Most people fear public speaking.
However, is it speaking, per se, that is fearful or other things attached to the mind?
Do you fear standing in front of people or the judgment that will come from faltering on your part? Is it public humiliation, rejection, judgment of character you fear, or sharing your material with a crowd?
We all know the answer, and there’s more. While going through all this can give you chills, other barriers – some real and some pure myths – equally bar you from becoming an efficient speaker.
These are myths that we substantiate and solidify in our minds to the point that they hamper our ability to stand up and deliver.
In this article, we uncover a few of the common myths that presenters deal with all the time. Dispel them, and you will shine with a new light, catapulted towards a path of powerful public speaking.
Why is Public Speaking Necessary?
Before anything, let’s figure out why you need to stand before a lectern.
- It helps you stand out and position yourself as a thought leader and polishes your leadership skills.
- By sharing on a particular topic, you can raise awareness and bring together the masses in one go.
- It makes you more comfortable addressing and interacting with new people, even impromptu speaking, which is great for both personal and professional life.
- When preparing your speech, you enhance your cognitive abilities, such as critical thinking. Through public speaking, you learn the art of structuring things, effective communication, streamlining your thoughts, and oration.
Common Myths About Public Speaking
Myth #1 – Speakers are Born with the Skill
A quote by Robin Sharma says – “The secret to genius is not genetics but daily practice married with relentless perseverance.”
It’s a myth that people are born with public speaking skills. Even the most seasoned presenters sometimes have extreme reactions when they get on stage.
Like every skill, you can learn public speaking and train your mind and body.
Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor practiced her TED talk 200 times, a whopping 67 hours of rehearsal, and it garnered over 15 million views.
Public speaking is a learnable skill (no exceptions), and anyone who consistently practices to refine their speech gradually becomes better at it.
Myth #2 – You Have to be Perfect on Stage
One of the most common misconceptions people have before walking on the stage is to get everything perfect. There is no room for error in content, delivery, slides, lighting, and so on.
With that pressure, simple mistakes can also mean serious questions about the ability to deliver. But again, it’s a myth.
You could forget your speech. There could be technical errors. You could have a troller in the audience. There could be internet interruption, and so on.
There is always something that could go wrong. The attitude should not let it affect the flow of your speech.
Prepare for unforeseen events and aim for correction as gracefully as possible. The best practice is to keep a cool head, be open to mistakes, and keep a backup plan ready.
Myth #3 – Anxiety and Nervousness are Not Allowed
Your audience expects you to be nervous. By being vulnerable and honest, you can count on forming a genuine and humane connection with people where they can see you.
When people see you – as authentic and genuine – they can trust you more, enabling better reception of your message.
Let them see who you are, play on your strengths, and you will be able to shine through.
Richard Turere was consistently trained for his TED talk, which eventually earned him a standing ovation. His nervousness on the stage actually helped the audience connect to his words and emotions.
Myth #4 – Public Speaking is Not for Introverts
When we see extroverts or people who are naturally good at holding conversations, they seem more enchanting to a crowd, not introverts or people who get nervous with even little attention. But that’s only a trick of the mind.
On the contrary, introverts – people who listen more and speak only when they have something important to say – are better attuned to people’s needs, and the audience will be more inclined to listen to them.
If you look back in history, you will get to know about Abraham Lincoln, Bill Gates, and others, who were introverts yet excellent speakers.
Myth #5 – It Might Take You Years to Become Good at Public Speaking
As we mentioned, it’s a learnable skill, and your success depends entirely on how much you have prepared and practiced.
It doesn’t take years to become good at public speaking. Powerful content and enough practice can result in a well-received speech, and one such speech has the potential to change your career trajectory, as has been seen with so many speakers.
Also, present as much as possible – it will give you the necessary exposure, resulting in less fear and more confidence. As you progress with more experience and refinement, there will be more improvement as a public speaker with each speech you deliver.
Myth #6 – You Need to Memorize the Speech
If you memorize your speech verbatim, what will happen if you have to pause in between and resume after a gap? If someone in the crowd causes a disruption? If you are asked a question, and it leads to a small discussion?
Will you be able to resume smoothly? Will you remember the words and flow as they were and go back to the thoughts you left off?
Chances are minimal. Learning by rote is one of the worst strategies for preparing your speech. It will make you look robotic and fake, and your speech will be dull and monotonous.
The myth leads to people freezing on stage, forgetting everything, and eventually hitting a downward spiral.
Memorizing important pointers, conclusion, opening, etc., and practicing your speech enough is the key to delivering a great speech. It will allow you the flexibility to be comfortable in any unforeseen scenario (unexpected interaction, questions, disturbance) and improvise wherever needed.
