Have you ever been really excited about going to a conference just to be unpleasantly surprised by the quality of the speakers?

There are some really high caliber speakers in the world, many of which charge thousands of dollars for a 1-hour keynote speech, but many of them still haven’t mastered the very basics of public presentation.

Please, do not let yourself fall in to these traps! But do not feel bad if you have done some of these things because even the pros slip sometimes!

1. You look awful

If I am wearing nicer clothes than you & I’m in the audience, you have got a problem. One of the very first lessons I learned about public speaking (when I was 12 years old) was that how you look matters more than what you say.

Yes, that’s right. Disappointing, isn’t it?

You can use all the flowery prose you like, but if you do not look well-groomed, professional & credible no one will care too much
about what you have to say.

2. You forget you’re wearing a clip mic

When you’re wearing a clip mic, please do not look down at your shoes when you speak. You actually should not be doing this anyway, but it is even more annoying when you are wearing a mic because you end up yelling, spitting and/or breathing heavily in to it!

Also be careful that you do not hit the mic when you gesture. Finally, make sure that your jacket isn’t rubbing up against it every time you move.

All of these extra noises are distractions to your audience.

3. You tell inappropriate jokes

It just amazes me in this day & age when political correctness is such a hot topic that so many people can still stand up in front of audiences & make inappropriate, sexist or just plain sexual comments to big groups of people.

Cut it out! It is not funny. It is just unprofessional.

4. Your examples do not fit the culture you are speaking to

I can’t even count how many metaphors I’ve heard over the past few weeks referring to basketball & baseball or examples using basketball & baseball stars. If you are speaking in a country outside of the United States, use some examples that make sense to your audience. Here in Singapore you would get a lot farther talking about badminton, football (that’s soccer) & cricket!

5. You think that yelling is the same as motivating

Really, it just hurts our ears. If you want to yell to make a point, please move your mic away from your mouth before you blow out the speakers.

6. You pace the stage

It gets very distracting watching a speaker endlessly walk back & forth across a stage. It almost makes me dizzy.

It also gives the impression that the speaker is nervous, can’t stand still or is literally darting questions or issues.

Stand tall & proud (in one spot) & deliver a powerful
message. Use movement when changing topics to signal a new train of thought.

7. You stand behind the lectern & read your speech

I simply couldn’t believe it when not one, but THREE of the speakers I have seen lately simply stood behind their lecterns & read their speeches—word for word.

What a waste of time!

I could probably find those speeches somewhere on the internet & read through them myself, skipping the boring parts, & be done in less than half the time I spent watching them read their scripts.

8. You attempt to speak with your mouth closed

For those of you who have tried this, you’ve probably found that it’s pretty hard to do. When you’re standing in front of a big group of people, it is so significant to enunciate your words.

Open your mouth, project your voice & speak CLEARLY. I can’t stress it enough.

What’s the point of giving a presentation if we can’t understand what you’re saying?

9. Your powerpoint slides are illegible, & the ones we can read are littered with typos

Check, double-check & then triple check your slides. Pass out copies of the slides to three friends & have them repeat the process. It is really significant that your slides are error-free.

Of course if they are like the slides in most presentations, we probably won’t be able to read them anyway because there will be too much information & the text will be too small.

In that case, it doesn’t really matter.

10. You have no stage awareness

I realize that speaking in public is hard sufficient without having to think about the stage too, but it is just so important! Be aware of where you are on the stage. How far away you are from your notes, the laptop running your presentation or your water are all significant things to know.

The silence can be unbearable not only for you, but also your audience as you walk all the way across the stage because you forgot what you wanted to say next.

Also be aware of the lighting. Sometimes lines are drawn on the stage & you will be asked not to cross them. There is a reason for that! It’s so that we can SEE you.

Heather Hansen, founder of Singapore-based Hansen Speech & Language Training, is a professional speech & language coach, public speaker & voice-over artist. Visit http://www.hansenslt.com to sign up for her monthly e-newsletter Speak like a Star!