this speech is about your organizational goals, a charismatic delivery will show how moved you are by this sense of purpose. Your excitement will then excite your audience. The audience wants to accompany you on the journey of your speech. Give them the ability to engage through stories and examples. Research well, set your key messages, imbed your world view, show your excitement, sprinkle examples and you have a captivating speech.

If you consider how much time and effort goes in to identifying the right type of client for your business and then the marketing and sales efforts required to engage and qualify those clients it’s incredible. The power of public speaking on behalf of your organisation or brand, at the right event with the right people present, is that it creates a unique opportunity to position the value and impact your company makes, through examples and thought leadership. That creates a connection with the right type of prospective client. They become aware of the value you bring and a relationship starts. With the right audience, you can generate hundreds of prospective clients. Saving significant investment in marketing and sales effort.

As with any public speaking opportunity, knowing your message is critical, as well as what you want to achieve. Many people make the mistake of focusing so much on "ticking all the boxes" to get their key messages across that they fail in delivery. There is a need to then pull up one level and ask themselves is it actually going to be relevant, entertaining and interesting for their audience. People are more likely to respond to the impression, the emotion, the vibe and say that speaker from Y company was so interesting. I want to know more about Y. Give your audience some money cannot buy insights. Above all, speakers mostly fail by not doing enough practice. Don't leave your prep to a week out. Prepare. Rehearse. Adjust. Rehearse.

Mastering public speaking is crucial for advancing organizational goals, emphasizing not just what you say but how you say it. Practice to deliver with confidence and clarity, using engaging body language, vocal variety, and strategic pauses to emphasize your points. Incorporate storytelling and personal experiences to connect deeply with your audience, making your message memorable and impactful. Visual aids should complement, not dominate, your presentation, enhancing understanding without overwhelming. Be prepared for audience interaction, showing your expertise and openness to dialogue. Each speaking opportunity is a chance to refine your skills, using feedback to improve and better align with your organization's objectives.

Many have mentioned creating a powerful, emotionally charged message to inspire our audience with our story (storytelling). But more importantly, in these times when audiences are more critical, have greater access to information sources and therefore more defined interests and beliefs. Storytelling is not enough, and we need to resort to storydoing, which means to stop putting ourselves at the center of the conversation and to put the audience at it, making them co-protagonists of the story. And this can only be achieved through actions that our audience identifies with, not just through a good speech.