Article by Simon T. Bailey-MA, CSP, CPAE, published on May 2, 2018 on LinkedIn
In a world that is transforming at the speed of light, it is imperative that men and women leverage public speaking as a way to stand head and shoulders above the noise. I am convinced that in today’s work economy, which relies more and more on autonomy and the automatic, honing your ability to influence human beings will put you in a league of your own—no matter what industry you are in, service you provide, product you make, scientific discovery you’re working on, or social issue you’re championing.
Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing — speaking is the new marketing.
I don’t mean speaking in front of a room full of people. I mean: how do you establish your presence? One-to-one, one-to-ten, one-to-many. Speaking is about giving you the tools to communicate effectively in a fast-paced world where you have to be clear, concise, and consistent with the message that you need to convey.
For me, it started when I worked at Disney. I noticed that the Disney Institute was getting a lot of exposure because it presented and taught the concepts and ideas that made Disney the seventh most recognized brand in the world. Facilitators and presenters for the Disney Institute were frequently requested by former CEO Michael Eisner’s office to give a special presentation to his peer leaders in other companies.
Eventually, those individuals were promoted into leadership roles throughout the Disney organization. I soon realized that if I wanted to fast-track my career, I needed to master the skill of public speaking. Once individuals hear you, it is the quickest way to market yourself as a solution provider and an emerging leader in the organization.
After I quit Disney and created my own company based on my ability to give speeches and presentations, I have seen this show up again and again at one organization after the next. I have discovered that men and women who have mastered the skill of public speaking are the ones who are constantly called upon to stand on committees, lead projects, take over teams, and get promotions.
The soft skill of being able to present allows you to move from communication to connection, which involves emotion, passion, and substance.
When all things are the same, who gets ahead? The communicators.
They may not have the most technical expertise for the job, but having the soft skill of being able to own a room, connect with an audience, and impact a key decision maker sets them apart from the rest of their peers. The pendulum swings in the direction of a person who can hold a conversation, think on their feet, and speak with examples, stories, and relevant data that shows their visionary leadership. Decisions go in favor of the brilliant idea/thought/position marketers—the great speakers—for better or worse.
The research is everywhere. A quick Google search puts oral/verbal communication on almost every list of “soft skills to advance your career.” (Go ahead—try it.) You can also try searching “the ROI of public speaking.”
Warren Buffet even suggests public speaking is the one skill that will boost your value by 50%!
The breakdowns for investing in this skill are endless and very compelling.
And entrepreneurs need public speaking skills just as desperately as individuals in corporations. You have to be able to tell the story behind your business, your product, or your service. You need to connect with your audience: whether that is an investor, your email list, or a room of conference attendees. You have to help people understand what you’re doing, why you’re doing it, and what your concept will bring to the world.
So, great. You know that you need to become a great public speaker, but if you could easily opt into that skill, you probably would have by now.
The problem is the obstacles are larger than they are for developing other skills. People don’t generally fear learning to balance a spreadsheet or manage a project more than death (as many statistics suggest is true for public speaking).
We’re also living in a time-anemic society. Even if you know how to refine your public speaking skills, it’s probably not going to make it on your to-do list for the day or week. You probably also have a family, a hobby, a book to read, a show to binge, a trip to take, or any number of other good reasons to put it off.
If you do make it past those obstacles, you probably have trouble finding the right outlets to develop your skills. Traditional options include taking a class, locating and driving to Toastmasters event (assuming it fits into your schedule), or practicing in front of your friends (or your dog). Those options just aren’t effective and don’t fit into the full lives of busy working professionals.
I won’t spend a lot of time pitching that to you here, but I want you to know it exists. I created it to give back to the world what has created such immense success for me personally. I want you to know there’s a cost-effective way to become a better speaker in a way that fits into your schedule and gets you mentorship from someone with 15 years experience in the business of public speaking.
Public speaking allows you to imprint your thought leadership, your way of introducing a solution to a problem, and it enables you to be remembered for what you brought to the table.
When I say “Speaking is the New Marketing,” I’m talking about how you position yourself as a leader, as a boss, or as an individual contributor who now has the framework to draw upon different levers that you can pull when seeking to influence others with your best thinking.
It’s the one skill you’ll see returns on for the rest of your life.
Simon T. Bailey is an Innovator, Educator, and Writer, whose life’s purpose is to teach 1 billion+ people how to be fearless and create their future. He has more than 30 years’ experience in the hospitality industry, including serving as sales director for Disney Institute and has worked with more than 1,600 organizations in 45 countries.
Simon has been named one of the top 25 people who will help you reach your business and life goals by SUCCESS magazine, joining a list that includes Brene Brown, Tony Robbins and Oprah Winfrey. He is the author of nine books and his Building Business Relationships on Lynda.com has been viewed by more than 750,000 people.
He is also the creator of the Brilliant Presenter program, which will teach you how to impact, inspire, and influence any audience.