Monday, December 11, 2006

SPEAKER SAVVY -- Weaker Sex? Stronger Speakers!

What makes women so successful as professional speakers? I've never been a big fan of "junk science," but there's an interesting new study featured in a book by a French psychiatrist named Dr. Luan Brizendine that shows women speak 20,000 words per day on average, while men speak only 7,000 words per day.

Her book, "The Female Mind," seeks to differentiate the thought processes between women and men (and possibly to prove that the female mind is superior.) While you might disagree with her conclusions, you can't deny that women dominate the world of professional speaking.

Consider this:
  • Most presentation trainers in the world are women.
  • Most media trainers in the world are women.
  • The most highly paid speaker in the world is a woman.

My very UN-scientific theory is that women are much more comfortable with the concept of public speaking because they're wired to be much more emotionally expressive--something I believe is the single most important factor in successful communication. (Check out my web site, www.MARKtalks.com, to find out how you can "Act Like A Winner, Talk Like A Pro"...and discover the secret to powerful presentations!)

Men can't even hug without slapping the stuffing out of each other...no wonder guys struggle with public speaking. Little girls put on performances all the time--my 6-year-old daughter not only has her own cabaret act during bathtime, she also takes questions from her "audience!" Is there any doubt she'll be more likely to be a successful public speaker than any of the boys in her class?