The Ten Biggest Public Speaking Myths and How to Bust Them!

President John F. Kennedy said, "The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie -- deliberate, contrived and dishonest, but the myth, persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic. Belief in myths allows the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought."

According to George Orwell, "Myths which are believed in tend to become true." That's like the "Big Lie." The Big Lie occurs when a lie is repeated so often people consider it the truth. Often, belief in the Big Lie prevents people from achieving greater outcomes in their lives.

Public speaking myths abound. Many treat them as "gospel," and don't see the illogic in them. Public speaking myths are -- big lies. And they hold you back from achieving peak presentation performance.

Here we’ll examine ten presentation myths and explain how to free yourself from them to improve your speaking performance. The ten myths are...

1. You need to be nervous or anxious when presenting.

2. The speaker needs no introduction.

3. If you know your topic, you can just wing it.

4. Tell your audience you're nervous and they'll support you.

5. If you can't tell a joke properly, you can't be funny.

6. Technical presentations should inform, not entertain.

7. Content is the most important aspect of a presentation.

8. If you have a loud voice, you don't need a microphone.

9. Telling a joke is the best way to start a presentation.

10. Experienced speakers are the most effective.

*Myth #1 -- You Need to Be Nervous or Anxious When Presenting.*

This is one of the most damaging myths to believe. If you're nervous, anxious, and fearful about doing something, you'll lack the needed confidence to be effective at it.

Do you think surgeons, lawyers, and professional athletes are nervous, anxious, and fearful when they perform? Obviously, not. Do you think steel workers, airline pilots, and fire fighters must be nervous, anxious, and fearful to perform effectively? We don't think so. What about corporate leaders, software engineers, and astronauts? Not a chance.

So why would you think only a speaker HAS to be nervous, anxious, and fearful to be effective? That doesn't make sense! And it isn't true. It's a massive myth.

Starting today, replace that myth with this belief. "You need to feel confident and powerful when presenting." Then, find the root cause of your negative feelings and work on eliminating those feelings and replacing them with positive ones. If you need assistance, seek out a professional coach who doesn't hold that myth, and who can help you.

*Myth #2 -- The Speaker Needs No Introduction.*

How many times have you heard this said? It usually sounds like this, "Our next speaker needs no introduction, so here's Joe Shmoe."

Here's an important rule of thumb. Every presenter, even a well-known one, needs an introduction. The introduction tells the audience why the speaker is eminently qualified to address the audience on the topic. An exception to this rule would be where no speaker on the program gets a formal introduction.

So don't believe this myth. Instead, when you give a presentation, make sure you prepare an introduction for your introducer. If you're tasked to introduce a speaker, get an introduction from the presenter.

*Myth #3 -- If You Know Your Topic, You Can Just Wing It.*

Take a lesson from professional athletes. They're constantly practicing the basics both physically and mentally. Why should a presenter be any different? This myth, if followed, usually leads to presentation disaster.

When you present, you're providing information that the audience needs. So, you should know your topic. More importantly, you need to transmit this information in an interesting, clear, well- constructed manner. This takes planning, organizing, and practice.

So don't believe that just because you know your subject you can "wing it." Learn the art of organization and construction. Learn how to "spice up" your presentations. Practice out loud and prepare mentally. Like professional athletes, have a game plan. Your presentations will be content rich, clear, and interesting.

The late business leader and author, Harold Geneen wrote "We must not be hampered by yesterday's myths in concentrating on today's needs." Determine not to believe these public speaking myths that hamper your performance. Free yourself from them, and watch your performance soar.

*Myth #4 -- Tell Your Audience You're Nervous and They'll Support You.*

This seems logical. If you tell a friend, or even a stranger, that you're feeling ill, the person will empathize with you. Unfortunately, that doesn't always hold true in front of an audience.

Your audience reflects, or mirrors, your energy, attitude, and demeanor. If you're nervous but don't show it, your audience cannot mirror your discomfort.

If you fess up and telegraph how you feel, your audience will feel "nervous" about the experience they might be in for. When you're a speaker, you're the leader of that audience. People feel more comfortable with leaders who aren't nervous or anxious. So keep negative feelings to yourself, and don't share your nervousness with your audience.

*Myth #5 -- If You Can't Tell a Joke Properly, You Can't Be Funny.*

Don't believe this blatantly untrue idea. Jokes are just one form of humor. You can still be funny and not be skilled in the art of telling a joke.

