Every job advertised discusses the hard skills required to perform the job. However, we all know that there are other soft skills required to be successful at your job. They may be implicit or explicit in the job ad. 

Photo by Jonas Jacobsson on Unsplash

We put out a poll to see which soft skills are people focusing on this year as part of their professional development. The top voted item was public speaking. Public speaking and good storytelling skills have always been very important. Regardless of role.

In product development, there are many situations that need good public speaking skills such as town Halls, external events, workshops, product reviews, critiques, kickoffs, offsites. Public speaking is a skill which can always be improved or honed.

Note: This poll isn’t statistically significant so technically there shouldn’t be a percentage.

This article will focus on resources to help develop public speaking skills. . We will be sharing resources of experts at public speaking.

Before we link resources, keeping Product Development context in mind is important. 

• Understand the ins and outs of your position. Run a mock presentation with a team. Encourage them to ask critical questions and surface gaps in your presentation to have you prepared.

• Have compelling data on hand 

• Be clear with your goal

• Start with a summary or a key point and recap or re-emphasize that at the end.

Books:

The Quick and Easy Way to Effective Speaking 

Videos:

What the Pros Know About Public Speaking

The Master Communicator's Toolbox 

Some great tips from these resources:

• Have a goal - what do you want people to think, feel and do

• Watch your body temperature.  It will rise as you feel nervous

• Do something physical beforehand. With the pandemic, you may not have the opportunity to take a walk or shake hands. Remove yourself from your situation somehow and stretch or do light movement. 

• Start a presentation with a hook that gets people attached

• Practice - it's a skill that gets better over time with practice. It can always be improved.

Good speakers to take inspiration from:

Sir Ken Robinson: Do schools kill creativity?

Simon Sinek: How great leaders inspire action

Brené Brown: The power of vulnerability

Bill Gates: The next outbreak? We're not ready

How to speak so that people want to listen

Looks aren't everything. Believe me, I'm a model.

Have a think about what makes them a good speaker. What makes you want to sit up and pay attention or remember what they have to say? 

What has helped your public speaking?

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Courses on public speaking:

Introduction to Public Speaking

Rhetoric: The Art of Persuasive Writing and Public Speaking

The DaleCarnegie Public Speaking Course | Dale Carnegie 

Training on public speaking:

Speech And Public Speaking Coach, Speech Writing Services And More

Present Yourself

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