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Considering how many things can go wrong with a presentation, you would think that people would leave nothing to chance. Surely it would be in a presenter’s best interest to ensure that the only possible disasters are ones that are out of their control. Sadly, though, far too many presenters create their own disasters, and then put other people in the uncomfortable position of watching them flop.
The good news is that these self-made disasters are easily prevented! Following are some presentation bellyflops to avoid.
1. Not preparing or practicing adequately ?#147; It’s amazing how many people will stand up to speak in public without having rehearsed, or even organized their thoughts. It takes a rare talent to speak extemporaneously, even in your area of expertise. Sit down, outline and develop your ideas, prepare an opening and closing, and then practice. Repeat the presentation to yourself, to a mirror, to your cat, your roommate, your spouse, whoever is willing to sit still and listen to it. Get comfortable with the words, with the way the ideas flow together. Work out the kinks and smooth the rough spots. Figure out the timing, and remember that you’ll tend to rush in front of a live audience. Practice makes perfect ?#147; you’ll sound more confident, and you’ll have a polished presentation to deliver, not just a bunch of words.
2. Not knowing the room or the equipment ?#147; Never let a silly thing like a bad layout or unfamiliar projector throw your game. Check the lay of the land ahead of time, adjust your approach as necessary, and find an AV person to help with any technical questions. Your audience doesn’t want to watch you fiddle with knobs and cables for fifteen minutes, nor do they want to watch you fall on your face because you didn’t notice the podium is on a riser.
3. Opening with an apology - You may well be nervous, or uncomfortable with public speaking, or tired. Never apologize for it. Your audience is not going to be any more forgiving of mistakes because you apologize for them in advance ?#147; in fact, it may just put them on the watch for faults. Instead, open with confidence, even if you don’t feel that confident. Give them something to think about. A strong opening is one of the keys to a great presentation.
4. Going nowhere ?#147; Every presentation has to have a purpose. Your audience is not there to listen to you ramble, however interesting the subject matter might be. Determine in advance what your message is and what you want its impact to be. Build your presentation on that framework. Only include material that is relevant to your purpose, and close with a call to action. What is the audience supposed to do about the information you have presented to them?
5. Reading the slideshow ?#147; Repeat after me: I am the presenter. My slideshow is not my presentation. Nobody wants to listen to you read a slideshow that they are perfectly capable of reading for themselves. The slideshow is there to support YOUR presentation, not the other way around. Easy fix: prepare your presentation first, then design the slideshow to emphasize and highlight your main points.
6. Using the wrong language ?#147; You are speaking to an audience. An audience is made up of people who may or may not know the same things you know or see things the way you see them. Always take your audience’s needs and interests into account, and use language accordingly. If the audience members are unlikely to understand your technical jargon or acronyms, avoid using them. If their interest is in the bottom line, don’t get bogged down in other details. If they need specifics, don’t gloss over with a summary. Speak TO your audience, not at them.
7. Avoiding eye contact ?#147; When you keep staring at your notes, at the slideshow, at the podium ?#147; anywhere but at your audience ?#147; it does not inspire confidence in your expertise or your message. Not only that, but the audience’s interest will start to wander. Eye contact is nonverbal communication. It creates a connection between you and your audience. Embrace that connection, don’t avoid it.
8. Trying for the laugh ?#147; The old advice to open with a joke to get the audience on your side is, frankly, old advice. Most people don’t have great comedic timing, and trying to liven up your presentation with bad witticisms isn’t going to win you friends. If you have a talent for comedy, go ahead and use it, but honestly, most of us don’t. You will probably be better off without.
9. Getting off course ?#147; Interruptions, questions, or wandering trains of thought can derail your whole presentation. Let everyone know up front whether you’ll be taking questions or allowing comments during the presentation, or if you’ll follow with a Q&A. Plan ahead for questions you might need to field and know how you will answer them. If you get off track, get back on it.
10. Ending badly ?#147; Your presentation needs to have a definite conclusion. Some presenters seem to just stop when they run out of words, or when they realize they’re repeating themselves. This is reflective of poor preparation. Remember, you have a purpose. Your presentation has been leading up to something ?#147; what is it? What is the final thought your want to leave the audience with? How do you want them to feel about it, and what do you want them to do? Summarize your thoughts, deliver a call to action, and unless you like having people glare at you, don’t run overtime!
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