Last week my husband and I attended an awesome 4 day work conference! I decided to sit in on both days of business presentations hoping there would be a nugget or two I could share with you.
Presenting to an audience of 100 to 300 top producers were executives of a large company. While overall the presentations were good, three pet peeves of mine were running wild at times. I bring them to your attention in hopes that you won't hold your audiences of any size, whether 3 or 3,000, hostage to these presentation blunders, my top pet peeves.
First - annoying fillers like "um," "uh," or even phrases like "you know." If you previously downloaded and read my Top 52 Presentation Tips, this is one of the plagues affecting many of us who present ideas or products in any setting! Using fillers is one certain way to bore your audience and set people to doodling on any piece of paper in front of them or staring blankly into the air. Start to assess your use of fillers and if you find them in your speech - begin to put a silent pause in their place. With enough practice, you'll eliminate them altogether!
Second - read off bullet points directly from the slides! As children we huddle around our teacher as he or she holds up the book being read so we can see the pictures and the words. As children we are learning! As adults, a speaker's slide presentation supports and can guide them through their presentation. When I listen to a speaker I want to hear their mind, their heart and their style. I can read points on a slide on my own so please, don't be like a child's teacher; be someone who adds value, life and personality to your presentation.
Third - spending long lengths looking at one part of the audience. Have you ever noticed how some speakers limit the movement of their head and eyes? How sometimes speakers avoid eye contact or attention with where you are sitting? It's annoying and insulting.
To stay out of trouble with audience blunders: don't annoy and don't insult.
Copyright© Patricia Weber, http://www.prostrategies.com
Pat Weber is a coach, certified telelcass leader, and corporate trainer She is most noted for dauntless energy and provocative motivation. Clients appreciate her incisive, effective communication skills. With personal coaching, a teleclass, an online email course or on-site workshop, you can rid yourself of frustration, deal with your overwhelm, and discover how you can get what you want, more easily and more often.
Visit her website at http://www.prostrategies.com, sign up for a free Newsletter Subscription to Crux of the Matter and get the free report 52 Presentation Tips Without PowerPoint.
![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
How do you come across in your emails?As I receive... Read More
MORE and more corporations in Malaysia have awoken to the... Read More
In March 2002, the comic strip Beetle Bailey contained a... Read More
Regardless of the nature of our job or social standing,... Read More
You're in a conference room. You're giving a PowerPoint presentation... Read More
Have you ever had to give a speech?Do you remember... Read More
Like most good achievements, a magnificent meeting depends on planning... Read More
Although there are any number of different networking groups and... Read More
Whether you are speaking in front of a civic group... Read More
Last week my husband and I attended an awesome 4... Read More
Once upon a time there was a businessperson who had... Read More
KEEPING MEETINGS PRODUCTIVE: Whether participants approve or disapprove of an... Read More
"I have a love/hate relationship with PowerPoint. In the right... Read More
8 Ways to Improve Your Presentation Skills 1. Join Toastmasters.... Read More
First and foremost, you must deal effectively with your own... Read More
One of the biggest mistakes most presenters make is in... Read More
What is it about overhead projectors that causes us to... Read More
Summer is here! It's time to bring out your summer... Read More
You have presentation style habits that automatically appear when you... Read More
First of all, what is a bio sheet and why... Read More
The most critical job of a manager, when you boil... Read More
Are poor presentations costing you business?The ability to deliver a... Read More
Super Preparation ?Keys to Getting a Great Start to Every... Read More
Where can you choose a company shirt vendor? There are... Read More
Flash chart, flash map, flash graph may be mistaken for... Read More
Long long ago, it was the time when time itself... Read More
Exhibiting in a trade show can involve a major investment... Read More
The query letter is simply a business letter that serves... Read More
Myth 1: Executives belong in meetings.Although the demands of business... Read More
Many of us use PowerPoint to convey a message to... Read More
As a former owner of a National Speakers Bureau, I... Read More
You don't have to be on a stage to be... Read More
Why is throwing a seminar good for business?If you want... Read More
How do you come across in your emails?As I receive... Read More
Eye contact is mandatory when giving a public presentation.The goal... Read More
One of the biggest mistakes most presenters make is in... Read More
Allowing the audience to ask questions after your presentation is... Read More
Have you ever been slideswiped? You walk into a meeting... Read More
So you're going to have a booth at a trade... Read More
You've spent a lot of time preparing your PowerPoint presentations... Read More
Many of us use PowerPoint to convey a message to... Read More
If you really aware and alert, your audience's behavior -... Read More
Never rehearse at the last minute. This creates undue tension... Read More
Whenever and whatever you're pitching, dozens of factors will figure... Read More
When was the last time you thought about what you... Read More
The query letter is simply a business letter that serves... Read More
Presenters often tell me that they fear losing their train... Read More
In recent years, companies have recognized the need to expand... Read More
DEVELOPING LESSON PLANS: In developing lesson plan formats, two things... Read More
SUCCESSFUL DEMONSTRATIONS: All of us have seen demonstrations in one... Read More
Did the "Painless" part of the title get your attention?Speaking... Read More
According to the Lamalle Report on Top Executives of the... Read More
Whether you need to address large groups or small, familiar... Read More
Believe it or not, preparation is a better determinant of... Read More
Super Preparation ?Keys to Getting a Great Start to Every... Read More
Some speakers say, "I could never use humor in my... Read More
Why is throwing a seminar good for business?If you want... Read More
Every day, so many tens of thousands of innocent clients... Read More
I had been working on a logo idea for several... Read More
Preperation is vital when conducting a successful videoconference session. Thus... Read More
Regardless of the nature of our job or social standing,... Read More
Conventional wisdom is that the more choices customers have, the... Read More
KEEPING MEETINGS PRODUCTIVE: Whether participants approve or disapprove of an... Read More
Are poor presentations costing you business?The ability to deliver a... Read More
"I have a love/hate relationship with PowerPoint. In the right... Read More
A client recently called to say she was going to... Read More
Presentation |