Top Ten Mistakes Speakers Make
(Excerpt from Knockout Presentations)
By Diane DiResta
Your success today depends on how well you present yourself, present your message, and present your value to the marketplace. Life is a presentation and you’re always on stage.
Whether you’re pitching an idea, selling your service, or presenting at an industry conference, it’s all public speaking. And in today’s highly competitive environment you can no longer avoid this vital skill.
Here are the most common mistakes presenters make:
1. Lack of preparation/Focus-Most speakers have good content. But if the speech shoots out in all directions you’ll lose your audience. You must take the time to know your topic, focus your message, and rehearse your presentation until you’re comfortable. Practice your speech out loud, time it, and be prepared for questions afterward. To create focus, complete this sentence: At the end of the presentation the audience will__________. Build your points around this desired outcome.
2.Speaking too long-Starting and ending your presentation late shows a lack of respect for the audience. People have busy schedules. If your presentation is going to be delayed, make sure it’s not because of you. Allow time to get to the presentation early. Create a long and short version of your speech and know how to cut and summarize the presentation if you sense you’re running out of time.
3. Not knowing the audience-One of the biggest mistakes you can make as a presenter is not meeting the need of your audience. It’s a great way to turn an otherwise receptive group into a hostile one. Don’t talk over people’s heads, but don’t be too simplistic either. If you’re giving the same speech to different groups, tailor it for each audience. Profile the audience before you develop the talk.
4.Projecting the wrong image-This is an instant credibility killer, and it’s related to mistake No. three. A flashy outfit won’t work if you’re speaking to bankers. A slick, “big city” style doesn’t do it for farmers in Kansas. Study the audience ahead of time and dress and present appropriately.
5.Using visual aids ineffectively-If you fumble with visual aids, you’ll eventually lose credibility. Visuals should support and enhance the presentation, not take it over. Similarly, equipment that malfunctions can be disastrous to the speech. Check out all of your equipment before you speak, and have a backup plan in case the equipment fails. If you are using a laptop, always have overheads or handouts in case it crashes.
6.Data Dump/Starting with detail-More is better, right? Not really. You can overwhelm the audience with too much data. Don’t give them soup to nuts if you don’t have enough time. People can’t digest information if you give them too much to chew on, so give them the condensed version. Three or four points are sufficient for most presentations. Your message will be clearer and more memorable.
7.Using inappropriate humor-This mistake is also related to mistake No. three. The rules concerning humor have changed. Audiences are politically sensitive. All it takes is one questionable joke or statement to turn people off. Never tell off-color jokes. The best bet is to poke fun at yourself—or avoid jokes altogether.
8. Speaking in a monotone-Audience members will be bored if you’re a monotone speaker. Too many speakers fail to realize the importance the tone of voice plays in the success of their presentation. Get excited about your message or die on the platform!
9.Speaker-centered/No relationship with the audience-To be effective as a speaker, you must connect with your audience. If you’re self-absorbed and simply recite a speech, you’ll soon be talking in a vacuum. No one will be listening. Too many presenters start with their own agenda and then wonder why they don’t get the desired response from the audience. Surprisingly, many salespeople are speaker-centered. They’re so interested in pushing their product or agenda that they forget about the buyer’s needs. Begin your presentation from the listener’s point of view and continue to address what’s important to them.
Be Heard the First Time offers proven strategies for women to dramatically improve their communication skills by one of the country’s foremost voice trainers and vocal health experts, trainers and vocal health experts. Some of the times from her book include:
1.Use your body as a tool to present yourself professionally and to speak better with assertive posture, unambiguous eye communication, affirming gestures and body movement, engaging facial expressions, and impressive appearance.
2.Let your voice quality help convey your points. When speaking, utilize your best pitch and generate tone with air from your lungs. “Make your voice resonant by maintaining space between your teeth as you speak, forming your vowel sounds, and moving your lower jaw smoothly as you speak.” It is almost like speaking with your mouth relaxed as when you yawn.
3.Be aware of your voice’s volume. You do not want co-workers to tune you out because you speak too softly or cringe when you speak too loudly. “Compare your speaking intensity level to other speakers. Learn to calibrate your vocal intensity.”
4.Relax your breathing before you enter the office or make a presentation.Huffing and puffing in front of your boss or as you make a presentation makes you look unprepared and unprofessional. “Relax your breathing before you get to the office by breathing through your nose. Keep your molars slightly apart with your lips closed and place your tongue tip lightly behind your upper and lower front teeth. This will allow the perfect amount of air to come in.”
5.Put your best foot forward with your speech. “Speech clarity, including precise sound production and proper rate, cadence and pronunciation, and elimination of filler words are indispensable for anyone serious about improving her professional communication.”
