Myths vs Realities of Influential SpeakingMost business leaders know public speaking is a valuable skill. And many of them work hard at it.ย 
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They write their presentations, rehearse, and build slide decks.
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They give their speeches.
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But, they donโ€™t get the results they expect.
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Prospective customers donโ€™t buy their product or service.
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Their team doesnโ€™t buy into their message.
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Potential investors donโ€™t buy into their company.
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This leads to frustration, disappointment, and disillusionment. They may question their abilities as speakers and communicators.
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The problem isnโ€™t their capabilities. They donโ€™t understand the fundamentals of effective speaking.
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Therefore, to help with this skill, here are three common myths. And insights to overcome them to become a more influential and persuasive presenter:
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Public Speaking Myth #1

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โ€œGreat speakers are born that way.โ€
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Itโ€™s October 1994. Iโ€™m a Certified Financial Planner. Iโ€™m seated in my boss’s office. Weโ€™ve just reviewed evaluations from the last retirement planning workshop I had facilitated.
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And they arenโ€™t positive. Theyโ€™re so bad, in fact, that my boss says, โ€œYouโ€™re not a very good speaker. You need to fix this, or else.โ€
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That day I started calling around to ask for help. One of my friends suggested I attend a meeting of Toastmasters International. If youโ€™re not familiar with them, they help people manage their fear of speaking to become more effective presenters.
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One of the first lessons I learned is:
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Public speaking is like riding a bike, driving a car, or any other skillโ€ฆ itโ€™s learnable.
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I was always under the impression you were either born with the gift of speaking, or you werenโ€™t.
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Toastmasters, and later the National Speakers Association, taught me the fundamentals of speaking.
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The Reality of public speaking is:
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Great speakers are made, not born. You just have to discover the fundamentals and use them.
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Are you willing to take the time to learn and hone these valuable skills?
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Public Speaking Myth #2

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โ€œAudiences want you to share new informationโ€
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Think about a speaker youโ€™ve heard who was recognized as an expert in his or her field. This person gave useful information in an entertaining fashion, but at some point in the talk, you realized, โ€œEnough already! This is too much.โ€ You felt stuffed, like someone who had too much food at a holiday meal.
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This is not uncommon. Many leaders believe audiences want as much information as possible about their topic.
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They donโ€™t. Your audience has more information available through their mobile phones than you’ll ever be able to present.
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The Reality is:
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People donโ€™t want more information. They want your perspective and experience about your topic.
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Whatโ€™s your interpretation of the latest research?
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What experiences have you had, both positive and negative?
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What success stories can you share?
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Are you willing to do the work to share your perspective and cut out the information they can get elsewhere?
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Public Speaking Myth #3

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Only 7% of effective communication is based on the words you use.
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This myth has been perpetuated for over five decades. Itโ€™s based on the misinterpretation of a study done in 1967 by Dr. Albert Mehrabian.
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In his research, Dr. Mehrabian made this observation:
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When a person communicates with another and her words aren’t congruent with tone of voice, feelings, or energy, the listener will only believe words 7% of the time.
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Many people in the communication field, including highly paid professional speakers, have promoted this idea:
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โ€œWords account for only 7% of the impact in your communication.โ€
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This is not what Dr. Mehrabian claimed. In the years following his research, he has repeatedly attempted to contradict this myth.
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If words only account for 7% of communication, what does that say about email or text? Do the words only account for 7% of those types of communication?
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If you watched a movie or TV show in a foreign language you were not familiar with, would you understand the plot and the emotions at a 93% level?
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And my favorite example of this myth is:
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โ€œWeโ€™ve been waiting for previously agreed upon changes and modifications to be enacted, but they have failed to materialize.
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โ€œThe end users of these promised changes have been let down, many times at a tragic cost to them and their individual teams. This has had a massive impact on the bottom line at all levels of our great organization.
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โ€œTherefore, weโ€™ve assembled a committee and weโ€™re crafting a new vision and mission statement for immediate implementation to modify the current status and improve the user experience for all shareholders involved.
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In case you havenโ€™t figured it out, thatโ€™s Dr. Kingโ€™s most memorable speech boiled down to a few lines of corporate speak.
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If words donโ€™t matter, why didnโ€™t Dr. King provide a shortened version of his speech like this one at the March on Washington in 1963?
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Is it possible his eloquent message resonates six decades later because of the power of his words?
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Do you remember how he used his hands and body language?
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There are many myths that derail the impact of speeches. If the reality of these three myths resonates with you, youโ€™re on your way to improved speaking. Focus on the reality of these myths, and you’ll increase your influence and impact.
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If youโ€™d like more insights into public speaking skills, feel free to schedule a no-cost, no-obligation call with me. Iโ€™m happy to answer your questions. Feel free to schedule a 20 to 30-minute call with Michael Davis:
3 Costly Public Speaking Myths That Hurt Leaderโ€™s Influence ultima modifica: 2021-11-26T13:50:51-05:00 da Michael Davis