36. • The 10 most common rookie presentation mistakes
Terry Gault, The Henderson Group
http://speakfearlessly.net/10-most-common-rookie-mistakes-
in-public-speaking/
• The 10 Worst Body Language Presentation Mistakes
http://es.slideshare.net/soappresentations/the-10-worst-
body-language-presentation-mistakes
• Before public speaking….
http://www.ted.com/playlists/226/before_public_speaking
1. Using small scale movements and gesturesMost rookie presenters are afraid to take up too much space. This hesitance comes across like an apology to the audience. For more on this topic, check out our post titled “What the heck do I do with my hands?!?”
Mastery large gesture
2. Speaking with low energyActually, this problem is not restricted solely to rookie presenters. 80 – 90% of the presenters that I observe do not expend enough energy. Hence, they come across as uninvolved, uninteresting, and unenthusiastic. Crank up the energy level! You will command more attention and project more confidence and charisma. I cannot stress this strongly enough. For more, check out our video on Speaking With Passion.
Somos contadores de historias y anécdotas.
3. Playing it safeMany presenters, rookies included, avoid taking risks. As my mentor and co-founder of our company often said, “Not taking a risk is also a risk.” When your presentation content is too safe, it usually comes across as boring. When the most important ability as a speaker is the ability to garner attention, can you afford to avoid taking risks?
Tome riesgos en la exposición.
4. Not preparing enoughGranted, many rookie presenters don’t know how to prepare effectively other than preparing their media (PowerPoint, Keynote, Prezi, etc.). Experienced speakers do plenty of research so that they feel confident in their material and their ability to respond to any question the audience might throw at them. They daydream about their topic even during ‘down time’ and often find the most creative ideas when doing other activities. I often come up with great ideas while driving, shopping, or running. It’s important to go through multiple drafts or iterations of your material, revising and editing, to arrive at the most finished form of your talk.
Prepárese, modele, comparta la información, sienta el pulso del público, ajuste y continúe.
5. Not practicing enoughNot practicing your talks and presentations on your feet is one of the single biggest mistakes you can make. Experienced speakers will often do a dry run of their material with a trusted audience of friends, family, or colleagues. They will simulate the environment of their presentation using a projector and slide remote. They’ll choreograph their movements and gestures which will dramatically increase your ability to remember your material. They recognize areas of challenge (weak segues, awkward media transitions, etc.) and come up with tricks and tactics to help them flow seamlessly through their material.
El maestro alguna vez fue un principiante. La práctica hace al maestro.
Es bueno llevar ritmos, tiempos y conocer el discurso.
6. Presenting too much materialThough it’s always better to have more material than you need, you also need to know what you will cut if you run out of time. Rookie presenters feel compelled to get through all their material even if it means going past their allotted time. I’ve heard of speakers who have gone as much as 45 minutes over their time commitment. This is inexcusable. If you want to estimate how much time your talk will actually take in front of an audience, practice on your feet and time yourself. Expect your actual talk will take at least 25% longer and maybe even 50%. Speakers often expand even further on their topic when they see audience’s reactions.
Cuento corto, dulce y breve como un postre.
7. RushingRushing further exacerbates any existing delivery or content problem you may already have. Phrases will lose impact because you are rushing. Slowing down will make you seem far more poised and confident and experienced. Using more pauses will also:
a) Increase audience perception as well as your feeling of confidence and ease.b) Give your audience time to digest your key points and give those points greater impact.c) Give you time to formulate your thoughts into more succinct and cogent sentences.
S-l-o-w d-o-w-n!
Con medida y con ritmo.
8. Data centric presentationsIf your talk is focused on data rather than the vivid human story the data tells, you are in trouble. In the June 2013 issue of Fast Company magazine, Leslie Bradshaw, the COO of Guide is speaking about Big Data. She states: “The art is in preparing the content for optimal human consumption. The data doesn’t just talk back to you. You collect, you analyze, you tell stories. Think of an iceberg. Underneath the waterline are data storage and analysis. Those are your engineers and scientists. Up above is the interface. It’s both literal and narrative. It starts with the hard sciences–the math, the analytics–but it ends up with the softest: how to tell the story.”
Hay que hacerlas más humanas. Cuente una historia humana.
9. Avoiding vulnerabilityThis will seem very counter-intuitive to many young presenters but you must find ways to show vulnerability if you want to be seen as credible. If you are obviously trying to hard to seem perfect, savvy audiences will see through your act and become even more suspicious. Tells stories about times when you made dumb mistakes and then reveal what you learned. In Brene Brown’s talk on Vulnerabilty at TED, she states, “The original definition of courage, when it first came into the English language — it’s from the Latin word cor, meaning heart — and the original definition was to tell the story of who you are with your whole heart … very simply, the courage to be imperfect.”For more on vulnerability, here are some related posts on our blog.
