Use Public Speaking To Establish Yourself As A Data & Analytics Expert
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Use Public Speaking To Establish Yourself As A Data & Analytics Expert

If you are a data scientist and are looking to put your career on the fast track, there is one way to quickly do so: public speaking. As our world is quickly evolving to be mostly digitally based, the demand for great data scientists is overwhelming. However, one of the challenges you will come up against is getting your name out there and establishing yourself as an expert.

When you take into account that many of the topics are not easy understand such as data quality management and horizontal integration, it’s no wonder that most big data and analytics experts are rarely seen and are kept behind the scenes of major organizations. Because of this challenge, many leading experts are now taking the stages of places like TED and major conferences to get their names out there so that they can create more opportunities for themselves. So how exactly can public speaking help you?

Public Speaking 

Public Speaking holds the key to many opportunities professionally and personally. Having these skills may seem to come naturally for some people, but for most, these skills can be learned. The fear of public speaking may keep some from making the effort to develop speeches and opportunities to present views and information effectively. 

Why is it beneficial to overcome public speaking phobias, to be able to deliver quality presentations, seminars and speeches? First, every speech is an opportunity to present information, product offerings, and viewpoints to an audience. Second, audience members are customers or potential customers. Thirdly, speaking is a great method for building a reputation and expanding reach. Lastly, speaking engagements can be used as a way to build your brand and create more recognition for the work you do.

Keep Your Presentations Focused

Every presentation should be focused on a key purpose. As a speaker, are you looking to present information, offer product information and samples or to shape viewpoints and persuade listeners to take a particular action or point of view? When taking an opportunity for speaking, it is important to consider your purpose, but also the purposes of those in attendance. 

If there is little or no match, it may not be worth the time, but there is an old adage, no exposure is bad exposure. This boils down to what is your time worth to you, and what is the long-term value of a public speaking engagement? If the speaker’s purpose is informational, make sure that there is accompanying written copy for the audience members. 

Have Your Materials

Brochures, presentation slides, speaker notes, and business cards can all assist the speaker to ensure that the speech transfers sustained information to the audience. These items, when properly designed also increase exposure for the speaker and their brand, by providing additional sources of contact information and business offerings. Do not think only on the large scale for public speaking/presentation opportunities, the same tools work well in board room presentations, one on one or small group sales presentations and on large, diverse venues and audiences. A well laid out presentation should be persuasive to the audience without being pushy or demanding of them.

Understand Your Audience

The vast majority of participants at an event are looking for something. Some are just looking for information, but others are looking for guidance or for information which will allow them to meet their needs effectively, be that purchasing a product or service or learning how to move forward with a task on their own. 

Knowing what the audience is looking for can help a speaker to tailor his/her speech and supporting documents. According to Motivation Ping, the most productive speaking engagements are likely to be ones where the speaker’s goals and those of the audience have synergy. You will only be given a short amount of time to deliver your speech, so you need to make sure you make the most of each minute.

Final Thoughts

The demand for experts on Big Data and analytics will only continue to rise over the next ten years. But those who harness the power of public speaking and building their personal brand will be the ones who stand out the most. If you want to be sought out by leading organizations, you will need to master this skill.