2-Minute Tips: Public Speaking and Presenting No-nos!
TODAY’S TOPIC:
“What makes my presentations mediocre?”
Apologies, qualifiers, long wind-ups and too many “thank yous” will mark you as an amateur. Listen up to find out what you should do.
This month, I’m sharing some of my big Public Speaking and Presentation No-Nos. All of these have one thing in common: They are common tactics used by amateurs and nervous speakers trying to delay their speech or wade in gently.
The problem is your audience doesn’t want you to wade in gently. Begin with a bang! Grab their attention! They’re here to hear you speak - not beat around the bush.
The more you beat around the bush, the less confident you sound. And this impacts your ability to influence your audience.
I urge you to speak boldly and with confidence - even if you don’t feel confident.
MEMO 1:
Avoid the lengthy wind-up to your speech
It’s so tiresome, the speaker who opens their speech by telling you every single little thing that led up to this moment: “When Sally first invited me to speak, I thought, ‘Why is she inviting me?’ then I realized….” [audience slumps forward from boredom.] Listen to hear the right way to start a speech.
MEMO 2:
Don’t over-thank your audience, the host, or the venue
Another amateur mark, and a great way to delay your speech, is to thank everyone right down to the bartender for your chance to be here, speaking to an audience. Don’t do it. It wastes time and shows your inexperience.
Memo 3:
Stop apologizing when you present!
Yes, if you truly do something wrong, like spill coffee on an attendee (ask me how I know), you should apologize. But unnecessary apologies put a dent in your credibility, and create a negative image of the speaker for the audience. Don’t give your audience a reason not to like you. Listen for examples.
MEMO 4:
Don’t use qualifiers.
There’s no reason to put a negative into your audience’s mind. Explaining up top what you think will go wrong will not get the audience on your side - quite the opposite. Take your stage and speak strong - even if you don’t feel strong.
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