Can Public Speaking Engagements Be Detrimental to Your Image?

If you are wondering if public speaking is a good idea to help promote your project or if it is a waste of time, then keep reading!

Public speaking can have its advantages and disadvantages. It depends on the person and what they are trying to accomplish. Experienced or a novice, the following are things to take under consideration in evaluating a speaking offer like:

• The audience size

Most people are not invited to speak at massive stadiums. Usually, the crowd is under a few hundred so determine if the size of the audience will work to your advantage. Also, be aware of the audience demographics. Is it too young or too old for your message?

• The possibility of tough questions or comments

If your speaking engagement includes a Q&A session, be prepared for tough questions or negative feedback from an audience member. If you are not spontaneous and ready with a quick rebuttal, think twice about taking the speaking engagement.

• Speaking and presentation skills must be effective

If you have never done public speaking before, that doesn’t necessarily mean you should pass on an offer. But, you should be sure you can articulate and express your message without looking nervous or uncomfortable. You can be nervous, just don’t show it! Most speakers will tell you they get a little nervous before speaking to a group. If you look less than confident, the audience will perceive you as not well versed in the topic.

If you are hesitant about speaking to an audience, try doing a panel discussion where you are not the only person in the spotlight and the questions and discussion are distributed among the entire panel. Start out small and master that before moving to the big time.

Kristen White is a Content Catalyst and Powerful Interviewer. She can quickly add the crisp clarity, magic dust and unique brand elements to any message, book, product or campaign.

Through her award-winning interview skills, Kristen will excavate and synthesize a personal story and legacy into a magnetic brand and content strategy. Her strong intuitive insight, journalistic training and versatile wordsmithing, offer clients a wellspring of fingerprint language options to apply to all levels of their written, spoken and video communication. Kristen is a bestselling author, award-winning documentary film director and cast member, television series creator/writer, and television on-camera journalist. As the CEO of Rock the Stage, Page, and Screen™, a digital media and marketing company, Kristen supports clients with unique personal brand development, speech writing and performance, book concepts, titles, outlines and marketing, and online business consulting.

Rock the Stage, INC, offers professional video production for authors, speakers and coaches with a variety of speaking topics.  The company also offers speechwriting, broadcast-quality lifestyle video interviews and fast-track book publishing via an on-camera interview.