Know The Difference Between Public Speaking and Training To Become a Better Learner and Trainer

Do you enjoy speaking in front of an audience? Do you have a passion for sharing your knowledge and skills with others? If you answered yes to both questions, you might be wondering whether you should pursue a career in public speaking or training. But what is the difference between these two professions? And how can you decide which one suits you better?

Next is from the learning point of view.

If you want to improve your skills and knowledge in any field, you need to be a good learner. Learning is not just about absorbing information, but also about applying it in real situations. One of the most effective ways to learn is by engaging in public speaking and training activities. But do you know the difference between them? And how can you use them to your advantage?

Public speaking is the art of delivering a message to an audience, usually with the purpose of informing, persuading, or entertaining them. It can be done in various settings, such as conferences, seminars, workshops, podcasts, webinars, and others. Public speaking requires a lot of preparation, practice, and confidence. You need to know your topic well, structure your speech clearly, use appropriate language and tone, and connect with your listeners.

Training is the process of teaching or instructing someone how to do something, usually with the goal of improving their performance or behavior. It can be done in various formats, such as lectures, demonstrations, simulations, exercises, quizzes, feedback sessions, and the like. Training requires a lot of interaction, adaptation, and evaluation. You need to know your audience well, design your training objectives and methods carefully, use relevant examples and activities, and measure the outcomes.

The main difference between public speaking and training is that public speaking focuses more on the speaker and the message, while training focuses more on the learners and the results.

Public speaking is more one-way and linear, while training is more two-way and dynamic.

Public speaking is more about telling and showing, while training is more about asking and doing.

Knowing the difference between public speaking and training can help you be a better learner in several ways:

- You can choose the right format for your learning goals. If you want to learn more about a topic or get inspired by someone's ideas or experiences, you can attend or watch a public speech. If you want to learn how to do something or improve your skills or behavior, you can participate in or watch a training session.

- You can adjust your expectations and attitude accordingly. If you are attending or watching a public speech, you can expect to receive information and insights from the speaker. You can listen attentively and critically, take notes if needed, and ask questions if possible. If you are participating in or watching a training session, you can expect to practice and apply what you learn from the trainer. You can be actively involved and cooperative, try new things if needed, and give feedback if possible.

- You can use both formats to complement each other. If you are attending or watching a public speech that interests you or relates to your field of work or study, you can look for opportunities to follow up with a training session that allows you to deepen your understanding and develop your abilities. If you are participating in or watching a training session that challenges you or helps you grow in some way, you can look for opportunities to share your learning outcomes with others through a public speech that showcases your achievements.

Public speaking and training are both valuable learning tools that can enhance your personal and professional development. By knowing the difference between them and how to use them effectively, you can be a better learner and trainer who never stops growing.

What about the training side?

When speaking to groups of people is a component of both public speaking and training, we tend to believe that they have similarities. The fact is that speaking and training have more differences than similarities.

The main difference between public speaking and training is that public speaking focuses on delivering a message, while training focuses on facilitating learning. This doesn't mean that trainers are not public speakers. Rather, trainer with public speaking abilities can effectively communicate to enhance the trainees' learning process.

If you are interested in improving your communication skills, you might have wondered what is the difference between public speaking and training.

Knowing the differences can also help you to decide on choosing the right trainer for you to develop certain skills at work. This could be because some speaker may not be trainers while some trainers may not be public speakers. Considering that both are forms of oral presentation that involve sharing information with an audience, but they have different goals and methods.

Here are some main differences between public speaking and training, and how you can benefit from both if you are a trainer or someone who conducts training as part of your job.

Public speakers aim to influence the audience's thoughts or feelings, while trainers aim to improve the audience's skills or knowledge. In a way, public speaking rely more on verbal and non-verbal communication skills, while trainers rely more on their instructional design and evaluation skills although the ability of public speaking is a bonus for communicating more effectively.

Both public speaking and training are valuable skills that can help you in your personal and professional life. By mastering public speaking, you can boost your confidence, enhance your reputation, expand your network and advance your career. Mastering training can help you to share your expertise, help others grow, create value and make a difference.

A detailed list of differences is shown below:

- The goal: Public speakers usually have a general goal of informing, persuading, or entertaining their audience. They want to share their ideas, opinions, stories, or insights with others. Trainers usually have a specific goal of teaching their learners how to do something. They want to transfer their knowledge and skills to others.

- The audience: Public speakers usually address a large and diverse audience that may not have much prior knowledge or interest in their topic. They have to capture and maintain their attention and appeal to their emotions and values. Trainers usually work with a smaller and more homogeneous audience that has a clear need or desire to learn something. They have to assess and meet their learning objectives and preferences.

- The interaction: Public speakers usually have a one-way communication with their audience. They speak and the audience listens. They may invite some questions or comments at the end of their speech, but they do not engage in much dialogue or feedback. Trainers usually have a two-way communication with their learners. They speak and the learners listen, but they also ask questions, give examples, do exercises, and receive feedback. They engage in a lot of dialogue and interaction.

- The structure: Public speakers usually have a fixed and linear structure for their speech. They follow a clear introduction-body-conclusion format and use transitions and signposts to guide their audience through their main points. Trainers usually have a flexible and modular structure for their training session. They follow a general outline but can adapt it according to the learners' needs and progress. They use repetition and reinforcement to ensure the learners understand and remember the key concepts.

How to choose?

Now that you know the main differences between public speaking and training, how can you decide which one is right for you? Here are some questions you can ask yourself:

- What is your purpose? Do you want to share your ideas with the world or teach others how to do something?

- What is your passion? Do you enjoy speaking about various topics or focusing on one specific area?

- What is your personality? Do you prefer talking to large crowds or small groups?

- What is your style? Do you like having a fixed plan or being flexible?

- What is your feedback? Do you get more satisfaction from seeing your audience's reactions or your learners' results?

There is no right or wrong answer to these questions. You may find that you enjoy both public speaking and training, or that you prefer one over the other. You may also discover that you have different strengths and weaknesses in each profession. The important thing is to be honest with yourself and follow your intuition.

In short, the difference between public speaking and training can give you some guidance on how to choose the best option for yourself as a learner or trainer or someone who does training as part of your job. Remember that both public speaking and training are rewarding and fulfilling careers that can make a positive impact on others.