Delivering presentations is one of the most powerful ways to advance your career. In many roles, the ability to present effectively is essential for growing your career and getting promoted. And in the age of AI, communication skills help us benefit from The Great Human Premium™ –the economic and career advantage created as AI makes knowledge, content, and technical expertise abundant. The most important of all communication skills for influencing others is public speaking. Still, many people fear it. In fact, about 70% percent of people have a fear of public speaking. The good news is that anyone can become a stronger presenter.
Everyone Can Excel At Public Speaking
That doesn’t mean you need to abandon your day job and become a paid speaker, but there’s no doubt about its impact when you commit to being your absolute best at presenting. To be the most compelling speaker you can be, replace these myths and misconceptions with behaviors and mindsets that really work when you’re seeking to inspire and influence an audience.
1. Public Speaking Is an Innate Skill
Some people may naturally possess traits that help them on stage, but great speakers are made, not born. They also build confidence by bringing who they really are into their presentations. Just as leadership skills can be learned, you can develop a speaking style that feels natural and authentic. A style that enables you to influence and inspire an audience.
2. Public Speaking Is for Raging Extroverts
You do not need to be an extrovert to be a good presenter. Sure, extroverts tend to like the spotlight. But some of the best public speakers are introverts. They bring a different set of skills and discipline. They often bring thoughtful preparation, empathy, and deep listening. Many make you feel like they are speaking just to you. Dorie Clark, who is a riveting public speaker is also a self-proclaimed introvert.
3. More Rehearsal Is Always Better
When you rehearse too much, you get to the point of memorizing your speech, and that sounds good, but it limits your effectiveness. The best way to engage an audience is to be present, not perfect. Then you’re less worried about remembering your lines and better able to connect more naturally with your audience.
4. Experienced Speakers Don’t Feel Nervous
Cassandra Powell, mindset coach and Director of Coaching at BostonSpeaks, an organization that helps people overcome their public speaking anxiety says, “When we think that professionals don’t get nervous, it’s only because we associate nervousness with a negative feeling. When professionals speak, they see nerves for what they are which is just a physiological activation. Seeing nerves in this way completely changes our relationship to them, but nerves are normal for everyone.”
5. There’s One Right Way to Excel at Public Speaking
If you watch the best speakers in the world, you see that there isn’t a formula that makes them great. In fact, it’s their unique style that makes them a memorable speaker. Sure, we can all learn a technique or two that feels right to us and we want to adopt it. But to truly shine in a presentation, you need to deliver it in your way, with your stories, strength, and style. When you bring your experiences, perspectives, and personality to the stage, you put yourself in a category of one. Dan Thurmon a former gymnast, often shows up on stage with a series of cartwheels. It’s not something I would try, and maybe you shouldn’t either. Think about what from your life experience you can bring to the stage. When you deliver your presentation in your style, you bolster your personal brand.
6. Your Audience Is Waiting For You To Fail
Not true. The audience wants you to succeed. They’re your supporters, not your critics. They want to learn something from you. After all, they’re spending their precious time watching you. When you remind yourself that they are with you, you change how you engage with them and take pressure off yourself.
7. Slides Are Not Important
Slides crowded with text and tiny fonts can ruin an otherwise excellent presentation. Conversely, slides that are exciting and interesting help keep your audience engaged. Your slides are not your teleprompter, and they shouldn’t be an afterthought. They help you reinforce important points and inspire the audience more deeply. Although you are the star of the show, your slides are your supporting cast. Treat them with the importance they deserve.
8. Public Speaking Is All about You
The best public speakers keep their ego in check and focus their energy on their audience. They commit to delivering something that’s valuable to their audience. They approach presenting with empathy rather than ego. This is something the audience can sense, and it makes them engage more deeply. When you start your prep asking yourself these questions: What does my audience need? How can I deliver value to them? What are the most meaningful and actionable insights I can share?
9. Don’t Talk With Your Hands
A lot of a communication has nothing to do with the words. It comes from your body language. Gestures are not a distraction. They are an essential part of communication. Presenters who use open, deliberate gestures are consistently viewed as more assured, persuasive, and knowledgeable. So gesticulate and make all the moves that help you express your message.
10. Copy Speakers You Think Are Good
Sure, you can get some tips from other speakers that you can integrate into your presentations. But when you try to copy someone’s style, you lose the opportunity to express your personality. Rather than mimic other speakers, develop your own way of speaking that feels comfortable. When you copy others, you are playing a role. When you bring your own style to the stage, you connect with your audience in a deeper, more authentic way.
11. Virtual Presentations Are Not Public Speaking
When you are speaking to two or more people, you are speaking publicly. Virtual presentations give you the same opportunity to build your brand. Your audience is made up of the people who seek to influence, and you were invited because you have something valuable to contribute. Take virtual presentations seriously and commit to making them so engaging that they make participants resist the temptation to multitask.
12. Wardrobe Is Irrelevant
The best clothes to wear are those that make you feel confident. I call it your signature speaking style. You know the outfit that when you put it on boosts your confidence. If you have a trademark look, it becomes part of your brand and something people associate with you. Sometimes your wardrobe is what you don’t wear. Seb Terry often delivers his presentations barefoot.
13. You Have to Eliminate Fear Before You Can Speak Well
Reality: Confidence does not come before action. It comes from action. Most accomplished speakers still experience nervousness. They simply refuse to let fear make their decisions. Powell added, “While knowing your material is helpful, that alone won’t get rid of the fear. You don’t need to be fearless to public speak, you need to be brave. All the speakers that you admire allow their courage to push them through the discomfort so they can share their voice/message.”
Use Public Speaking to Expand Your Career Success
Great speakers are not performers pretending to be someone else. They’re authentic communicators who have learned how to amplify who they already are. When you enhance your public speaking skills, you bolster your personal brand and expand your career success.
William Arruda is a keynote speaker, personal branding pioneer, and Senior Contributor to Forbes. Join his complimentary Maven Lightning Lesson, Public Speaking Myths: What Great Presenters Really Do.