Siéntase vulnerable en la exposición, haga que los demás quieran ayudar, colaborar o participar.
Muéstrese como es, no se guarde sus pequeñas imperfecciones que lo hacen ser usted.
10. Taking themselves way too seriouslyMany speakers tend to be very serious and formal. If they could bring more of their natural, informal style into their presentations, they would be more authentic and engaging. The stiff formality and rigid “professionalism” many tend to slip into when presenting may garner respect but respect only has value if people actually want to spend time with you. If you defer too much to your audience, you are projecting that you are not of an equal stature. Respect the audience’s professionalism but relate to their humanity informally. By speaking to them more informally, you project that you are equal. They will read that as confidence. As I often say to clients, “If you are not having fun, you are not doing it right.”
1. Crossing your arms/legs
When you cross your arms, you’re sending a subtle message that you’re not open to others and that you feel threatened. It looks to the audience as if you’re being defensive. And this is the exact opposite of the message you want to get across! Likewise, crossing your legs when you’re standing isn’t great either. It betrays nervousness and a lack of professionalism – again, things you don’t want to convey!
-When you’re delivering a presentation you should be facilitating communication. You should come across as approachable. And you should look as if you have confidence in your message. To achieve this, keep your back straight, your head high, and your chest and arms “open.”
2. Turning your back on the audience
Never turn your back on an audience unless you want to lose them totally the minute you do it. Turning your back tells an audience you don’t really care about them – it’s just plain rude.
-People need to see your face, your eyes and your mouth if they’re going to be able to engage with you. So if you want to draw attention to something on the screen, just turn sideways and point. A laser pointer may be a help here.
3. Avoiding Eye Contact
Avoiding eye contact is something insecure people do unconsciously, to avoid confrontation. But a presenter needs to feel secure and confident, and one way of showing this is to look people in the eye.
-When you look people in the eye they will in turn pay more attention to you and to what you’re saying because they’ll feel engaged and a part of your communication.
4. Staring at a single spot in the audience
Staring at a single spot in the audience area is never a good choice. Because people notice when you’re not looking at anybody and, just like making upward eye movements, staring at a single spot makes you look like you’re not sure of yourself.
-Instead, try to look at various people in the audience. This way, audience members will feel that they matter and they’ll pay close attention.
5. Standing in the same position for an entire presentation
If you’re a presenter who stands in the same place because you’re afraid to trip and fall, you need to know that the odds on this are really high! To avoid this fear, wear comfortable shoes. Stilettos not recommended!
-We’ve said it before, but the brain needs movement to stay alert. And moving in the space around you when you’re presenting is a powerful way to keep an audience attentive. So don’t waste this powerful tool because you’re afraid of something that almost never happens.
6. Walking too fast and for too long
Although we do advise you to walk in the space around you, don’t overdo it. If you’re constantly walking, or if you’re walking too fast, people will think you’re nervous and they’ll start to feel nervous too. Clearly, that’s not your goal!
-You should move whenever moving makes sense and helps to convey a message. For example, if you’re addressing somebody in the audience, move to a spot where you’re closer to that person. If you’re presenting a list of three different points, talk about point 1 when you’re at your first position, then take two or three steps and talk about point 2, and then take two or three more steps to talk about point 3.
7. Repeating gestures… a lot
Have you seen the presenter who’s always making the same gestures, regardless of the messages being conveyed? Does that make sense? No, it doesn’t. Your gestures should serve to emphasize your messages and not be a crutch when you don’t know what to do with your hands.
-You should gesture when it makes sense and when the gesture helps to convey a message. Otherwise, gestures are only obstacles to communication. So try to vary your gestures as much as you can, but let them come in a natural way.
8. Fidgeting
Fidgeting means nervousness, and nervousness is a total distraction. An audience ends up focusing on the fidgeting and not paying attention to what’s being said, so no message gets across. Clearly not what you want!
-To avoid fidgeting, make sure you’re aware of it. Being conscious of your body and of your body language is the only way to avoid fidgeting. And one of the best ways to be aware of your body language when you’re presenting is to do a full presentation rehearsal, preferably with an audience, and film yourself doing it. That video will tell you just how much you fidget under spotlight conditions.
9. Forgetting to smile
If you don’t smile at your audience, they’ll probably see you as earnest but maybe even severe. So they’ll probably avoid asking questions. And they’ll certainly not participate in any discussion you may want to start. And your entire presentation will be compromised.
-Smiling is a great way to make an audience feel comfortable and willing to listen.
10. Speaking too fast, too slow or too low
If you speak too fast, people will have a hard time following. If you speak too slow or to low, they’ll probably fall asleep! Either way, your message will be compromised and your presentation goal won’t be reached.
-A presenter’s voice is one of his/ her most powerful tools, but the presenter must know how to use it wisely. Find the right volume and tone, emphasize important words and expressions, and articulate every syllable. If you do this, people will understand you and naturally follow what you’re saying.