Warren Buffett was speaking to a group of students at Columbia University back in 2012 about the value of public speaking to a professional’s earning potential. But he didn’t say that the value of public speaking skills is “incalculable” or “immeasurable.” In the style of a highly successful investor, he actually put a number to it: 50%.
Mr. Buffett told the group that he’d be willing to pay $100K for 10% of the future earnings of any of the students in attendance. But then he said that if a student had public speaking skills, he’d pay $150K for the same 10% of their earnings. In other words, Warren Buffett values the future earnings of a student with public speaking skills at 50% more than the earnings of a student without them!
Want to watch Mr. Buffett make the offer to the students? Check out this Youtube video below.
How much importance are you placing on public speaking and communication skills in your career or business? What time and money investment are you willing to make to get a 50% bump in the value of your future earnings? Think about it: whatever you’re considering investing, it’s probably worth it!
Guillermo Villar is principal coach with Cambio Coaching. He helps high-achieving individuals and teams communicate with intention to get the business results they want. If you’re interested in working with Guillermo, sign up for a free exploratory meeting.