Public speaking: talent or skill?
Is public speaking a talent or a skill?Talent: a special natural ability or aptitude
Skill: the ability, coming from one's knowledge, practice, aptitude, etc., to do something well
If you think of public speaking as a talent, and it's one you don't have, you will fall into the trap of comparing yourself to others who have (what you perceive to be) "natural talent." You will see yourself as deficient in some way. You will convince yourself that you can never be as good as "so and so."
If you think of public speaking as a talent, and one you do have, you might think you don't need to work at it, because you're a "natural."
If you see it as a skill and recognize that everyone has to put in the time and effort to improve, you will get better.
Yes, there are people who have some natural talent. But every great speaker has had to work at it, and continues to work on those skills every day. Talent may give someone a foundation, but training is what makes a complete speaker.
Just look at the raw talent that passes through the audition rooms on American Idol every year.
There are some singers who have amazing voices, but no vocal control. Or they have great voices and control, but lack connection with the audience. Or they have great voices, but their movements are awkward (oh yeah, Taylor Hicks actually won). It takes more than just a great voice to be a great singer.
Whether or not you have "talent," develop your skill by practicing - and by taking every opportunity to speak.
Do you have talent or skill? Or both?
Tags: presentations, public, skills, speaking, speech, talent, tips
Comment
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Comment by Lisa Braithwaite on July 12, 2009 at 1:09pm - Thanks for contributing, Robert and Lenny!
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Comment by Robert J Russell on July 12, 2009 at 10:16am - Very well said. What amazes me is that a lot of people are skeptical about how they are perceived as speakers and are scared because of past episodes in their live that stops them from being all that they can be.
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Comment by Lenny Laskowski on July 12, 2009 at 7:16am -
Being a professional speaker who teaches and coaches people all over the world public speaking skills and presentation skills, I know I am a better speaker today than I was yesterday because I constantly work at improve my own skills. Coaching others allows me to also coach myself at the same time, thus allowing myself to also improve.
Lenny Laskowski
National Best Selling author of, "10 Days to More Confident Public Speaking"
www.LJLSeminars.com
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Comment by Lisa Braithwaite on July 8, 2009 at 1:19pm
- Thanks for your comment, Gene!
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Comment by Arlin E. (Gene) Somers on July 8, 2009 at 12:34pm - Without Continued Training and practice, practice, Practice even the best of us are only as good as our last speech. The speakers with some natural ability that take advantage of of those talents, work to develope them. While some have the desire to be great orators, they forget that it's not about them it is about thier audience and what's in it for them. The delivery is the enhancement of the message, Got to go it's time to ......practice
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Comment by Lisa Braithwaite on July 4, 2009 at 7:43pm
- So, you're devolving? :-)
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Comment by Catherine White on July 4, 2009 at 5:47pm - ha ha ... to answer your question, I now have wobbly legs to match my wobbly voice ;-)
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