fighting Glossophobia
Public speaking is one of the many fears that the majority of people face. It is critical to be a good public speaker in many job fields. However, the skills to being a good speaker are often underdeveloped throughout people's education years. People might think that effective public speakers are born with strong presentation skills. This is not true in fact many good public speakers started out as poor public speakers. One famous public speaker that started out as a poor speaker and I admire throughout my life was Steve Jobs. Steve Jobs started out like many people who feared talking to an audience. However, through years of practice public speaking, he was able to gain confidence and give impactful presentations.
Steve Jobs first presentation was the introduction of the Mac. In his first presentation he seemed nervous and stiff. He would read his speech from notes and wasn't giving enough eye contact towards the audience. However, after decades of giving speeches he was more relaxed and made eye contact with the audience. When Jobs introduced the iPhone in 2007, it was considered one of the best business sales pitch. His years of experience of public speaking helped create his own style of presentations. One effective technique that Jobs used during his business presentations is his use of slides. His slides, mostly consists of simple visual images. There are no excessive text and charts. His use of transitions synced perfectly with his speech. This helps keeps the audience focused on Jobs speech and not read text off of the slides. If you compared Jobs first Mac presentation to his iPhone presentation you will see a significant difference in his style. In his 2007 iPhone presentation he doesn't read off of his notes and he was confident and knows exactly what he is going to say.
Another effective technique that Jobs use is the conversational style of speech in his presentations. Whenever Jobs introduces a new product to an audience, his style of speech to his audience is casual and relaxed. His speech is not stiff and doesn't sound like a robot. Instead, his speech sounds like he's talking to a group of friends. His use of body language enhances his speech and shows us that he is relaxed and confident. I think speaking in a conversational style helps connect with the audience on what the presenter is trying to communicate. Having a casual and relaxed speech is essential and it helped Jobs presentation feel more natural. I find that many great public speakers speak in a conversational style when they are presenting. They try to connect with the audience to make it a more effective speech. They are also more relaxed and feel confident in what they are trying to communicate to the audience.
Most of Jobs business presentations are simple and short. One reason why his presentations are short is because he uses words sparingly. He doesn't go into depth discussing the features or benefits of the product. Rather, he assumes that the audience has a basic understanding of the product. He uses only a few words to describe the product. For example in his presentation on the iPhone, he describes the iPhone as a revolutionary phone that is capable of having an iPod, a phone, and an internet communicator in one device that has multi-touch screen. Cutting out complex details is important not only for the presenter but also for the audience. It is essential to deliver key points and avoid complexity in a presentation because it might confuse the audience. Jobs goes right into the key points in a simple yet effective way in his presentation. He later goes on to demonstrate the iPhone. This helps keep the audience focused because if a presentation lasts too long they will lose attention.
Effective public speaking is a skill that is acquired through years of practice. Often time's people will think that people who give great speeches are born with it. However, many great public speakers like Steve Jobs spend many years refining their skills through technique and delivery. An effective presentation should be concise and impactful. It also should have a good slide with minimal text. The presenter should be confident and talk in a conversational style to make the speech feel more natural. Another important technique is to be well prepared on the key points in the presentation. These techniques and deliveries that Jobs use in his presentation are essential and I feel that I can use these techniques to give a better presentation.
