Speech is Power: Why public speaking is good for business
“Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel.”
So said American essayist and poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Speech IS power and if your job is to sell a service or a product (or yourself) it’s a Superpower.
Let’s face it, public speaking isn’t everyone’s favourite activity. But for your business, it’s an absolute game-changer!
Why is it so important?
Clear Communication: Ever tried explaining a complex product in simple terms? Public speaking helps you do just that.
Building Trust: A confident speaker is a trustworthy one. Your audience (or potential client) will believe in you more.
Engaging Presentations: Captivating your audience is key. Public speaking skills help you deliver presentations that are engaging and memorable.
Masterful Persuasion: Storytelling and emotional appeal win over clients.
Have you ever watched someone command a room with just their words? Have you walked away from a presentation thinking, ‘I wish I could do that’?
Speaking for business isn’t about boring corporate jargon or death by PowerPoint. It’s your secret weapon.
Think about it: Steve Jobs didn’t just sell phones—he told stories that made us line up around the block. Richard Branson didn’t just launch companies—he connected with people in ways that made them want to follow him anywhere.
If speaking for business isn’t part of your brand-building strategy, you’re missing a trick.
Speaking opportunities, like guesting on podcasts or presenting to a networking group are fantastic ways to get you and your business known. They give you credibility and authority as well as a platform to share your ideas, knowledge, and perspective. It’s also an opportunity to sell yourself and strengthen your brand.
Better still, if you can get on a stage and speak to an audience not only do you increase your reputation as the go-to person in your industry, but you build your Personal Brand. And as my Speaking About Speaking guest, keynote speaker, author and marketing master, Mark Schaefer says ‘Personal brand is Everything!’
Plus, once you’ve done it once and have your talk or presentation created you can use it again and again. It can be refined, and adapted, to fill 10 or 90 minutes. To talk to an audience of 10 or 10,000.
As Emily Dickinson said, “Whenever a thing is done for the first time it releases a little demon.”
The more you speak, the better you get and the easier it becomes.
I know this to be true because I was terrified – and I was an actor!
I was great at getting on stage and playing a character but asked to speak without a script as plain ol’ Jackie Goddard and I was a quivering mess.
I had to force myself outside my comfort zone because I knew it was the only way I was going to become KNOWN, and I kept doing it until eventually the feeling of fear became one of excitement and now, I love it!
Ben Francis MBE, the founder, and CEO of Gymshark (whose leadership team I had the pleasure of working with) knows the value of speaking for business.
In the early days, when he was required to speak as part of his company’s brand awareness strategy, Ben was nervous and felt awkward. He noticed these feelings were being mirrored by his audience. and so he decided to learn the art of public speaking. He took responsibility and as a result, has 100’s of thousands of followers on social media and a billion-dollar business.
Be more Ben – embrace the power of speech for business!
Category: Blog