In baseball, if you can't hit a home run, does that mean you can't be a good hitter? No. You just can't hit a home run!

If you can't tell a joke, you can be funny, or entertaining in other ways. You can tell an anecdote, such as an embarrassing moment, that your audience can relate to and laugh about. You can display a humorous cartoon or picture. You can share a funny quote.

In some presentations, jokes are inappropriate. Yet, you can spice up those presentations with other forms of humor.

*Myth #6 -- Technical Presentations Should Inform, Not Entertain.*

Most presentations, including technical ones, should have elements of entertainment. Research shows that the most effective communications are those that engage the logical and emotional sides of your brain. By constructing technical presentations to be mostly informative and somewhat entertaining, you enable greater learning.

For example, Allan Misch helped a manager prepare a presentation for a technical conference. He was the last speaker on the program. He had a well-deserved reputation for giving dull presentations and didn't want his audience to leave before he finished. Allan gave him five bits of humor that he included in his program. Everyone stayed for his presentation, and people told him that it was the best they heard.

In another case, Allan Kaufman once coached someone who gave boring week long technical workshops. He feared for his job after he got very poor evaluations from the participants. After a coaching session, he added humor and workshop exercises, asked more questions, and lectured less. He got the best evaluations ever and saved his job. Do the same and you may even get a raise!

So avoid being caught up in the big lies. Your audience won't support you if you reveal that you're nervous. You can still be funny even if you're not good at telling jokes. You can make technical presentations entertaining and still be effective and credible.

Artist, Brad Holland, said, "Postmodernists believe that truth is myth, and myth, truth. This equation has its roots in pop psychology. The same people also believe that emotions are a form of reality. There used to be another name for this state of mind. It used to be called psychosis."

Don't be deluded by these public speaking myths. Open your eyes and see beyond them. The truth will set you free.

*Myth # 7 -- Content Is the Most Important Aspect of a Presentation*

When presenting, you have two goals -- image goals and substance goals.

Substance is your content, and it is important. If your presentation lacks meaningful content, you waste your audience's time.

Image is the feeling you want your audience to have about you. Within a few days after your presentation, your audience will have forgotten most of your content. However, they will retain the image you left with them.

So, make sure your content meets their needs. But more importantly, make sure you project the right image to be believable and memorable.

*Myth 8 -- If You Have a Loud Voice, You Don't Need a Microphone*

Allan Misch was on a multi-speaker program in an auditorium. The audience sat in the front six rows. The speakers preceding him did not use a microphone. They spoke loudly but were barely heard and appeared weak. Allan used a microphone and looked powerful.

When you speak to a small audience in a venue with a public address system, use the microphone. Everyone will hear every word, and you will leave your audience with a powerful impression. A microphone doesn't just make your voice louder. It gives your voice power, and power is related to image.

*Myth #9 -- Telling a Joke Is The Best Way to Start a Presentation*

Using humor in your opening is appropriate, but it is not necessarily the best way to start your presentation. It depends on your audience, the occasion, and other factors.

Instead, analyze how you should open. You might need to start with a question, dramatic statement, quote, or anecdote.

*Myth #10 -- Experienced Speakers Are the Most Effective*

When Allan Misch learned to ski, he and his friend went to a ski resort for a week. He signed up for daily ski lessons. He asked his friend if he planned to take any lessons. He said, "No, I've been skiing for ten years."

At the end of the week, Allan’s skill level was almost the same as his friend’s. Allan thought, "You haven't been skiing for ten years. You've been skiing one year, ten times."

Just because someone has experience, it does not mean they are more skilled than someone with less experience. It just means that they have been doing it longer.

The most effective speakers are the most skilled speakers, not necessarily the most experienced. To be effective, develop your skills.

So be wise and avoid the myth trap. Have good content, but pay attention to your image goals. Use the microphone when it's available no matter how loud your voice is. Start with a joke only when it is appropriate. And become skilled, not just experienced, if you want to be effective. Journalist and author Hunter S. Thompson wrote, "We love them [myths] for the extra dimension they provide, the illusion of near-infinite possibility to erase the narrow confines of most men's reality." Bust those illusory myths, and you will be a more dynamic speaker.

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Allan and Allan are public speaking coaches and trainers, specializing in helping professionals get rid of their speaking fears rapidly and develop effective speaking skills. You can contact them at nosweatspeaking.com