CorpComms Magazine

Early on in its drive to increase public awareness of its brand, Edinburgh-based financial services company Aegon realised that the ability of its senior executives to speak effectively in public would be key. As a result, all of Aegon's senior executives are entitled to hire private consultants to help with their public speaking skills on a one-to-one basis, as part of their own personal development programmes.

'Public speaking is a skill that can really make a difference to the public's perception of a company,' asserts Lesley McPherson, head of corporate media at Aegon. 'If a speaker is confident, it makes all the difference to people having confidence in you as a company. Public speaking is a fundamental part of our communications strategy.'

At media and analyst presentations, Aegon's chief executive and finance director will always be the speakers because this adds to the group's credibility. 'It adds to the perception that they are available and accountable,' says McPherson. 'It is all about how visible our leaders are, and it is better for our corporate reputation.'

Alan Oliver, head of employee communications at Nationwide, agrees. 'In a modern business environment where confidence in how our business is run is so fundamental, we need analysts, the City and journalists to believe in us,' he explains. 'So the ability of our senior people to communicate well in public is vital.'

As with Aegon, each senior executive at Nationwide has his/her own personal development plan tailored to his/her individual requirements. Anyone who is in need of extra tutoring in public speaking will receive it, either internally or externally.

Speakers' corner

Consultants who coach executives in public speaking say it is a skill that has become crucial to a company's reputation and corporate health. 'Company directors ought to be good at public speaking,' asserts Kevin Duncan, whose company Expert Advice provides communications advice to businesses. 'If people aspire to float to the top of the pile, it is only reasonable to insist that they have more than one good characteristic. First, they must have a very high level of competence at their job, and second, they must have a personality capable of leading, inspiring and communicating.

'If you are a brilliant astrophysicist working on some terribly important project, then fine - no charisma or public speaking ability is necessary. But if you are on the board of a large company that is engaged with the public, you need to be a good communicator. It really is a crucial aspect of any modern business.'

Ian Price is managing director of Business Training Direct, which has provided public speaking and presentation skills training courses to companies such as Friends Provident, Danone and American Express. 'It is important for all staff with any form of interface with clients or customers to be good at public speaking, because it doesn't matter how good your products or services are if you can't communicate that fact,' he says. 'It really is a form of shop window: good communication skills are like a free advert if you get them right. A good public speaker will instil confidence in the audience, and people want to do business with people who know what they are talking about.'

Most principles of good public speaking apply equally to speech-giving, presentations or sales pitches. 'The core set of skills remains the same, such as the ability to structure what you are going to say, and the ability to maintain confidence in your voice,' says Price. 'It is like learning to drive. You may never have driven around the Birmingham Bull Ring, but you will be able to do it once you have the basic driving skills.'

Talking points

Experts recommend putting time and effort into planning a speech. 'Get the chemistry right between the speechwriter and the speaker,' advises Duncan. 'Does the speaker have an angle with which to brief the speechwriter? Or will the speechwriter come up with five or six angles from which the speaker can choose? The tone of the speechwriter should match that of the speaker, or he/she will be uncomfortable giving the speech.'

It is also important to ensure there is a strong point to make. 'If you've got nothing interesting or helpful to say, it's probably better if you don't say anything,' says Duncan. 'Far too many people generally talk too much. I do a lot of negotiation skills training, and one of the biggest issues I come across is that most people working in professional communications jobs are so busy transmitting what they want to say that they don't always see an opportunity for agreement.'

The structure of a speech is crucial, too. 'Use a good logical structure that holds the hand of your audience,' says Price. 'Don't assume your listeners will follow what is logical to you - walk them through it so they know what to expect. For example, say, I am going to tell you what our services are, how you can access them, and how they will help your business. A vicar might say, We are going to sing hymn number 112, but first we are going to pray. People like to know what to expect; it helps them follow along.'

Experts recommend that speakers tell their listeners exactly what they are about to say, then say it, and then tell them what they have just said, to give the audience a chance to really absorb the message.

'Brevity equals intelligence,' adds Duncan. 'Smart people can grasp an issue rapidly. There is a huge difference between the passage of time in other activities and the passage of time when you are listening to someone droning on and on, so keep it short. If you have a sentence with three points, you might want to make it three short sentences with breaks in between.'

'People often say a lot but the key point remains hidden,' adds Price. 'Your key point should be easily identifiable and easy to remember - you should say, This is a key point.'

Three's allowed

An excellent tip to help audiences follow a speaker's line of thought is to use the 'rule of three'. 'We like to remember things in threes,' explains Price. 'For example, 'work, rest and play' or Tony Blair's 'education, education, education'.'

Speakers should also try to use some colour to keep the audience interested. 'Once you have decided on the main point, find something motivating to wrap around it,' says Duncan. 'This might be a quotation, and it can be good if the quotation says the opposite of what you are going to conclude, as you can say you are going to argue against it. Is your subject dramatic, fun, interesting? No? Then you need a grabber at the front to make people sit up and listen.'

Delivery of a speech is often the part speakers find the hardest, but a few simple principles go a long way. 'Take your time,' recommends Price. 'Breathe. Learn techniques to remain calm. Don't rush - your audience is not going to leave just because you are a second or two late starting your delivery. Build a rapport with your audience by, for example, smiling and using eye contact. And remember: this is not a normal one-on-one conversation. Your voice and gestures need to be magnified.'

Price offers training on using PowerPoint graphics effectively in presentations and speeches, but reminds speakers that the software package is just a tool. 'Don't let it become the main show,' he says. 'Most people learned to read at junior school; they don't need to have slides read out to them. In our own research, two thirds of people say their pet hate is having slides read.'

Duncan would prefer no graphics, slides or props of any description. 'Technology can be a disaster as it gives the speaker something to hide behind and distracts from the main point,' he says. 'If you have a stack of visuals with your speech, you probably haven't got a very strong point.'

If the use of graphics or audio-visual prompts is unavoidable, test drive them beforehand to make sure they work and can be easily seen or heard from every part of the room. Above all, says Price, 'learn to enjoy every public speaking opportunity, because your enjoyment will rub off on your audience. Look forward to it.'

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