Foundations of Business Success: Public Speaking

This article discusses the importance of public speaking skills in career development and provides tips on how to learn and practice them. It also includes a personal experience of attending a networking meeting to improve public speaking skills.

Running head: FOUNDATIONS OF BUSINESS SUCCESS
Foundations of Business Success: Public Speaking
Name of the university
Name of the student
Author note

1FOUNDATIONS OF BUSINESS SUCCESS: PUBLIC SPEAKING
Part A
1. What are you going to learn?
Since childhood, I have had a very low self-esteem and problems with conversation. I
have not been able at any time to initiate a conversation due to fear and lack of confidence.
Therefore, I would wish to learn public speaking skills. Public speaking not only allows you
to share information but also to learn many things. A public speaker is able to acquire
different opportunities and career development (Hermes, Behne, and Rakoczy, 2018). The
speaker is also able to exercise his or her leadership skill. I would like to expand my
opportunities through learning the skills of public speaking.
2. How are you going to learn?
Very many websites are offering courses based on the above topic. Therefore, I opted
to go for an online course to be able to learn the skills. I choose one of the best websites to
enhance my learning. Interacting with different people online will influence my speech as
well as other skills. Before going for the session, I am focused to practice speaking before an
audience. In addition, I will be listening and watching speeches from well-known public
speakers to get more skills and experience.
3. Date of completion
Fourth August 2018

2FOUNDATIONS OF BUSINESS SUCCESS: PUBLIC SPEAKING
4. How are going to know you have learned
I will know that I have learned through practising the skills before my members of the
family so that I can be able to identify my weaknesses. From them, I will be able to know
whether I am able to implement the skills that I have learnt from the websites.
5. How are you going to prove that you have learnt it?
Am hoping that I will be able to perform according to perform well while making any
presentation or during communication. This is because there the online course was free and
could not give a certificate
Part B
NETWORKING MEETING
In my efforts to become a good public speaker, I decided to attend one of the many
networking meetings that my dad attends. In selecting the networking meeting, I was keen in
some aspects. First, I looked at the agenda and objective of the meeting. I selected a meeting
that had objectives close to what I wanted to learn. Secondly, I looked at the people who
attended the meeting in relation to my career. This is to be able to get the right information,
encouragement from them and to learn from their experiences (Nascimbeni, 2018).
1. Objectives
First, the meeting was to allow for an exchange of important information (Kasmani,
et al 2018). This is to enable the participants to gather important information about business
opportunities. Secondly, the meeting provided a platform for one to put themselves in front of
many people. Making friend was also an objective of the meeting. The meeting was an

3FOUNDATIONS OF BUSINESS SUCCESS: PUBLIC SPEAKING
interactive session where people could make friends who will influence them positively.
Sharing of different devices was also part of the objectives. The meeting aimed at giving
sharing business advice to enhance development.
Benefits
First, I will be able to get a chance to practice my public speaking skill. This is by
giving my opinions in front of the people who will attend the meeting. This will increase my
confidence as well as speech organization. I will also be able to acquire important
information about business opportunities and customer support (Murphy, et al 2018). In
addition, the meeting will give me an exposure to different kind of people with great
information and ideas (Short, 2018). Last and yet importantly I will have a chance to ask
different questions about public speaking. This will improve my public speak organization as
well as giving the speeches.
2. Who will attend the meeting?
In my opinion, I think the meeting will be attended by different kind of people. This
included different businesspersons from around the society. In addition, members from
different consultation companies to share their experiences and advice. Small farmers and
other retail business owners will attend to gain knowledge about how well to utilize business
opportunities. In addition, I was certain that people with the same objectives, as mine will be
present. Last but not least, business owners from all around the country. One of them is john
k the owner of a business analyst at PepsiCo Company. My hopes are that I will have a great
experience and will learn a lot from all the members in the meeting.

4FOUNDATIONS OF BUSINESS SUCCESS: PUBLIC SPEAKING
3. What I want to achieve
I wish to gain a lot of information and advice from the experts who attend the
meeting. However, my main objective is to practice my public speaking skills as well as gain
confidence. I would want to hear what people say about my ability to deliver a message
before large numbers of people.
4. My goals on organization promotion
Going to such meetings is useful and enables one to gain more confidence to express
themselves before people. Therefore, I would want to gain skills on how to convince people
on different business opportunities and customer services. I have an objective of becoming a
team leader in my organization. With confident gained from practised public speaking I will
be able to address them more effectively and in a convincing way.
5. Strategies for others to develop trust in me
Gaining trust from people takes a lot of commitment and hard work. Therefore, there
is a need to develop the best strategy to use in gaining trust from people in an organization.
As per me, I chose the following strategy (Hayati, Atefi, and Ahearne, 2018). I chose to be
honest and supportive. This entails telling the truth always and not what people would want
to hear. In addition, I chose to welcome all the suggestions from all the other employees
(Combs, Edmonson, and Harris, 2018). On the same, showing a lot of concern and support
builds trust from the employees. Secondly, I chose to commit myself through. Other than just
talking, one needs to get involved and do what they advocate to gain trust. Other things that

