Public Speaking For Business Women

by Suzanne Doyle-Morris  (Read about her here.)

(Listen to it here.)

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Have you ever stayed up late or worked weekends on a report or project only to see the credit go to the person who presented it all? Well, that used to be me. I started to notice this tendency in college, and then in my first jobs and then again when I earned my Ph.D. at the University of Cambridge, looking at the experiences of women in male dominated fields. And eventually, rather than continue to be victimized, I realized I had to learn one of the key lessons that very successful women know (the lesson I want to talk to you about today) — and that is how to use public speaking to get ahead in your career.

While stereotypes abound about ‘the chatty woman,’ the truth is that it is mostly men who present at conferences, who chair meetings and who lead presentations. Nowhere is this more true than in fields that already suffer from a dearth of women. Speaking in public is one of the most common fears, and certainly one that can be debilitating to a burgeoning career. It can sound daunting initially, but you don’t have to start with speaking to an audience of thousands. In fact, most women begin to add public speaking to their careers by leading meetings and giving presentations.

As you move up, do get into the habit of chairing meetings—but don’t offer to take the minutes, make the tea or other stereotypically female duties! As the chair, concentrate on honing your communication skills, allowing other people to express their opinions and building consensus. If you don’t yet meet with senior clients, ask to attend such meetings with a view to making a short presentation on your specialty, a new initiative or the work of the team. Beginning to speak publicly is yet another way to demonstrate that you are serious about developing and progressing your career.

Sometimes my clients initially feel they haven’t been able to raise their professional profile because a big, juicy project that is of great interest to them hasn’t landed in their laps. The key to getting high-profile opportunities is to go and seek them—and not judge too early in the game what these opportunities might look like. It is vital to remember: the opportunity to speak has many unexpected guises. You could be asked to fill in for your boss at an important conference because of an unexpected illness, facilitate an important meeting, or make a presentation to new clients or even senior management.

Practice first within your own team. You won’t get comfortable with presenting unless you try it first with people with whom you are already comfortable. On the other hand, sometimes it is easier to speak in front of strangers. To get started, go with whichever option feels the most appealing. That may depend on the company, the office culture and even your workmates. The key is to increase the frequency of how often you are speaking at all. While it is considered one of the most common fears, the women I interviewed for my book, Beyond the Boys’ Club, didn’t let their fear of speaking to an audience stop them from advancing their careers.

For some it was a matter of talking to the press regarding a product launch. For others, it was about giving evidence to government committees or even Parliament. In some cases it meant taking on a role where regular public speaking made up a good part of the job, such as Dame Veronica Sutherland, the former ambassador to Ireland. When I talked to Dame Veronica she said to me, “After being made ambassador, I had to look at my fear of public speaking. I realized I sounded nervous, which is something you just can’t do as an ambassador. My husband would give me feedback, and I took a short course on public speaking. Both gave me plenty of tips and after that I’d force myself to make speeches even when I didn’t want to, and gradually I began to improve. The role of ambassador in Dublin is senior, and any senior ambassador has to be able to speak well. At the end of the day, it’s what you are there for.”

Listen to today’s podcast here.

Be sure to visit our site, WomensMedia to get Expert Advice for Business Women.

Or on our website, WomensMedia you should read:

Business Women Can Play in the Boys’ Club or Communicating With Men at Work

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