Top 10 Ways to Butcher Your Presentation and How to Avoid Them!
By Arvee Robinson
1. Getting there late. Walking frantically into a room full of people who have been waiting for you to arrive can be an embarrassing situation. Unless you are a magician, you might as well turn around and leave. It would take a miracle to get this audience to forget the inconvenience you have caused them. They probably have already passed judgment on you, deciding you're an inconsiderate speaker rather than a viable expert in your field. Make the extra effort to arrive at least ½ hour before the event begins.
2. Apologizing before you start. Starting off your presentation with "Uh, I'm sorry that I . . ." is the quickest, most assured way to lose your audience's attention and leave them cold. Remember, YOU are the expert and true experts have nothing to be sorry for. The audience doesn't care if you have a cold, woke up late, got caught in traffic, or tripped on a banana skin. All they care about is what information you're going to give them that will benefit them in the shortest amount of time. Remember Love Story--"Love means never having to say you're sorry."
3. Not having a clear purpose. Not having a clearly defined purpose for speaking is like driving to a restaurant in another city without a clue about how to get there. You'll end up meandering, not really going anywhere, until finally the people in the car with you get frustrated, lose their patience, and take a mental exit, determined never to ride with you again. Decide why you are speaking, and to whom, and stick to it.
How true.
ReplyDeleteNever arrive late for any function if you want to create a good impression. This is definitely not the case of "better late than never."
Secondly, never apologize or say sorry before a speech or talk. The audience are there to hear what you have to deliver, and not your short coming.
Thirdly, when giving a speech you must have a clear picture of, what you want to impart to the listeners. Be focus and deliver the speech with passion.