If you have ever been asked to speak, chances are you probably got really nervous and thought to yourself, “Who am I that anyone would actually want to listen to?” While it is quite normal for people to shy away from speaking, at a certain point, you are going to need to find your voice and learn how to clearly communicate your thoughts. Whether it be at work or at home, learning to speak in public has many benefits.
Who Do You Listen To?
What kinds of people do you really listen to? Not those you let what they say go in one ear and out the other. I mean the ones you actually hear. Everyone has people in their lives like family, friends, teachers, media personalities, etc that when they open their mouth, you make sure you are focused on what they say. Why do you do it?
“Whether it is a mentor or a hero, we all look to other people and lean on their words as we go through our own process of finding our voice” says John Rogan of Motivational Speakers. “During this stage in our life, it’s important to surround ourselves with people who we respect and learn from until we are able to stand on our own and share our voice.”
Who Do You Value?
It’s all about who you value. Value is the relative worth, merit, importance. It’s about what you do with something that matters. What about words? Do you put a value on what people say? If you really listen, then you do.
If you ignore someone the value of their words have a low value. When we listen, it’s higher. We too turn our attention to those we feel have the highest value to us which helps increase our mental abilities.
Sometimes we just think these people are important people and we need to pay attention to them. It isn’t true. Their importance is a result of their actions. They established their credibility and now they are enjoying the reward that comes with it—power. If we command attention, then doors will open for us.
Being Noticed & Validated
Whether we’re talking about our job, our family or even our social life, being able to be noticed and absorbed is crucial to our success and well being.
“If you’re working and want to advance, you must have the respect of your boss” says career coach Chris Rogan of the Coaching Institute. “If you do, then they pay you attention. This makes advancement easier for you. If you just do your day to day tasks and only what is required, don’t even bother trying to advance.”
Everyone wants to be understood, and they want people to listen to them. Our self esteem can be affected by the way people look at us. If we go through life and no one pays attention to us, we think our self worth isn’t much. Demand attention and people will listen.
Speaking In Public
When you’re speaking, you should evaluate your audience. What is their age, sex, culture, religion? All that will help you tailor your speech to fit them. If you want to be heard, you have to say things the audience wants to hear. That will increase their attention to you.
Once you have their attention, you can keep it by speaking clearly and not rushing your speaking when you give your presentation. This way your thoughts have a chance to develop before you speak them. They will have more purpose, and you’ll command more respect. People will listen when you sound confident. Take some time to train yourself.
Find your voice and speak with purpose. If you do that, you will be able to inspire your audience to listen to you. In fact, you will be demanding their respect.
