"PUBLIC SPEAKING IS A PROFESSION IN HIGH DEMAND", OLUNIKE

The Managing Consultant, World Class Compère
Academy, Mr. Oladele Olunike, speaks on how
to build a public speaking career in this
interview with IFE ADEDAPO

Can public speaking be regarded as a
profession?
Public speaking is any craft that requires people
to speak before an audience (often live
audience or through the electronic media) and
there are quite a gamut of professions,
occupations and or vocations that can be
classified under public speaking.
There is no one profession that you can address
as public speaking, neither is it appropriate for
any individual to present him or herself as a
public speaker. It is erroneous.
The professions that can be classified under
public speaking include: professional speaking;
comedy; poetry presentation; drama; oration;
radio presentation and television programme
presentation.
If the aforementioned are classified as public
speaking, then it is incorrect for one person to
address himself or herself as a public speaker
except he or she is practising all of the earlier
listed.
What is often meant when people mention
public speaking or address themselves as public
speakers is professional speaking. A
professional speaker is an individual trained in
the art and act of speaking professionally to
inform, instruct and inspire or educate, entertain
and elevate an audience.
Can professional speaking skills be acquired or
are they inherent?
In my short personal and professional life, I have
believed, practised, taught and learnt that
professional speaking is a skill; and like any
other skill, it can be learnt or acquired.
Having a natural speaking talent may boost this
most sought-after skill in the 21st century global
business world.
Ironically, many are talented but are still
frustrated. Why? Talent without training turns to
trash. Regardless of one’s natural speaking
talent, without training, there will be no reigning.
No one will pay you for just your talent but your
skill. Skill, which is talent that has been forged
through the furnace of training, is what will
drive your impact and draw your income.
In addition, one may not have the prerequisite of
a natural speaking talent and still be able to
learn or acquire the professional speaking skill.
How? What one lacks in talent, one can make up
for in love-for or interest in professional
speaking.
There are very successful professional speakers
today around the world who from the outset of
their career lacked the boosting prerequisite of
natural speaking talent, but were armed with
loads of goading interest in professional
speaking which, garnished with training, fueled
their flight to the zenith.
So you may have the talent but if you lack the
training you won’t be reigning. Anyone that
lacks the talent but has acquired training has no
limitations.
What business opportunities exist in
professional speaking?
As earlier stated, public speaking includes
professional speaking, comedy, poetry
presentation, drama, oration, radio presentation,
television programme presentation. All these
professions can be built as business.
There are endless opportunities to practise as
professional compère or master of ceremonies
if one is well trained, well packaged and knows
how to market his or her craft irresistibly. There
are a million and one events, every time,
everywhere and every place.