Your credibility as a public speaker is on the line. How do you combat rumors and misinformation effectively?

Respond ASAP. I am not saying to REACT. You must take actions as soon as possible, but in a calmer and patient way. Being calm assures people that you're not at fault. You need to clarify what is and what is not true, but if you take aggressive actions, you may come off as a victim who's defending himself. You don't need to defend, just clarify. Have a bit of aggression in the tone so that those who have spread the rumor realizes that you're not the person who could be messed with, but don't use aggression in actions. It can possibly make situations worse.

A message to your followers can be as such: "Dear members of the community. Two days ago a surge of rumors has been spreading about me. They are false as I will prove today, but I'm happy that if you are not being "attacked", that means you're doing something right. If you're been ignored, you're not on the radar yet."

I create what a long-ago speaker called MAPS — must air points — that I work into conversations regardless of the context. Segues are important so that it is not instantly obvious you are switching the dialogue. But I refuse to be sidetracked from the MAPS.

If your credibility as a public speaker is on the line, how to combat rumours and misinformation effectively is to choose your words carefully, comport yourself confidently then speak up immediately and after you've truthfully said all you need to say to clear the air, say no more. You may even need to turn off your phone or allow your PA/VA or SMManager handle your accounts, if not you'll keep seeing things that will hurt you, provoke you and tempt you to respond angrily. If you speak up immediately, you give people who believe in you the assurance that you aren't bad as being portrayed but if you delay response, they may start to harbour thoughts of the rumours being true, you feeling guilty and trying to hide or shy away.

I agree... Respond, not React.( I struggle with this, trauma issues). However, as I learn to control the breath, a better action is something I was taught: {{-R.A.I.N... Recognize. Accept. Investigate. Non-Identify-}}...... It gives you time to respond appropriately if needed.

When you are on the stage and you are addressing a specific topic or point. Then you need to stay on that particular topic. Don't jump here and there. Then your audience will interact with you and understand what exactly you wanna deliver and help them to stay connected with you in the whole conversation.

I try not to repeat the false information but knock it down with the accurate information. And I consistently use the same language across all platforms.

Once you start engaging with the audience, they will start connecting with you and once they connect with you it's easy for you deliver the information or experience of yours to them and they wanna listen to you.

Delivering the right information to the audience is the key to build relationship with the audience. Just make sure that the topic you are on presenting in form of data will be accurate and make sure that you will use the source of information as well.

Listening, learning, and adapting is incredibly important when facing any negative situation. Whether the information is true or false, one must have a growth mindset and focus on continuous improvement. This can only be done by tackling the conversation head-on, admitting mistakes, and keeping promises of change/action. While this might not win everyone to your side and can be humbling, it will ensure that you can speak publicly with confidence, knowing that you stand with integrity. As many others will say, confidence is one of the most vital components of public speaking.