Why do you think so many people sound better and more knowledgeable on texts than they do on calls or in-person? Do they lack knowledge? I don’t think that’s the case. Then what could be the issue? The issue is that they lack the skills to confidently share that knowledge. Yes, the skill we’re talking about here is public speaking, the ability to communicate your ideas in an effective manner.
So many talented, knowledgeable, and experienced people often suffer in their careers due to the lack of this one crucial skill. More often than not, people with relatively less expertise are promoted over others because of their ability to speak. Soft skills are frequently overlooked in educational institutions as they aren’t considered essential for careers. But the fact is that public speaking is an advantage no matter what your career is. Can you name a job that requires a lot of public speaking?
How to make money public speaking? Is it even possible?
A question that I’m often subjected to is how to make money with public speaking, and to be honest, there is no one way to go about it. Public speaking careers are plenty and you can leverage your skill to earn in more ways than one. There’s an abundance of public speaking opportunities available out there nowadays for all kinds of people and even more opportunities to improve your public speaking skills.
Public speaking isn’t just a skill that can give you an edge over others, but you can literally have a public speaking career. Today, there are ample careers that involve speaking as the main objective. So why not turn your gift of gab into a full-fledged public speaking career that pays the bills. It’s certainly possible!
As expressed in the words of poet and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel.” If you want to learn more, check out this YouTube video by our founder, Danish.
What are the public speaking career options?
As I mentioned before, there are a bunch of careers that involve speaking. So, let’s talk about some major public speaking careers.
Teacher / Professor
This is an unexpendable profession and I’m certain we’ve all met at least one teacher in our lifetime. It is also a career that might not come to your mind while thinking about public speaking careers. But truth be told, teaching and public speaking cannot be separated, they’re like two peas in a pod. Teachers are those who take on the responsibility of imparting knowledge to future generations. It’s a job that requires a lot of public speaking because, without effective communication, teaching is not as effective. Being a teacher requires you to be able to express your ideas and concepts clearly to your students with confidence.
Lawyer
Our list would be incomplete without a lawyer because if they don’t speak up and speak up well when needed, someone can literally end up behind bars. Being a lawyer requires you to be articulate and eloquent with your words, often in front of a tough crowd to please. As a lawyer, you have to speak on behalf of those who can’t speak for themselves. As a speaker, you will be able to make your mark in the lives of people who are victims of faulty law. Your research and expertise matter, but in the end, it comes down to whether you can steer the judgement in the right direction with your words.
Motivational Speaker
This profession literally has the word speaker in its name. As a motivational speaker, you are someone people look up to for solutions. It is a public speaking career like no other because as a motivational speaker, you don’t just need to have the audience’s attention, you also have the responsibility of steering them in the right direction. For this career, you need to make sure that you connect with your audience and inspire them to make changes in their lives and outlook through your communication skills. As in the words of the famous author, Robin Sharma, “Words can inspire, words can destroy, Choose yours well” pretty much sum it up.
T V Personalities
For someone in the television industry, public speaking is partially what earns them their bread and butter. Millions of people watch television as their daily source of information and news, hence for them, it’s important the speaker is eloquent and clear. It’s not just about what you say on TV, it’s also about how you say it; your body language, your tone as well as your gestures matter. For example, you can’t give the news of a fatal disease while smiling, instead, you will do it with a look of concern. It’s a career that requires you to be aware but also has the ability to improvise whenever needed. Hence, good command on public speaking is imperative.
Entertainers
Actors, comedians, hosts, and even theatre artists, each of their careers revolve around public speaking. Presentation skills form a major chunk of public speaking and entertainers do just that; they present themselves in different ways. To be able to convey and deliver messages in a variety of settings, you need to have control over your words, your body language, your voice, and moreover, you need to be able to do all that and more with confidence. As an actor/theatre artist, you need the audience to be in the moment with you and be a part of the scene, you can only do that if you have a command over yourself. As a comedian, you need to hold the audience’s attention and amuse them at the same time, something only a skilled public speaker can do.
Spokesperson
As a spokesperson, your job needs you to convey messages clearly from one party to another. You serve as the link between the audience and a celebrity, a political figure, or an organization. Your job literally depends on your clear communication capabilities. Spokespersons interact with important people like event organizers and media professionals on a daily basis. You always need to uphold the image of your client and make sure that all announcements made regarding them are done in the best possible manner. It’s your duty to always deliver the message keeping the interest of your client in mind and you can only do that if you’re well-versed in the art of public speaking.
Politician
Does this one really need an explanation? Politicians are public figures who are always under the scrutiny of the masses, they simply cannot be lousy public speakers. Look at any celebrated politician, one thing that they all have in common is their ability to persuade and move the public with their impactful discourses and speeches. From election campaigns to political debates on Prime television, politicians spend a lot of their time delivering speeches on a myriad of topics. As a politician and policymaker, your speeches can actually make a difference.
Speech Coach
I’m sure you’ve heard some impactful TEDx speeches, who do you think is behind them? Usually, it’s a speech coach. As a speech coach, you don’t just need to be good at public speaking, but you need to be absolutely brilliant at it. You can’t help someone else with their speeches if you don’t have a good grip on yours. Speech coaching can take a mediocre monologue to a moving speech that everyone in the audience will remember and that exactly should be your goal. In this role, you get paid to be good at public speaking and to make your client even better at it.
Now, you can name a job that requires a lot of public speaking and beyond!
Beyond public speaking careers.
Up until now, we’ve only talked about careers that involve speaking at their core, but in any profession, public speaking is an asset. Take the corporate world with all its presentations for example, what good is a well-made PowerPoint presentation if the presenter cannot explain it well?
Today, you have all the tools to improve your public speaking on your fingertips. It’s never too late to excel at the crucial skill that public speaking is. There are many ways you can get started and secure public speaking opportunities. You can get started with Orai, an AI-powered speech coach in your pocket! Download it here today.