I found the following statistics and information very interesting. Even though they may be based on the United States, the basics may well apply to our UK business environment as well as to that of other countries.

The statistics and information may strengthen the fact that it matters not only what we present but also how we present it and that it is well worth to work on the content of our talks as well as working on how we deliver them.

1. The fear of public speaking can result in reduced income

From pitch to meetings, from networking to boardroom, public speaking is present in most industries nowadays. Did you know that a fear of public speaking can have a significant impact on your income? You might earn up to 10% less on average if you don’t have the necessary speaking and presentation skills.

2. The fear of public speaking may hamper career progression

If you do not heave up to scratch speaking and presentation skills, it can seriously inhibit promotion to management by 15%! That is quite a staggering figure. And even though you may have made it into a management role with a fear of public speaking, it will be difficult to perform well as these roles include a lot of different speaking tasks, many in front of bigger groups.

3. How you deliver is key

Research confirms that how you say something to an audience outweighs what you say. According to studies, an effective presentation is delivered with 55% non-verbal communication, 38% of how you use your voice and merely 7% your content, i.e. the words and language you use. This means that it can make a huge difference when you spend even more time preparing your delivery than simply focusing on creating awesome content.

4. Engage your audience

If a speaker does all the taking without engaging the audience, then audience engagement can drop by 14%, according to research. Allowing the audience to participate keeps them engaged and attentive. Allow people plenty of opportunities to ask questions, to interact with you, to ask them questions or to participate in other ways.

5. Adding stories, facts and figures increases audience retention

How can you deliver information to your audience that they will remember? People remember stories, facts and figures. Stories may not be that much used in the corporate world that may be more focused on figures and information, but they are generally very effective. In the world of business, you certainly should include facts, figures or statistics in your presentations in a way that is engaging and visually compelling. To do that can increase audience retention of your content by 20%.