If you had to list the characteristics that most of us think a really good speaker must have to communicate the importance of public speaking, what would be on your list? I can only speak for myself, but I think I would have on my list that they would have to be an extrovert, an outgoing person who always gives off a lot of energy. You need this to connect with your audience, right? You’d be wrong. It turns out that introverts, those people who are more inward-focused and less outward-focused, can be really good speakers. Let’s find out why…

the ability to listen

In this context, I hate to admit this, but I think I’m defiantly extroverted. What this means is that I really like to talk. Sometimes this is not good: I tend to talk over people and don’t take enough time to listen to what they have to say. Introverts have a special ability: they are very good listeners.

What this means is that when they prepare to give a speech, they can use their listening skills to create a better speech. As they gather the information they’ll need to craft their pitch, introverts take the time to listen for differences of opinion. This allows them to find the best solution, even if it turns out to be one they didn’t suggest themselves.

For an introvert, it’s not just about listening. Instead, listening is where it begins. Once they have heard what someone has to say, an introvert will take this information and analyze it. They will consider all the facts as they process what they have been told. The end result of this will be a well thought out set of ideas that can be worked into your next speech.

Good for sharing ideas and successes

Introverts are also very good at sharing both success and praise, and this allows the audience to feel included in the speech. It’s not just about the speaker and this is what opens the door for the audience to feel like the speaker is revealing things they have learned rather than telling them things they should already know.

What makes introverts especially good at gathering the information they’ll need is that they often don’t feel threatened. They don’t feel threatened if their ideas aren’t the ones the group decides to use, and they don’t feel threatened by high performers who can take up much of the conversation.

Introverts can go beyond themselves and instead focus on the topic around which they will build their speech. Introverts can spend their time thinking about what their audience wants to achieve. They don’t get hung up on the process it will take to get there.

Willing to take time to think

Too often we can find ourselves rushing to conclusions. These are the conclusions that then find their way into our speech that we then share with our audience. Introverted speakers do not have this problem. They take their time and think about what they are going to include in their speech.

Too often, when we gather information for a speech, we can be swayed by the person we’re talking to dominating a group discussion. An introvert has the ability to overcome this problem. They will take what they have heard and then take the time to examine it all to find out what it really means.

Introverts need the opportunity to go to a quiet place where they can reflect on what they have been told. This allows them to create solutions from the information they have collected and recharge. It is this kind of internal balance that will allow you to create a great speech.

What all this means to you

Public speaking is the process in which a person opens up and shares their speech with an audience. We view this process as the very definition of being an extrovert, and therefore assume that only extroverts would be good at sharing the benefits of public speaking. However, it turns out that introverts have a number of key characteristics that make them great at giving speeches.

Introverts possess the ability to do a good job of listening. Because introverts take the time to listen and then think about what they’ve heard, the speeches they make often speak directly to the issues facing the audience. When creating a speech, the introvert speaker collects ideas and successes from those around him. This means that his speech is about the subject and not about them. Finally, creating a great speech takes time. Extroverts spend a lot of time thinking about how they will deliver the speech. Introverts spend their time thinking about what they will deliver.

In this world, it takes all kinds of people to give good speeches. Extroverts are often overlooked when choosing someone to give a speech. Maybe we shouldn’t do this. Introverts have the ability to create a unique type of speech that can really connect with an audience.