Mark Twain once said: There are two kinds of speakers: those that are nervous and those that are liars. Twain hit the nail on the head with this quote, didn’t he? Are you one that makes an occasional, or even frequent, presentations? If you are or aren’t, you know it’s expected to get nervous before public presentations, no matter the size of the audience. If you have ever made a presentation where your nerves got the best of you, you know which of your presentation skills need the most work. You want to avoid mistakes from being made a second time.
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Are you aware that the fear of public speaking (glossophobia) is the greatest public fear? 41% of the public suffers from speech anxiety.
Here are the eight most common mistakes presenters make and what actions you must take to prevent them from happening a second time:
Don’t know the material
The number one cause of speech anxiety is not knowing the topic of your presentation well enough. All the other 5 most common mistakes can be cured, but if you have picked a topic where you were not an expert, chances are, you will still suffer from too much anxiety.
What to do
The solution is certainly not rocket science. It starts with picking a topic that you know hands down. And avoid things you are just beginning to learn.
Not prepared
There are two ways to be not prepared. The first is that you are the expert, and they’ve come to hear you speak. The common impulse is to tell them everything you know. You know so much about the topic, that you jump from here to there and back again talking about everything there is to know about your brand new widget.
In this mode, no one can follow the thread of the presentation. That is your first big mistake.
The second mistake is to go too much off the cuff and not worry about the organization of your material.
I am always amazed at how many people who tell me that they don’t prepare for their speeches; they prefer to speak off the cuff.
What to do
Be clear, concise, and considerate. The best way to organize your material is around the rule of threes, something I consider magic. Use the K.I.S.S. principle (Keep It Simple Silly) when designing a presentation. The audience will be more likely to retain the information.
You MUST plan and prepare no matter if you are speaking for 10 minutes or 10 times that. NO one likes to listen to someone ramble, meander, digress or repeat themselves. Aim for your comfort level, not perfection, as over-preparation has a tendency to make you stale and dulls your passion.
Pay special attention to knowing your introduction and conclusion cold. Practice out loud and work on your flow, tone and body language.
Trying to memorize
Trying to memorize the content rarely works … it will show no matter how good you are. Someone has a question.
Panic sets in. You never prepared for questions and all you know about this topic is what is written on the slides.
What to do
Know your material so well, that you could easily do the presentation without an electronic enhancement such as PowerPoint. Nothing will ruin your credibility as a presenter faster, than not knowing everything about your topic.
Use keywords and phrases and include only essential information to keep the audience focused and interested in what you are saying, not what you are showing. Be prepared for questions and know the answers.
Presentation skills … fumbling with technology
We have all been there when we panic when the technology fails or we fail to operate it properly. The panic puts more pressure on and creates more cascading mistakes.
What to do
Always get to the site of your presentation early; the day before if possible, but at least a half hour before you’re scheduled to appear. When you arrive early you have the opportunity to familiarize yourself with the room in which you’ll be speaking, and all the technology you will be using
Check all the equipment and practice (not rehearse) your presentation, using this projector long before your time to present. If possible, check the lighting in the room you will be presenting in, prior to your time in the limelight. Make sure you know how to adjust the lights.
And finally, always be prepared with backup plans. Carry an extra projector bulb. Prepare a structured mini-version talk around 5 main points in case you need to go without your projector altogether.
Related post: 10 Extraordinary Ways for Learning to Learn
Presenter mistakes … not familiar with the audience
If you are not familiar with the audience, it is impossible to tailor your presentation to this crowd. This is a key ingredient for any presentation.
What to do
Well ahead of your presentation; ask the organizers and session chairman for the demographics and level of expertise of the group. Always get to the site of your presentation early. When you arrive early you have the opportunity to meet some of your audience members; a great way to break the ice and increase your comfort level.
Most importantly, you can mention them or their area of expertise in your speech and exponentially increase audience interest.
Effective presentation techniques … off to a bad start
Audiences evaluate a presenter within the first 120 seconds of the presentation. Presenters who make a bad first impression most often lose credibility and diminish their ability to effectively communicate. This is a tough mistake to overcome.
What to do
We have already discussed the importance of practice emphasis, particularly on this section of the presentation. Getting off to a great start is a real confidence builder.
I always tried to eliminate introductions if possible and tell an opening story. And don’t worry about following a great presentation, as that is a great way for the audience to get warmed up.
No presentation objectives
If you don’t know what your audience should do at the end of your presentation, there is no need for you to present. Knowing your objectives is the key to developing an effective presentation.
As Seth Godin has said: every presentation worth doing has just one purpose and that is to make a change happen. No change, no point. A presentation that doesn’t seek to make change is a waste of time and energy.
What to do
Establish a solid call to action for what change you wish to happen as a result of your talk. Ensure all elements of your pitch support this call to action.
Ineffective close
Closing your presentation is extremely important … duh. The close allows you to tie up the presentation and spell out what you want your audience “to do”.
A weak close can kill a presentation, no matter how well the pitch went before the close. The closing is what the audience will take home with them.
What to do
There are two essential things you must accomplish with your close. First, keep it organized and simple to understand. And second, spent lots of time practicing … know the material so you could deliver in your sleep.
Going Long
It is NEVER, NEVER a good idea to speak for longer than your allotted time. You should either end a few minutes early or finish right on time.
In fact, if you are one of many speakers, and you’re speaking right before lunch or worse, just before the end of the day, make yourself a hero and go 10 minutes short.
What to do
There are lots of ways to get extra information without going long. You can make yourself available for questions at lunch, cocktail hour, etc.
Those who want to hear more will seek you out. Everyone else will LOVE you simply for being sympathetic to their empty stomachs and full minds.
Do you have a lesson about making mistakes from one of your presentations you can share with this community? Have any questions or comments to add in the section below?
So what’s the conclusion? The conclusion is there is no conclusion. There is only the next step. And that next step is completely up to you.
It’s up to you to keep improving your ability in learning to learn. Lessons are all around you. In many situations, your competitor may be providing the ideas and or inspiration. But the key is in knowing that it is within you already.
It’s up to you to keep improving your continuous learning from all around in your environment.
All you get is what you bring to the fight. And that fight gets better every day you learn and apply new lessons.
When things go wrong, what’s most important is your next step.
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All you get is what you bring to the fight. And that fight gets better every day you learn and apply new ideas.
When things are not what you want them to be, what’s most important is your next step. Call today.
Test. Learn. Improve. Repeat.
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Mike Schoultz is the founder of Digital Spark Marketing, a digital marketing and customer service agency. With 40 years of business experience, he blogs on topics that relate to improving the performance of your business. Find them on G+, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Digital Spark Marketing will stretch your thinking and your ability to adapt to change. We also provide some fun and inspiration along the way. Call us for a free quote today. You will be amazed at how reasonable we will be.
More reading on learning from Digital Spark Marketing’s Library:
The Nine Most Valuable Secrets of Writing Effective Copy
How Good Is your Learning from Failure?
10 Extraordinary Ways for Learning to Learn
Continuous Learning Holds the Keys to Your Future Success
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8 Presentation Skills Mistakes That Are Rarely Made Twice