In a recent workshop, I asked, “How many people here enjoy public speaking?”
In the group of fifty, two hands went up.
“Okay!” I went on. “For the rest of you, what does it feel like to think about speaking in public? Can someone share what that prospect is like for them?”
A voice from the fourth row said, “To answer that would require public speaking.”
The quip got a good laugh, and it made me start thinking. What constitutes “public speaking”? I had meant it in the sense of delivering a more formal speech or presentation, standing up in front of a large-ish audience. For the person in the audience, though, answering a question in a group of colleagues fell into the same category. “Speaking in public” equals “public speaking.”
At least in this small sample size, it seems that “public speaking” means different things to different people. I know folks who would rather speak in front of 500 people they’ve never met than in front of ten people they work with every day. On the other hand, there are plenty of people for whom speaking to more than a couple of people at a time changes the dynamic, no matter who the audience may be.
What does public speaking mean to you? What’s the threshold that makes it “public speaking” versus ” just talking”? When does that difference hold you back or push you forward?
Want to learn more about how Ignite coaches public speaking and “just talking”? Click here–
