The Real Reason to be Good at Public Speaking

When I first created this blog, my main objective was to figure out how to become a better public speaker. Throughout the past week and a half, I believe I have accomplished this goal, as I spent a large amount of time and energy researching and practicing public speaking. As I reflect on what I have learned, I began to ask myself an important question; what is the long term impact of developing proficient public speaking skills? I have come to realize that while a skill, public speaking is a tool that enhances your ability to be effectively communicate with others.

This philosophy is similar to the ideas of my fellow class mate Scott Covino. In one of Covino’s blogs on public speaking, he says “the skill of public speaking is not something that is important on its own; rather, being able to speak eloquently gives one the tool to communicate ideas effectively” (Covino, 2018). In other words, developing good public speaking skills is not the end goal, rather the end goal is effective communication and good public speaking skills are a part of being able to do so. Take baseball as an example, an important skill of the sport is one’s ability to hit the ball. As you practice this skill and get better, you don’t just stop there, you use your batting skill to become a better baseball player overall. The relationship between public speaking and communication is very similar. As you become better at public speaking, you use this skill to make yourself better at communicating with others.

In conclusion, public speaking is undoubtedly an important skill that everyone should try to improve on, in order to become more effective at communicating with others. In its simplest form public speaking is a conversation between the speaker and the audience. The ultimate measure of how well a speaker’s skills are, is how well they communicate their ideas to their audience. If the audience were to leave without taking anything away, then the speaker has failed, regardless of how many times they practiced or if they followed all of the proper techniques. As you practice your public speaking skills, make sure to keep in mind the importance it plays on effective communication.

References

Covino, S. (2018). Reflection on the book, “Essentials of Public Speaking”, by Warren DuBois. Importance of Public Speaking. Retrieved from https://medium.com/importance-of-public-speaking/reflection-on-the-book-essentials-of-public-speaking-by-warren-dubois-c65db4cd0e22