Public speaking misconceptions: What people often get wrong

Public speaking is not an easy skill to excel at. Getting up on stage in front of an audience that is laser-focused on you requires meticulous preparation and consistent improvement. With public speaking being such a demanding task, misconceptions inevitably arise. These unverified beliefs either restrict people from venturing into this field or distort their perception of it. Therefore, it is essential to clear them up.

• Nervousness means you are not prepared enough

This is, perhaps, the most believed misconception about public speaking. However, it could not be further from the truth. Feeling nervous is not negative. Even experienced conference speakers get nervous. It is okay to feel nervous before performing such a significant task. The key is to acknowledge it and channel it into energy. However, it is not right for nervousness to fully take over your speech.

• Not maintaining eye contact and filler words are the biggest sins

This is not true at all. The objective while addressing an audience is to come across as a natural speaker. Therefore, constantly maintaining eye contact can come across as robotic. It is perfectly fine to sporadically look at the document you might be carrying or the screen in front of you.

Similarly, filler words are not always a major issue. Short pauses and the occasional "um" or "uh" can signal that you are carefully considering your next point, especially when discussing complex topics. However, these should not become so frequent that they distract from your message. A public speaking coach can help identify and reduce unnecessary filler words while preserving a natural speaking style.

• You need a perfect vocabulary to be a great speaker

People often hear speakers use big words and think that all speeches require the same level of vocabulary to be acceptable. However, that is not the case. The primary objective of public speaking is to convey your point clearly. Therefore, you should prepare your speech in accordance with your own vocabulary.

• You must learn your whole speech

This is not true. Constantly looking at your pages can come across as being unprepared. However, having the whole speech memorized to the last sentence is equally untrue. You should memorize it as much as you can. But do not fixate on each sentence and word. This allows for a more natural flow.

• Speakers need to be fast and have a loud voice

It is a myth to think that speaking fast does not make you sound more confident. Rather, it is highly disadvantageous. It not only makes you incomprehensible but also increases the risk of misspeaking. Therefore, it is essential to speak at your natural pace and deliver each sentence clearly. Moreover, speaking louder is not correlated with being a good speaker. It is recommended to speak at a normal volume and rely on the mic and speakers to relay the message.

Conclusion

Public speaking is not an easy skill. However, it is also not impossible to master. While self-learning is beneficial, having a public speaking coach can make a real difference in your pursuit to excel at it.