What is the art of public speaking? Can any of my readers tell me, definitively? In reviewing the top listings on Google search for the art of public speaking here is what I found:

The The Art of Public Speaking, 8th Edition Art of Public Speaking is the title of a book, by Stephen Lucas.

The art of public speaking is defined by another site as the art of speech making.

The art of public speaking on yet another site is a listing of famous speeches, hints (posture, voice quality, etc), tips and techniques.

The Art of Public Speaking was also the name of a famous book by Dale Carnegie in 1915

While Professor Lucas’ book is considered a leading textbook on the topic, his approach will not help a speaker negotiate the current marketplace for public speakers. There are many excellent speakers sitting at home and working on finding a job – due to a lack of marketing expertise.

Mastering the art of speech making and memorizing lines from the most famous speeches in history will not help either. I can find audio or video recordings of those speeches without investing time to hear a modern day speaker deliver the speech like I was in history class.

Another take on the art of public speaking was…

Mr. Carnegie’s, when he said: “The trouble with many speakers is that they go before an audience with their minds a blank. It is no wonder that nature, abhorring a vacuum, fills them with the nearest thing handy, which generally happens to be, “I wonder if I am doing this right! How does my hair look? I know I shall fail.” Their prophetic souls are sure to be right.

It is not enough to be absorbed by your subject–to acquire self-confidence you must have something in which to be confident. If you go before an audience without any preparation, or previous knowledge of your subject, you ought to be self-conscious–you ought to be ashamed to steal the time of your audience. Prepare yourself. Know what you are going to talk about, and, in general, how you are going to say it.”

But by and of itself, preparation will not help a speaker to succeed in the marketplace today.

Public Speaking, as a business has fundamentally changed

Where the industry was once local and depended on our ability to present your topic from the platform, it is now mostly global. A worldwide audience is seeking to find and consume your unique message and if they knew where to find you, some of them would connect at a deep level with you on your topic.

Marketing yourself to a worldwide audience provides you with a chance to become the leading expert on your topic. To succeed in this environment, in a global information age, you will need to acquire new skills. You’ll need to become competent in Internet marketing, web 2.0, blogging, online video and especially advanced product development and distribution. I’ve written on these topics extensively in the past.

So if you want to know what I think the art of public speaking is, I think it’s masterful marketing. It’s discovering how important your message might be to those people who will never get to hear you speak in person. It’s about building relationships with those who will learn about you online, listen (or watch) you online, and then reach out and connect with you online. Oh, as an aside, this is also the heart (and the art) of building a passive income stream from your speaking business.

Related posts:

1. Public Speaking; It’s a Business, not a Speech
2. A Public Speaking Tip That Pays Dividends
3. If Public Speaking Is Dead – How Can My Speaking Business Survive?
4. In the Public Speaking Business, How Important is Passion?
5. Speaking Tips For The “New” Economy

Tagged with: free public speaking tips • public speaking • public speaking articles • public speaking as an art • public speaking tips • the art of public speaking

Filed under: Product Development • Speakers Marketing

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