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Why Most Public Speaking Advice is Complete Rubbish (And What Actually Works)
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Here's something that'll get me in trouble with half the training industry: most public speaking courses are teaching you to fake being confident instead of actually becoming confident. And that's exactly why 78% of people still rank public speaking as their number one fear, even after expensive training.
I've been running workshops across Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth for the past 18 years, and I can tell you right now - the "imagine your audience in their underwear" crowd has done more damage to workplace presentations than PowerPoint transitions ever could.
The problem isn't that you're scared. The problem is everyone's telling you to pretend you're not.
The Real Issue Nobody Talks About
Let me share something that happened at a corporate training session in Sydney last month. Senior marketing manager, 15 years experience, absolutely brilliant at her job. Couldn't string two sentences together in front of the executive team without her voice shaking like a paint mixer.
Standard advice? "Just breathe deeply and imagine you're talking to friends."
Complete bollocks.
She wasn't scared of talking. She was scared of being judged professionally by people who controlled her career trajectory. That's a completely rational fear that deserves respect, not dismissal.
What Actually Happens in Your Brain (The Bit They Don't Mention)
Your amygdala doesn't care that Janet from accounts seems friendly. It knows that tribal rejection historically meant death, so it's flooding your system with the same chemicals your ancestors needed to outrun a sabre-tooth tiger.
You can't think your way out of a biological response. But you can work with it.
The companies doing this right - and I'm thinking of places like Atlassian and REA Group here - they understand that confidence comes from competence, not positive thinking. Their people present well because they've been given genuine skills, not platitudes about courage.
The Three Things That Actually Work
First: Start with your content structure. I don't care how charismatic you think you need to be - if your message is unclear, you'll feel uncertain delivering it. Use the SBI model: Situation, Behaviour, Impact. Works for presentations just like it works for difficult conversations.
Most people try to wing it. Bad move. Your brain needs a roadmap when it's under stress.
Second: Practice the first 30 seconds until you could deliver them during a fire drill. Not the whole presentation - just the opening. Once you nail the start, momentum carries you forward. It's like learning to drive - you don't need to see the whole journey, just the next few metres.
Third: Change your relationship with nervousness instead of trying to eliminate it. Those butterflies? That's your system preparing to perform at its peak. Every great presenter I know still gets nervous. The difference is they've learned to interpret the feeling as excitement rather than fear.
The Bit About Authenticity (That Everyone Gets Wrong)
Here's where I'm going to lose the personal development crowd: you don't need to be yourself up there. You need to be the professional version of yourself.
I learned this the hard way during a presentation to the Victorian Department of Education back in 2019. Tried to be "authentic" by cracking jokes and being too casual. Crashed and burned spectacularly.
The professional version of you is still you - just with better preparation and clearer intentions. When someone like Hamish Blake presents at corporate events, he's not being the same guy who mucks around on radio. He's being Professional Hamish, and there's nothing fake about that.
Why Most Training Misses the Mark
Traditional presentation skills courses focus on technique: stand up straight, make eye contact, use gestures. All useful, but they're treating symptoms instead of causes.
The real work happens before you step on stage. It's about knowing your material so well that you could discuss it casually over coffee. It's about having a clear point of view worth sharing. It's about respecting your audience enough to properly prepare.
I see too many people trying to become presenters before they become experts in their own content. That's like trying to become a chef without learning to cook.
The Practical Stuff (That Actually Helps)
Record yourself presenting to an empty room. Sounds weird, feels worse, works brilliantly. You'll spot your verbal tics, realise your content gaps, and get comfortable with the sound of your own voice saying important things.
Find your physical anchor. Could be pressing your thumb and forefinger together, could be feeling your feet on the ground. Something that connects you to the present moment when your mind starts spiralling into "what if" scenarios.
Build your tolerance gradually. Start with team meetings, move to client presentations, then larger groups. Your nervous system needs time to adjust. You wouldn't run a marathon without training your legs; don't expect to present to the board without training your stress response.
The Technology Trap
PowerPoint has become a crutch for people who haven't done the thinking work. If you can't explain your key points without slides, you're not ready to present them with slides.
Best presentation I ever saw was from a guy at a Melbourne startup who had technical difficulties and couldn't use his deck. He just talked us through his ideas for 20 minutes. No slides, no props, just clear thinking clearly expressed.
That's the standard you're aiming for.
What Success Actually Looks Like
You'll know you're getting somewhere when you stop thinking about how you're coming across and start focusing on whether your audience understands your message.
Great presenting isn't about being smooth or polished. It's about being useful. When you've got something genuinely valuable to share, and you know how to structure it clearly, the delivery takes care of itself.
The fear doesn't disappear completely - I still get butterflies before important presentations. But now I interpret those butterflies as my system getting ready to do something that matters.
And that makes all the difference.
For more insights on workplace communication challenges, check out our advice section or explore our stress management training options.