If you work for a company, and your job entails publicspeaking, you are paid to speak. That means you are expected to have effectivepresentation skills.

That's right, you are a professional speaker--in the samebusiness as Jack Welch, Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton.

Your company is paying you to make something happen whenyou stand up to address a group.  They are paying you to be clear, holdattention, and create value for your cause.

That value may be informational in nature.  Orfinancial.  Or emotional.  Or behavioral!

For instance, you might be trying to change the way yourcompany does research, or launches its products.  To save money. To save time.  To be morecompetitive.

You might be responsible for energy management at yourcompany, and you've been asked to find ways that manufacturing can reduce itscarbon footprint.

You might even be responsible for bringing in business atlarge industry gatherings by demonstrating exper6tise on issues facing yourindustry.

When you consider each one of these opportunities, yousuddenly find yourself in the cross hairs of the classic issues of publicspeaking.  Those issues, from the audience's perspective are:

1.    Do I trust and/or likethe speaker?

2.    Does the speakerunderstand my deep-seated interests and concerns?

3.    Has the speaker demonstratedexpertise and insight?

If you're trying to change the way your company does research, or launches its products, your credentials will be questioned. Those people whose jobs will change as a result of your proposal will point outthe weaknesses of your plan.  If they don't know you personally, their criticismwill be that much stronger.  In fact, no matter how much evidence yousupply to buttress your argument for change, they will oppose you.  Peopleare not convinced to change by reason alone.  They need to be"encouraged," which means that they need you to "put courageinto them."

If you strive to reduce energy consumption within yourcompany, and you are running around giving presentations urging people to makechanges, you have a serious challenge on your hands.  Again, do they knowyou and like you?  Do they respect your expertise and your knowledge oftheir business concerns?  When you address them, do you use theirlanguage?  Do you speak to them about what is most important tothem?  For instance, if manufacturing is wasting energy, but they arehitting their productivity goals, then why should they disrupt their processesto make the changes you suggest?

Speaking to industry groups to demonstrate your thought leadership requires showing off some original thinking without giving away the store.   It might even mean being entertaining.  After all,people don't remember that much of what you say, but they do remember how youmake them feel.  And bringing in business requires a high degree of TheTriple AAA Theory of sales and marketing:  be available, affable, andattractive.  People like doing business with people they like.

Enough said.  Since your job requires you to speak,you are by definition a professional speaker.  And how do you compete as aprofessional speaker?  Like all the other pros--athletes, musicians,actors--you practice!  You rehearse!

And how do you practice?  You take the actions todevelop your presence, personality, and delivery skills as much as you work onyour message.

A great message from a lousy speaker is easilyforgotten.  Unless the delivery stands guard over the material, thematerial will evaporate, no matter how precious it was in itself.

Sims Wyeth is a private speech coach in Montclair, NJ specializing in executive speech coaching and public speaking training in order to give accomplished people the knowledge and skill they need to become accomplished speakers. Learn more public speaking tips at www.SimsWyeth.com.