How can you use public speaking to build your IT Management professional network?

1 Identify your audience

Before you plan your presentation, you need to know who you are speaking to and what they expect from you. Your audience may be your peers, your clients, your potential employers, or your industry influencers. Depending on their background, interests, and goals, you may need to adjust your tone, language, and content. For example, if you are speaking to a technical audience, you may want to use more jargon, examples, and code snippets. If you are speaking to a non-technical audience, you may want to use more analogies, stories, and visuals. The key is to tailor your message to your audience's needs and preferences.

2 Choose your topic wisely

Your topic should reflect your expertise, passion, and relevance. You want to showcase your knowledge and skills in a specific area of IT management, such as project management, cybersecurity, cloud computing, or data analytics. You also want to choose a topic that you are genuinely interested in and excited about, as this will help you engage your audience and convey your enthusiasm. Finally, you want to choose a topic that is relevant to the current trends, challenges, and opportunities in your industry, as this will help you demonstrate your awareness and insight.

3 Prepare and practice

The best way to overcome your fear of public speaking is to prepare and practice. You should research your topic thoroughly, organize your main points logically, and create a clear and concise outline. You should also design your slides or other visual aids to support your message, not distract from it. Then, you should practice your presentation several times, preferably in front of a friend, a colleague, or a coach who can give you constructive feedback. You should also anticipate and prepare for possible questions or objections from your audience. The more you prepare and practice, the more confident and fluent you will be.

4 Deliver with confidence

When you deliver your presentation, you should focus on connecting with your audience and delivering value. You should use a confident and friendly tone, eye contact, gestures, and facial expressions to communicate your credibility and personality. You should also use stories, anecdotes, humor, and questions to engage your audience and make your presentation memorable. You should avoid reading from your notes or slides, speaking too fast or too slow, or using filler words such as "um" or "like". You should also monitor your audience's reactions and feedback, and adjust your pace, tone, or content accordingly.

5 Follow up and follow through

After your presentation, you should not miss the opportunity to follow up and follow through with your audience. You should thank them for their attention and participation, and invite them to contact you for further discussion or collaboration. You should also provide them with your contact information, such as your email, LinkedIn profile, or website. You should also follow through on any promises or commitments you made during your presentation, such as sending additional resources, answering questions, or scheduling meetings. By following up and following through, you will show your professionalism and sincerity, and build trust and rapport with your audience.

6 Expand your network

Public speaking is not only a way to share your knowledge and skills, but also a way to expand your network and build professional relationships. By speaking at events, conferences, webinars, or podcasts, you can reach a wider and more diverse audience, and expose yourself to new opportunities and challenges. You can also network with other speakers, organizers, sponsors, or attendees, and learn from their experiences and perspectives. You can also join or create online communities, groups, or forums related to your topic, and continue the conversation and collaboration. By expanding your network, you will increase your visibility, credibility, and influence in your industry.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?