Call Kathleen Hughes, Kathleen@Booksintl.com or 703-661-1511 for a review copy orinterview with Susan Miller, author of BE HEARD THE FIRST TIME: The Woman's Guide to Powerful Speaking
6. Maintain your calm, even if you are nervous or scared of speaking in front of others.When your nerves appear, “welcome your physiological signs of arousal and begin relaxed non-speech breathing. Practice relaxing your throat which will allow air to expand your lower rib cage automatically. Voluntarily constrict then release tense neck and shoulder muscles.”
7.If your mouth gets dry before you speak, bite the tip of your tongue. When you get nervous, your mouth often gets dry and feels like you are speaking with Styrofoam in your mouth. Bite the tip of your tongue with your back teeth – hard! This will always bring moisture into your mouth so that you can speak clearly.
8.Keep a positive mental image of yourself.“Analyze your self-talk. Say loving comments to yourself. Create three powerful affirmations and say them every morning. Affirmations change your thinking. Change your thinking and your reality changes.”
Stagefright Smashers for the Speaker By Lucille S. Rubin, Ph.D.
1. Get Organized: A clear organizational pattern keeps your mind on your message and off your nervousness. Speaking from prepared notes, an outline or a script provides a comfort level for you and your audience.
2. Breathe Low: Take the breath in through your mouth and down to your navel. Breathing low centers your breath and encourages a natural breath rhythm. Avoid chest breathing as it signals anxiety.
3. Project a Positive Posture: Stand with your feet 4”-6” apart. Lengthen your spine from base to skull, widen your chest and balance your weights (head-over-shoulder-over-hips-over-feet). 4. Memorize Your First and Last Three Lines: Direct each line to three separate people sitting in different areas of the room. Turn your body, face and eyes toward the person you select. Associating a physical action with your words is a memory aid and dismisses the fear of forgetting.
5. Speak With Vocal Confidence: If you SOUND confident you are more likely to FEEL confident. Avoid vocal trembling and shaking. Choose a vocal tone that reflects how you want to be perceived - Wimp or Winner - It’s your decision!
6. Maintain Vocal Energy: This doesn’t mean you have to shout, but it does mean that you must keep your engine going all the time. Put excess energy into your voice by pitching up, avoiding husky tones and using vocal variety. Release physical tension by engaging your body and using gestures.
7. Stay On Track: Keep focused by following your outline, notes or script. Avoid adlibbing unless you’re a pro. Practice side remarks in advance and avoid rambling.
8. Believe In Yourself/Product/Service/Cause: Gain confidence by investing in the purpose of your speech or the intention you want to fulfill. Know WHY you are making a speech or giving a presentation.
9. Make Use of the Dramatic Pause: Pauses keep listeners in suspense and add variety to your rate and rhythm. Avoid using filler words such as ”ah”, “that is to say”, “however”, “therefore”, etc. as a means of covering silences.
10. Rehearse! Rehearse! Rehearse!: Reserve twice as much time for rehearsing as you did in preparing the speech. Give your speech to the mirror, your dog or a friend—until you are bored.
Practice the above skills daily - on the phone, in conversation and during meetings both off and on the job. New skills become second nature and will put you at ease the next time you speak or present.
BREATHE & SPEAK WITH EASE PROFESSIONALLY SPEAKING TIPS
By
Lucille Schutmaat-Rubin, Ph.D. Voice & Speech Coach, NYC
Breathing is an involuntary process. There is no need to "work at" your breathing or manipulate your breath by pulling it in or pushing it out. Instead, release any light muscles in your throat and abdomen, feel your breath and voice as it flows through your throat, and maintain an open channel from your center to your lips.
1. Breathe in through your mouth when preparing to speak.
2. Relax the back of your tongue on inhalation to avoid a gaspy, noisy air intake.
3. Trace the breath low in your body sensing your belly rise as the air floats in and your belly fall as the air flows out.
4. Monitor your breathing. Do this by placing one hand above your navel and the other below your navel. Your belly will move out as you inhale and float in as you exhale. Be sure your breath is moving your body.
5. Speak on exhaled air as the belly floats in. Try this on a vocalized "AH" several times.
6. Maintain a smooth, uninterrupted voice flow as you again speak "AH". Repeat until you have given up throat and belly holding patterns.
7. WAIT for your breath to drop in, reverse directions and flow out. With practice this process will vary in rate as it reflects your intentions, ideas and emotions.
8. Speak in "sync" with your breath. Try this counting exercise allowing a new breath to drop in at each comma: 1, 12, 123, continuing until the count of 10. If that’s easy, go to 15 or 20. Add only one number at a time to encourage breath management.
9. Allow your breath (not your mind) to dictate your rate of breathing/speaking. 10. Trust that your intentions will dictate your breath rhythm.
Note: Abdominal muscles contract if you speak on extended breath spans. Practice using shorter breath spans to avoid both abdominal and throat tightening. Release your abdominal muscles at the end of the exhale and the new breath will drop in with ease!
