Rhetoric has ancient roots

Rhetoric is the art of persuasion and is one of the three ancient arts of discourse. It aims to learn certain techniques and tools in order to inform, persuade, motivate or convince the targeted audience.

Aristotle defines rhetoric as 

“the faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion”

While Plato says

“Rhetoric is the art of ruling the minds of men”

Both pointing to the understanding, developing and applying of arguments to specific situations provided by rhetoric.

Aristoteles defined three approaches to persuasive an audience: the ethos, pathos and logos: Ethos points on the credibility of the speaker who should have the three characteristics of having wisdom, virtue and goodwill to be trustworthy speaker. Pathos means emotion, pointing out that persuasion cannot take place without emotion and even scientifically proven that people are moved by the emotional aspect of an argument more than they think. And logos referring to the logic and structure of the presented arguments. In classical Rome five phase of developing a persuasive speech were codified which include the invention, arrangement, style, memory and delivery. 

Public Speaking is a key skill 

Public speaking is a required business skill one of the five key business skills that can “make or break” a company.

Public speaking skills are needed for entrepreneur’s especially when representing the company, giving interviews ion TV, searching and negotiating with funding partners, leading meetings in the company and lastly to communicate the clear vision and steps to the coworkers in order to make the company grow. 

So public speaking skills are required in many areas in the entrepreneurial field but how can they make you a better entrepreneur?

First of all, acquiring these skills you will lose your fear in speaking in public and increase your self-esteem and confidence in talking to people. By learning to get the attention of a big group a one-on-one conversation e.g with investor, clients or partners will be an easy matter. Secondly, public speaking skills can help you to perfect your proposal presentation by applying your knowledge to the presentation and reducing the information to the part that is mostly relevant and will catch the audience attention (Storytelling is a tool of public speaking and is useful for presentation). Facts tell but stories sell, for instance TedTalks mostly contain stories that will lead to the actual message of the talk. Thirdly, public speaking can improve your skills in motivating your employees which is crucial to the success of any business. Lastly, public speaking can be a lot of fun in the process of learning the new skills but also and mostly in applying these skills to the own work and environment. 

Public Speaking is More than you Think

When thinking of public speaking many people define it as limited to job, to Ted talk or speeches of fitness coaches and entrepreneurs. But it is much more than this. Communication is used in everybody’s everyday life, when speaking to friend, family, teachers, chefs even to children. Becoming aware of one’s communication skills and paying attention to one’s own expression is the first step to become a good speaker and to be able to clearly communicate own needs. 

When improving public speaking skills not only the chosen words and rhetorical instruments will be improved. The appearance, body language and entire charisma can be enhanced. Therefore, becoming aware of ones own public speaking skills and expression can become a good tool and even weapon for the individual progress. 

Sources

Galo, C., 2018. Forbes: Mark zuckerberg Should Follow Aristoteles Three Step Persuasion. [Online]
Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/carminegallo/2018/04/09/mark-zuckerberg-should-follow-aristotles-3-step-persuasion-formula-to-rebuild-the-publics-trust/
[Accessed 22 November 2022].

Sutevski, D., n.d. Entrepreneur in a box: How Public Speaking Can Make You a Successful Entrepreneur. [Online]
Available at: https://www.entrepreneurshipinabox.com/32644/how-public-speaking-can-make-you-a-successful-entrepreneur/
[Accessed 22 November 2022].

Wikipedia, 2022. Rhetoric, s.l.: s.n.

Zwilling, M., 2012. Every Entrepreneur Needs To master Public Speaking, s.l.: Forbes.

Zwilling, M., 2012. Forbes: Every Entrpreneur Needs To master Public Speaking. [Online]
Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/martinzwilling/2012/11/23/every-entrepreneur-needs-to-master-public-speaking/
[Accessed 22 November 2022].