The best speech focuses on internalizing the material (and not memorizing it), capturing real-time emotions, and connecting with people.
Myth #7 – It Should be a Large Crowd Only
Another myth is that a successful speech requires a room full of people. The bigger the attendance or the size of the audience, the better your speech will be.
However, it’s a false notion that needs to be corrected.
The size of the audience doesn’t determine the success of your speech. Irrespective of the number of people, you should strive to deliver your best performance and share what was intended.
Myth #8 – You Need to be Formal or an Expert to be Taken Seriously
There’s a belief that you have to be formal and serious to leave a professional impression on the audience. But this is wrong, as it can make you look too stiff and boring, devoid of your voice or style. Just balance being yourself and respecting the audience and goal.
Similarly, you don’t need to be an expert in your topic to speak fluently. Just be passionate and knowledgeable; the purpose is to know enough to change people’s perspectives.
The trick is to be sure and confident in your knowledge and humble enough to admit when you don’t know something. People love authenticity, and they will be able to trust you better. Accept your lack of knowledge and promise to get back to them with an appropriate answer.
Myth #9 – Some Topics Will Only Result in a Boring Speech
It’s not much about the topic but the presenter. Specific issues might seem challenging, but that’s the point – the challenge.
If you perceive your topic as boring, you can’t make others like it, too. In that case, try doing the following-
- Create rich and compelling content focused on helping people.
- Bring energy and life to your words with anecdotes and stories, and speak enthusiastically.
- Involve people in your speech by interacting with them.
- Don’t work in the status quo; seek to be different.
Myth #10 – Picture Your Audience as Clowns or Something Funny
Picturing your audience in some funny character to overcome your fear is another myth that needs to be busted.
Rather than roleplaying in your head, focus on preparing well. Consistent practice and thorough preparation are what will help you overcome anxiety and fear.
Without that, as much as you try to calm your nerves through these activities, it will only help you superficially, eventually exposing your inadequate preparation.
Think of people as people who want to learn something from your content. When you think of forming a genuine connection and striving to add value to the audience, your speech will automatically hit the right chord, not requiring you to do anything else for success.
Myth #11 – Questions Should be Answered at the End Only
It’s a myth that the Q&A round must only be at the end of the presentation. If someone asks you a question in the middle, would you make them wait for the entire presentation?
People might forget what they want to enquire about by the end of your speech.
So, prepare yourself to answer during the presentation. It will give your presentation a more natural and real flow. Also, take a moment to reflect on the question, formulate a coherent reply in your head, and then answer.
A well-crafted and timely response will go a long way toward building credibility and forming a genuine and positive relationship with the audience.
Myth #12 – Keep Your Hand Movements or Body Still
It’s a misconception that you should keep your hands or body still while speaking. A lot of movement is distracting and can make you look nervous. It could be a huge mistake to pay heed to that.
The movement will help you communicate your message more effectively. It will also add life, energy, and visual stimulation to your words. Hand gestures and body movements can emphasize your words and simplify their meaning, facilitating easy comprehension and retention for the audience.
Myth #13 – Public Speaking and Presenting Has a Strict Roadmap to Adhere to
Trying to find and follow rigid public speaking rules will only backfire.
Like other fields, there are best practices that can work better than other methods.
You can get help and guidance from others, but to make an impact, work around it and deliver in your most authentic voice.
Here are a Few Tips to Master Public Speaking
- It’s okay to feel nervous, so prepare well and practice as much as possible.
- Learn about the people who will make your audience. Your speech is not to glorify you but rather address a pressing concern for people.
- Work on structuring and organizing your content well. It will enable smooth comprehension and retention.
- Seek feedback from people and improvise as much as possible.
- Be yourself – play to your strengths and let yourself shine through.
- Use anecdotes, humor, and effective language to connect to people.
- Create an outline for you to remember and deliver your speech. Don’t read from the slides; it will only ruin the interpersonal connection.
- Use nonverbal communication to underline and strengthen your message.
- Go for an attention-grabbing opening and a dynamic and memorable ending.
- With the help of audio-visual aids, you can enhance and clarify your content.
Conclusion
Myths are called myths for a reason. They are not to be believed and certainly not to be incorporated into any aspect of public speaking.
If you attribute your value and success to these common myths, you will do nothing more than bog you down and disorient you from what actually is. You might not even try many things, and you and the audience will never know your value or what you could accomplish.
Our list of common myths is designed to help you identify them (in yourself), dispel them, and put your best foot forward to become the amazing orator you are.
