We all have habits and good or bad, they make you who you are. Unfortunately, when we are centre stage, people tend to notice your bad habits. We all have them, whether we like to admit it or not. Often, people aren’t even aware of their habits or how they affect their presence when they are speaking.

Here we’ve identified a few common public speaking pitfalls and offered you advice on how to avoid them.

#1 Reading from notes

This doesn’t mean you can’t refer to or use notes, but please don’t read us your speech (or your PowerPoint slides for that matter). It’s completely acceptable to use an outline of some sort as a reference, but reading your presentation creates a disconnect between you and your audience. Everytime you lose eye contact, it gives the listener an opportunity to tune out.

What to do:
Practice. This sounds simple, but I find many people don’t take enough time to practice their presentations prior to speaking. You don’t need to memorize the presentation completely, but you do need to be familiar enough with the material that you can deliver it without notes.

#2 Speaking for too much time

Audiences appreciate speakers who can articulate their message clearly and concisely. Think of the time you had to listen to someone drone on at a meeting or conference…

What to do:
Edit. In your written presentation, look at each paragraph/thought/sentence and ask yourself, “Can this be said with fewer words?”

Find out how much time you have been given for your presentation. NEVER speak for longer than you are asked and be prepared to speak for less time in case the meeting or conference is running late. People will appreciate the courtesy you extended to helping them get back on track!

#3 Tripping out of the gate

There is nothing worse than a bad start to a great speech. Outstanding presenters get their audiences attention immediately. Don’t start with “Today I’m going to talk about…”

What to do:
Start with a comment that gets the audiences attention or ask an interesting question to get them thinking. Tell people what to expect and why they should look forward to hearing you speak.

Remember, we all have habits, good or bad. In order to become a more effective public speaker, identify what your bad habits may be and work on changing that behavior so you can engage and impress your audiences!

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Michelle Devlin, B.Comm is a professional speaker, facilitator and coach who works with corporations and individuals looking to improve their public speaking and communication skills. For tips and information about working with Michelle visit www.seriouslyspeaking.ca or call 780.918.6972.

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