2023 - International Webinar - The important of public speaking for businessman - Part 18

You've given good presentations before, but recently, you haven't figured out how to improve your public speaking skills. It happens to most of us -- even professionals who are consistently paid to speak. However, successful entrepreneurs keep talking. They may find it difficult to give a good TED talk, but they keep talking. Again and again and again. They are not super heroes, and they have no magic powers. So what's the secret? Their success stems from the habit of public speaking.

If you're stuck and frustrated with your progress, copy from someone else -- either content, delivery, or both. I'm not talking about real imitation, of course -- it's more like learning from what successful entrepreneurs do. Done right, it can quickly improve your public speaking skills and help you position yourself as an authority in the industry.

1. Focus on the audience
Most entrepreneurs worry, "How will I look on stage?" They focus on themselves. Successful entrepreneurs think differently: they don't focus on themselves, they focus on their audience.

World-class speakers ask, "What would I like my audience to think, do, or feel differently after my presentation?" Focus on sharing your message with your audience and you will be more successful.


2. Get involved
The rarest commodity in the business world is attention. If you're a boring speaker, your audience will be checking their email or thinking about where to have dinner tonight. To hold your audience's attention, you have to keep them engaged.

One easy way is to engage people's emotions: ask a question, tell a story, or show a short video. The more interesting your presentation is, the more attention you can get from your audience.

3. Be conversational
Have you ever heard presenters use buzzwords like "leverage" and "synergy" to make themselves sound more professional? These words mean nothing.

Successful entrepreneurs avoid keywords. They use simple words to ensure that everyone understands what they are saying. To get your point across, use simple words that even a 10 year old can understand.


4. Tell a powerful story
Stories are powerful because they involve people's emotions. When you engage people's emotions, they notice and are inspired to take action.

Stories help you stand out from the crowd. The best stories are usually from your personal experiences because you know them best and no one can challenge you.

5. Use visually appealing slides
The average entrepreneur uses hundreds of bullet points in a presentation slide. The bullet strike left the audience feeling, "Oh my God! Another boring presentation."

Successful entrepreneurs use slides differently. Instead of bullet points, they use pictures. Garr Reynolds of Presentation Zen shares the idea of using more visuals and less words. Make sure each slide has one picture that expresses the whole idea and use as few words as possible. This simple approach will make your presentation more memorable.

6. Get coaching
The key to achieving peak performance is coaching. Even personal development legend Tony Robbins has a coach.


7. Keep learning
World class entrepreneurs never stop learning because they want to be on top of the industry. If you don't learn, you are dying. Even the top presentation experts are constantly learning. They read new books, attend seminars, and watch TED Talks to improve their skills.


The material above was delivered by a presenter from Indonesia in an international webinar held by STEKOM University in collaboration with the University of Mexico. The title of the presentation was "The Role of Public Speaking in Marketing Communication". The name of the presenter is Wibi Ardi Alvianto, S.Pd, M.Pd. Mr. Wibi is an active lecturer at STEKOM University.


This international webinar activity is part of the implementation of STEKOM University's commitment to increase various international activities. This was done in order to realize the vision to become an international-class university. Various international activities carried out by STEKOM University continue from year to year. There are international activities that are sustainable and there are also some international activities that are not sustainable. All types of international activities are accommodated and regulated by the International department of STEKOM University.