Does the cost for public speaking training outweigh the benefits?

Last Thursday on Forbes.com Kristi Hedges had an incendiary article titled Confessions of a Former Public Speaking Trainer: Don’t Waste Your Money. She made the provocative claim that:

“...for most people, public speaking training is not worth the time nor the money.”

In her article Kristi described how:

1. There’s not one right way to present

2. Great presenters don’t follow the rules

3. Authenticity overrides form

4. You already know how to do this

Back in July 2010 I blogged about how Public speaking training is a journey; You get to choose how to go. In that post I contrasted three options:

1. Taking an introductory public speaking class at a college or university is like going on a bus tour.

2. Attending a commercial workshop is like hiring a guide with a luxury car.

3. Joining a Toastmasters club is like driving your own 4 x 4 vehicle on a dirt road.

I didn’t include a fourth - using a speaking coach, which is like waving down and hiring a taxi. That is quick and may be very effective if you have limited time. It can get very expensive though, if you want to go far. Would you take a cab for 240 miles from Houston to Dallas, or would you fly?

Think both about what you need and how much time and money you can afford before you choose an option. The brass scale image came from Wikimedia Commons.