You're aiming for career growth through public speaking. How can you impress your boss with your skills?

I think the bar here is pretty low because people don't like speaking. A majority of individuals that you will find in your workplace are probably afraid of making a mistake in front of the boss so they try to stay unseen and unheard. Putting yourself out there is already a bit step. Speak more. Answer more. Ask more. Be heard more. I know the advice is always " he who speaks less holds the power". but do you really? You are trying to impress "he who has the power" here so drop the stoic facade and make yourself visible. Don't be afraid of failure. Just educate yourself more on your work. Ask for help where necessary and get better at it so that when you speak, you have value.

A great strategy is to understand the pain points of the audience and articulate some of the things that could keep them awake at night. This allows the audience to know you have a grasp of their industry and their respective challenges. Then offer a series of solutions and action items to those pain points. This adds value for the valuable time your audience has given you from their busy schedule.

As Sylvia Ann Hewlett says in her book, Executive Presence, gravitas means knowing your stuff cold and being able to go six questions deep. Knowing your stuff signals a core aspect of executive presence. This helps you to be seen as an expert who is confident and credible.

You can tailor your content to align with your company's goals and current projects, providing valuable insights or actionable ideas. This highlights your expertise and shows your commitment to the organization’s success.

Impressing your boss through public speaking is a powerful way to demonstrate your leadership potential. Start by volunteering for presentations, even for small team meetings. Structure your speech well, with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. Use engaging stories and examples, like how I connect personal anecdotes with practical advice. Practice regularly, seek feedback, and continually refine your skills. This proactive approach will showcase your commitment and ability to lead effectively.

I recently gave a presentation where one of the attendees was a Ph.D Psychologist, he is also a public speaker. We met a few days later and he commented that he was going to adopt something I did to kick off the presentation. The very first words out of my mouth were to genuinely thank the venue staff, noting "we can't hold events like this without you." The Psychologist went on to elaborate what he saw in the room when I made that gesture of gratitude. He said the audience immediately connected with me because I was no longer that unapproachable person on the stage, I became a compassionate human being that they were now very comfortable spending the next hour with during my presentation.

Practice, practice, practice your delivery. Get in front of a mirror and practice. When driving do a dry run of your presentation. Some people sing in the shower, as a public speaker practice your speech in the shower. Every opportunity you have to practice will make you better. Watch videotape of previous speaking engagements and honestly critique yourself. Ask other public speakers to critique your delivery. Make eye contact with the audience. Silence can be just as effective as the words you say. The right pause can draw the audience into your presentation unlike anything else. A timely pause can have the attendees begging for the next bit of storytelling.

The two most important aspects of handling Q & A is preparation and listening. Prepare a series of questions that could be asked and have your answer at the ready. Know what the audiences' hot button is with the answer. You not only want to answer the question intelligently, but also leave the audience wanting even more inspiring content. When numerous others in the audience are making notes beyond the person who asked the question, you know you nailed it. Listen to understand and don't listen to just reply. After the question, it is good to repeat it so everyone hears what the question was and it also gives you a little more time to better understand it.

Once at a speaking engagement, a trusted advisor of mine who was present made two subtle comments. 1) since we started late and were behind schedule I began glancing at my watch. A normal activity if you have a set time for anything to end or you need to be somewhere, but not when addressing a large audience. So I bought a small digital clock to put on the podium. If you get a late start this can help keep an appropriate pace of your presentation without looking at your watch. 2) be aware of how much you move on stage. I'm not a podium guy. I love to engage the audience, but depending on how the room is configured staying in a general vicinity on stage can be easier for your audience to stay focused on your topic.

Before you explore public speaking, you need to make sure you have the right manager for this type of career growth. I've reported to individuals who thought my ability to speak to a crowd was a huge asset for the company and viewed it as an amazing form of free marketing. But I've also reported to managers who thought my ability to be a public speaker dimmed their light, so they tried to prevent me from ever having a platform to do so. All the tips and tricks don't matter if you're not on the right team. So, make sure you're on the right one. :)