Stop Calling Public Speaking a "Soft Skill" - It’s a Game Changer
- Wix Engineering
- Mar 6
- 3 min read
Persuasion: A Critical Skill, Not a "Nice to Have"
Consistently, LinkedIn reports on the most essential skills in the industry show that persuasion is always among the most critical skills to acquire."Strengthening soft skills is one of the best investments you can make for your career. These skills simply never go out of style."
After conducting dozens of interviews for his book Five Stars, which focuses on persuasion and motivation, the author Carmine Gallo (Talk Like TED) concluded that it’s time to stop treating public speaking and the art of persuasion as "soft skills."
This realization came when he sought to discuss with a highly successful entrepreneur the ability to convey a message through storytelling - a skill commonly classified under "soft skills." The entrepreneur responded with the following:"Soft? If an entrepreneur can't tell me a compelling story, I won’t invest in them. You call it ‘soft’? I call it fundamental."
Legendary investor Warren Buffett would likely agree, as he once said:"The easiest way to increase your value by 50% or more in the job market is to sharpen your communication skills-both in writing and speaking."
In a world built on ideas, those who can persuade and influence others hold a tremendous competitive advantage.
The Economic Impact of Persuasion and Public Speaking
To gain a full perspective, Gallo spoke with economists and historians such as Deirdre McCloskey from the University of Illinois, Chicago. Her research proved that the skill historically referred to as persuasion - rhetoric - was the primary driver of national income growth in the U.S.
McCloskey analyzed 250 different professions involving 140 million workers in the U.S. and created a statistical model based on the amount of time spent on activities such as public speaking and persuasion within each occupational category. In some professions, persuasion plays a minimal role (e.g., firefighters), while in others (e.g., public relations specialists), it is central.
Her conclusion? Persuasion and motivation account for a quarter of all income earned by U.S. residents, and this percentage is expected to grow to 40% over the next 20 years.
To understand why persuasion and public speaking should not be labeled as "soft skills," we need to look back in time.In 1840, nearly 70% of the U.S. workforce worked on farms.
Today, less than 2% of Americans are employed in agriculture. The share of manufacturing in the U.S. workforce dropped from 40% in 1950 to less than 20% today. Meanwhile, as manufacturing wages continue to decline, more and more robots and artificial intelligence are entering the workforce.
Gallo emphasizes that the primary mission of the remaining jobs - and those that will be created in the future - is, in his words: “To Change Minds.” McCloskey explains that nothing happens voluntarily in society and economics - unless someone changes their mind.
Even in professions such as software development and engineering, the value of developers and engineers who possess more than just coding skills - those with "soft skills" in addition to "hard skills" - is increasing significantly...
Behavior can be altered through coercion, but opinions cannot. McCloskey further argues that even in professions such as software development and engineering, the value of developers and engineers who possess more than just coding skills - those with "soft skills" in addition to "hard skills" - is increasing significantly.
And here’s an important point - public speaking, persuasion, and effective messaging are skills that anyone can practice, improve, and strengthen.
In Warren Buffett’s office, there is only one diploma hanging on the wall - the diploma from his public speaking course, which he successfully completed. He himself testifies that this diploma holds the greatest value for him. Hearing this from a man worth $80 billion is something worth paying attention to.
Conclusion
Carmine Gallo states that referring to public speaking as a "soft skill" significantly undervalues its importance. In a world that reveres science and numbers, public speaking translates to significant results - and substantial financial gains.
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