Busting Public Speaking Myths

It’s time to set the record straight. ANYONE can be a fantastic, world-class speaker with a little bit of training, a little bit of coaching, and a little bit of practice. It doesn’t take years of study and practice. It also doesn’t require millions of investment. In fact, one of the things that I tell my clients early in our coaching sessions is, “Just about everything that you have ever learned about public speaking is wrong.”

In this article, I’m going to bust a few of the biggest myths about public speaking. Perhaps by identifying a few of these myths, one can reduce their presentation nervousness.

Myth 1: You have to be “a natural” to be a good speaker.

Reality: This one always makes me laugh because no one comes out of the womb speaking. Now, granted, if you have a nice sounding voice, you might have an advantage in front of a group. However, most great speakers become great at presenting because they really work at it. Every great speaker started out as a bad, or at least a mediocre, speaker.

Anyone can become a great public speaker. Tom Monaghan, founder of Domino’s Pizza and former owner of the Detroit Tigers, was born with a natural skill for operations, setting the industry standard for turning out pizzas in record time. But he would freeze in front of a crowd and joined Toastmasters to help him shine in front of large audiences.

Myth 2: Experienced speakers don’t get nervous.

Reality: The real secret is that public speaking is an EASY skill to master if you practice the right way. However, instead of doing things to decrease their nervousness, most new speakers work really hard to try to hide their nervousness. Surveys show that at least 90% of the population admits to feeling public speaking fear or stage fright. Surveys also show that over 45% of the population admit that the stage fright that they feel is so great that they avoid opportunities to present in front of groups.

Mark Twain said there are two types of speakers in the world: 1) the nervous and 2) liars. The trick to overcoming nerves is knowing that you’re in control. Before conquering his fear, billionaire investor Warren Buffett said he used to throw up before giving a presentation. Buffett practiced presenting in front of small groups until he became more comfortable and is now one of the most coveted speakers in the world.

Myth 3: Introverts aren’t great public speakers.

Reality: If you’re quiet, shy or otherwise introverted, you can be just as great at public speaking as any of your outgoing, gregarious colleagues. Susan Cain, a self-proclaimed introvert and author of the New York Times best-selling book, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, wanted to get comfortable speaking about her book in front of large groups, so she joined a local Public Speaking club. “Participation in the club gave me the ability to get used to public speaking in a way that was safe,” Cain says.

Myth 4: The best speeches are memorized.

Reality: Rehearse your speech in front of an audience who will provide you with valuable feedback, but don’t memorize it. Patricia Fripp, an award-winning keynote speaker, warns, “You should not memorize your entire presentation, but rather your opening, key points, and conclusion. Then, rehearse enough so you can ‘forget it.’”

Myth 5: You have to stand still behind a lectern when speaking.

Reality: The best speeches and TED Talks are often movement-based. When it works for your presentation, walking around and using hand gestures can give your speech a relaxed conversational style. Former NBA player Mark Eaton, center for the Utah Jazz, often felt inhibited by his towering 7-foot-4-inch frame until he learned how to use gestures and movement in his speeches. “I realized I have to learn how to let go of that self-consciousness and really learn how to be comfortable with who I am,” says Eaton.

Myth 6: It Takes Years to Become a Great Speaker

Reality: Public Speaking is just like any other skill in that when you practice and have success, you feel more confident about yourself. You also get better each time you have success. So the key to becoming a great speaker fast is to have a series of successes quickly.

If you want to gain presentation skills quickly, find a way to deliver four to six presentations with a really good coach in a short period of time. Ideally, if you can do it in a couple of days, you’ll grow quickly. The truth is that the time it will take you to become a great speaker depends entirely on how many times and how often you speak. It also depends on how many successes you can string together. If you speak 20 times in six months, you will definitely be more confident at the end of that time.