It seems strange, right? Spending time to learn about Public Speaking now – as the world goes digital.
Information about anything is accessible to everyone on the internet. “Video killed the radio star”…. maybe digital has drowned out the speaking star.
And yet, what is the one thing that can reassure us or even change our opinion, more than anything else?
Real exchange with human beings.
Public speaking CAN relay information, but that is not what it does best. What public speaking does best is: GENERATE TRUST.
A person might say “I believe in this and I think you should too”. And if you know that person, or if you feel like that person understands your needs and aspirations, or if you believe that they are reputable, you just might say “I agree”, even if you don’t have every single piece of information they have.
And this can happen if the context is right: in conversation, discourse, personal contact.
Why? Because as speakers we can literally get our audience on the same (brain) wavelength through emotional appeal (according to molecular biologist John J. Medina). Listeners can perceive and FEEL a speaker’s emotions and authenticity if we have in-person contact with them. Speakers can design and redesign their communication as they are speaking, as a response to their listeners’ reactions: assessing the need for stories or proofs or examples or raw data. They can keep the conversation going until agreement is found. This is sharing, negotiation, persuasion.
Can’t do that online.
Warren Buffet has repeated on many occasions that effective communication increases people’s workplace value by 50%. It is definitely worth your while to improve your communications skills.
The ancient art of rhetoric is alive and well in the modern digital age.
We at WordWorks would love to help your company communicate better, won’t you join us?
(ask to receive our newsletter here) https://www.wordworks.it/contact-us/?lang=en
(Like our Facebook page) www.facebook.com/wordworks.italy/
-Lisa Marie Gelhaus
April 2019