We try to save our energy by using mental shortcuts, otherwise we would have to work out everything out by ourselves. We use cues to guide us through many situations, allowing us to save our mental energy. One result is that an audience usually takes what we present to them as fact.
The speaker is perceived as an expert and his statements are tuned to the audience. Basically that is how it works in most cases. So, that is good news. By default, people will trust you and be interested in what you have to say. As a speaker, you enjoy the advantage of being regarded as an expert. Well, that can be disturbing, argues the presentationmagazine.com website.
It is your responsibility
What does it imply? It would be dangerous to slip into taking your beliefs for granted and present them as facts. We tend to believe what we hear from someone else. The risk is we might be fooling ourselves. We may believe that we are objective while in reality we are not. You need to provide facts and evidence for your statements, no matter how many times you repeat them.
If you suffer from exaggerated pre-presentation self-confidence, use the following three antidotes.
Antidote 1: Sources
First, when you are presenting, think about whether you are able to cite the source as a fact. This will help you to distinguish facts from statements of your opinions.
Antidote 2: Help from critical colleague
If you have someone who can challenge you, ask him to watch your rehearsal and check your presentation. Ask your colleague to stop you every time you make an assertion that could be questioned.
Antidote 3: Self-check
Record yourself and check whether you are presenting the absolute truth. Warning signals are words such are always, never, all, none… These signals can help you if you don’t trust your colleague or when you do not have time to set up a practice session.
-jk-