5 Big Presentation Mistakes

We all have made mistakes when giving a presentation. But, here are the five biggest mistakes we can make...and how to avoid them:

1. Don’t start like Gumby if you want to end like superman
Don’t start by whimpering “Thank you for that kind introduction.” Start with a wow factor! Entice your audience with an intriguing story…give them a startling statistic…build their interest with a quip or a quote. Whatever it is, make sure it is powerful and will get their attention immediately.

2. Don’t call it a speech if you are just going to read
Don’t read your speech or presentation word for word. Many a great business leader has put the audience to sleep by reading to them. Instead, use an outline. Refer to your outline to prompt your thoughts, then look at your audience and speak to them. Think of your presentation as large conversation.

3. If you want your audience to go away…end with a Q & A
A major pitfall is to end your exceptional speech with a question and answer session. You open yourself up, and your audience, the opportunity to publically shoot holes in your presentation. Instead, close with a review of your key ideas and conclude with a call to action.

If you have to have a question and answer session, here a few ideas:

• Make it electronic: allow people to post a discussion thread or send you an email. Notify everyone in attendance that you will be uploading a FAQ document in a couple of days post-presentation.
  
• Control the questions: funnel your questions by asking, “what questions do you have about (insert your first sub-topic)…” Once you have captured questions for each of your sub-topics, and then proceed to your powerful conclusion.
  

4. If you fail to prepare, you better prepare to fail
If you don’t put in the work up front, you can’t expect the outcome to be favorable. Preparation is crucial to presentation success. Every time you face an audience you are putting your (and your companies) reputation on the line. The surest way to make a great impression is to prepare in advance. Be sure to know a few crucial elements:

• Who are you talking to?
  
• Why are you talking to them?
  
• What is the occasion / event?
  
• What is your communication goal?
  

5. Be ready for a lash’n if you ain’t got passion
Passion is contagious. We have all heard someone who is really excited and passionate about what they do or say. When you walk away from that person you know what their position is and, without question, what they were communicating.

The more passion you can convey about your topic, the more likely your audience will be to act on your information and suggestions. If you lack passion, your audience will surely tell you by their feedback, both verbal and nonverbal. So, give them something to talk about with your passion.

You like this info? Need to sharpen your presentations skills for the big meeting or your next company wide meeting? Get an executive speech coach today!

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