Is Your Fear of Public Speaking Costing You Money? Logitech Survey Shows the Importance of Presentation Skills

The fear of public speaking, otherwise known as glossophobia, has long-been at the top of personal fear lists. But a recent Logitech survey conducted by Wakefield Research in U.S., U.K. and Australia found that 61 percent of office professionals in the U.S., 62 percent in the U.K., and 68 percent in Australia believe their salary would increase if they were a stronger speaker. In fact, people around the globe believe that someone with poor public speaking skills could never be an executive at their company.

With the increasing online popularity and exposure of story-based presentations, like  TED Talks, giving a good presentation has never been more important. The survey results found that a whopping 93 percent of U.S. professionals and 92 percent of Australian professionals feel the bar for business presentations has been raised.

However, even though 77 percent of office professionals in the U.S. and 78 percent of office professionals in Australia admitted to receiving some type of presentation training in their history, 68 percent of U.K. workers and 62 percent of Australian workers do not believe they are strong public speakers. So the question is, are you equipped with the tools and coaching you need to be a confident presenter?

Logitech and TED have partnered to help, with the exclusive Spotlight Presentation Academy. The academy aims to teach 15 aspiring storytellers how to present more confidently. With state-of-the-art tools, and mentoring from the editorial director and curator of the TED institute,  Bryn Freedman, winners will get the opportunity to present their story on the TED stage in NYC. In fact, this is the first time this type of training is available to non-TED speakers.

The survey results show presentation skills matter, and Logitech and TED believe that with the right coaching, mindset and tools, speakers can overcome their fear and reach their full potential.

Applications for the Spotlight Presentation Academy are being accepted now until May 22. For more information on how to enter, including the official rules, visit here. For more details on the survey results, take a look at the table below. 

 

Logitech Survey on the Fear of Presentations
Question United States United Kingdom Australia
Have you ever received presentation or public speaking training? 77% 72% 78%
Do you agree that the growing popularity of online presentations, such as TED Talks, have raised the bar for business presentations? 93% 89% 92%
How strongly do you agree with the following statement – I am not a strong public speaker. 61% 68% 62%
Have you ever turned down an opportunity to present because you felt you weren’t a strong enough public speaker? 45% 57% 54%
Is giving a presentation more stressful than receiving a performance evaluation? 74% 72% 62%
Do you feel your colleagues to be stronger presenters or public speakers than you are? 37% 40% 36%
Do you think your salary would increase if you were a strong presenter or public speaker? 61% 62% 68%
Do you believe that someone with poor presentation skills could never be an executive at your company? 62% 66% 71%
Have you ever fallen asleep while someone else was giving a presentation? 42% 38% 46

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