4 Unexpected Ways Public Speaking Classes Can Benefit Your Career
Do you want to be a better employee, a more well-rounded professional, and a vital asset to your team? Then you need to try your hand at public speaking classes.
These gems have more benefits than simply helping you eliminate the “uhs” and “ums” from your speech — they can drastically transform your professional self. Public speaking skills are vital in the workplace for professional success. They can transform your voice and elevate your communication skills. And they’re not just good for giving A+ presentations. Eliminating your fear of public speaking with public speaking courses will not only make you a better public speaker, but will make you an employee people can’t afford to lose.
Where to Find Public Speaking Classes
Tons of local colleges and companies offer public speaking classes. Here are six places to look for classes in which to enroll.
1. Udemy
Udemy offers thousands of courses, many of which are on public speaking. Take, for example, the Complete Public Speaking Masterclass For Every Occasion that has nearly 32,000 students already enrolled.
2. Clarity Media Group
Clarity Media Group offers courses on public speaking via one-minute video lessons hosted by Clarity’s Founder & CEO, Bill McGowan.
3. Coursera
Coursera offers tons of online classes on public speaking, such as the Introduction to Public Speaking, Dynamic Public Speaking Specialization and more.
4. Sarah Lloyd-Hughes' 6-Week E-Course on Public Speaking
The author of Pearson's bestselling How to Be Brilliant at Public Speaking offers a free six-week online course that's delivered right to your email inbox.
5. The Public Speaking Project
The Public Speaking Project describes touts as, "an assortment of virtual tools to help users improve their public speaking skills... (offered by) a variety of speech professionals who are dedicated to providing free and low-cost instructional materials contributed their original work."
6. Toastmasters International's Free Public Speaking Tips
Toastmaster boasts how-to articles that will help you hone your public speaking skills with visual aids, body language and more.
Benefits of Public Speaking Classes
Here are four benefits that are just the tip of the iceberg.
1. They Build Confidence
In the workplace, confidence is key. You need to be confident in your opinions, suggestions, and ideas. You need to be able to speak up at team meetings. You need to get your voice heard. You need to be confident in yourself so that projects and deadlines are hit pristinely. And that’s what a good public speaker does. A major benefit of these public speaking courses is the way they help you deal with public speaking fear and that pesky public speaking anxiety. By pushing these negative thoughts and feelings aside, you are able to really embrace your professional goals without fear of failing, messing up, or having people ridicule you. This fear of public speaking can really hold you back, and in the workplace, that can’t happen.
2. They Make You an Even Better Listener
When learning how to speak publicly to an audience, you learn the cues to look out for. You learn how to understand your audience. You learn what works and what doesn’t depending on the situation. These skills teach you how to listen to others and look out for subtle conversation cues through eye contact and body language. These skills transform well into the professional world, as listening to others and understanding complex and elaborate concepts is vital. Public speaking skills like listening skills will help you understand others and build upon ideas that they want elaborated on. This way, you can reach your common goals fluidly.
3. They Build Communication Skills
While public speaking course make you a better listener, they also make you a better communicator. Yes, on the surface these courses will help you speak more effectively and fluidly. They teach you how to keep eye contact and control your body language. But they also teach you how to interact with others. They teach you how to formulate effective and powerful thoughts that can be conveyed through your speech. They help you work effectively as a team and make the collaboration process more fluid and efficient.
4. They Teach You How to Control Your Thoughts and Emotions
Public speaking classes help you pinpoint your thoughts and ideas, but more importantly, they help you to control your emotions. Everyone gets emotionally sometimes, but these classes help you hone in on those feelings and use them to your advantage. They help you control your stress and your anxiety, too. By having complete control over your emotions, you are ensuring you are always thinking rationally and can do your job to the best of your abilities without letting any pesky thoughts or annoyances steer you off the right path.
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