5FOUNDATIONS OF BUSINESS SUCCESS: PUBLIC SPEAKING
help gain trust includes; being consistent, accountable and modelling the behaviour that you
seek (Hermes, Behne, and Rakoczy, 2018).
6. Actions during networking
The strategy involved in networking was a question-answer strategy. People would
ask their concerns and then different answers were suggested. Cooperation is the most
positive value that I was able to observe in the networking activity (Plouffe, 2018). However,
there is a need to improve on time management and attendance. Most of the expected people
did not turn up to the networking meeting. On my side, I was able to share the importance of
networking meetings in an effort to encourage people not to miss such opportunities.
7. Actions after networking function
Sharing knowledge with others in the meeting helped me gain courage and self-
confidence. This was more so because people responded to what I said by asking many
questions. This was clear evidence that I was able to capture people's attention and
concentration. From the meeting, I was able to learn more about the business opportunity and
public speaking. Generally, the networking meeting was very useful and educative.
Part C
PERSONAL REFLECTION
Many people have given a wide range and diverse opinions about public speaking.
This possesses a great challenge in choosing the sources that will be relevant to my study and
correct one.

6FOUNDATIONS OF BUSINESS SUCCESS: PUBLIC SPEAKING
It was hard to choose even the strategy of doing my research either through the
website or with the help of my lecturer. It was hard to determine which strategy will be the
best and will bring the best outcomes based on the objectives of the study. After going
through the hard training and study, it was again hard to know whether I have met the
required learning outcomes. It was hard to know whether I have learnt enough to present a
presentation to the people of any kind. People have a very different attitude and approach to
certain things. After the study, it became hard to get a person who can assess my study and
give prove and evidence that indeed I have learnt. It was hard for the person to believe that
using websites materials on the internet I have done my study up to the end. Most of the
people find it very hard to believe that one can do online learning and complete his or her
studies.
Difficulties in self-assessment: I had to look for every means possible to organize and
persuade each member to attend the meeting and have someone among them to do the
assessment. I had to research on the topic first, understand the topic and the rehears
thoroughly to make sure I produce the best. I presented it severally in front of a mirror and to
my brother.
Selecting the networking meeting was also tuff. To get the correct view of my
presentation was hard because many people have many opinions based on their attitude
towards the presented issues. Other than the highlighted challenges, I found that my confidant
and my self-esteem were low but I overcame that and it was finally a great success.
Given a chance next time, I will choose better sources and better strategies towards
my study. I will also look for experts in that art of public speaking for him or her to guide me
through my study and later on to assess me on the learning outcomes or whether I have met
my objectives.

7FOUNDATIONS OF BUSINESS SUCCESS: PUBLIC SPEAKING
References
Combs, J.P., Edmonson, S. and Harris, S., 2018. The trust factor: Strategies for school
leaders. Routledge.
Hayati, B., Atefi, Y. and Ahearne, M., 2018. Salesforce leadership during strategy
implementation: a social network perspective. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science,
46(4), pp.612-631.
Hermes, J., Behne, T. and Rakoczy, H., 2018. The Development of Selective Trust: Prospects
for a Dual‐Process Account. Child Development Perspectives, 12(2), pp.134-138.
Kasmani, S.S., Goh, E.C. and Lee, K., 2018. A Multilevel Bidirectional Linkage Model in
Enhancing Continuity of Psychiatric Care. Health & social work, 43(2), pp.126-130.
Murphy, B., Gibbs, C., Hoppe, K., Ratnaike, D. and Lovelock, H., 2018. Change in mental
health collaborative care attitudes and practice in Australia: Impact of participation in MHPN
network meetings. Journal of Integrated Care, 26(1), pp.29-37.
Nascimbeni, F., 2018. The importance of networking in development co‐operation: A social
network analysis‐based evaluation of an international development programme. Development
Policy Review, 36, pp.O400-O413.
Plouffe, C.R., 2018. Is it navigation, networking, coordination… or what? A
multidisciplinary review of influences on the intraorganizational dimension of the sales role
and performance. Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, 38(2), pp.241-264.
Short, H., 2018. 10. Finding the truth amongst conflicting evidence. How to Keep Your
Research Project on Track: Insights from When Things Go Wrong, p.67.

8FOUNDATIONS OF BUSINESS SUCCESS: PUBLIC SPEAKING
Appendices
Contacts database
NAME ORGANIS
ATION
EXPE
RT
CONTA
CTS
FOLLOW-UP
ACTIONS
Ban
wailer
Amazon Marke
ting
Marketin
g page by ban
wailer
Text on
Facebook
John k PepsiCo Busin
ess analyst
PepsiCo
analyst page by
john k
Chat on
Facebook
Antony Red Cross Public
speaker
@antony
redcross
Follow up on
twitter