When it comes to giving a presentation, it’s pretty normal to be nervous. After all, no one wants to deliver a bad presentation, and no one really wants to listen either. Most people don’t want to see you making the mistakes listed in this tutorial.
While it’s true that there are no universal formulas for giving a presentation, you should avoid the following.
Disqualify Yourself
Many people will make statements such as:
- “I’m no expert, but…..”
- “I’m not sure what I should say here…”
- “Ummm….so….well….ummm….I am here today to present….”
- “I hope you don’t find this presentation boring.”
The last one is due to nervousness and a lack of confidence more than the others- but they will all kill your credibility quickly. Unless they are used as a lead-in to what you’re saying, the audience will automatically see you as a mediocre presenter. Therefore, to get through a moment where you’re not sure what to say, just take a deep breath and give yourself a moment.
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Not Making Eye Contact
Many times, because they’re nervous about it, people will give a presentation and will look anywhere but out in the audience. However, this is bad because you’re not able to connect with them. By not making eye contact, your audience feels disconnected.
Pick someone in the audience and make eye contact with them. Then, choose someone else. Make your way around the room, making eye contact with each person. If you are nervous about making eye contact, just look at their foreheads. At least you will appear to be making eye contact.
Not Checking Equipment
There’s not much that will ruin a presentation faster than spending 20 minutes waiting on the presenter to work through problems with the tech they’re using.
Make plans to reach the presentation venue at least 1 hour before everyone else is set to arrive to make sure that the equipment you are using is working properly. Additionally, make sure that you hope for the best, but always be prepared for the worst-case scenario as well. Always have a back-up plan prepared. While it’s true that there have been some major advancements in tech, it’s still not perfectly reliable at all times.
Not Being Familiar with Content
When you say things like the phrases below, it indicates that you’re not very familiar with the content of your presentation.
- “I kind of know what I’m talking about.”
- “I got the jist of it.”
- “I’ll just wing it.”
If you feel this way, you don’t know your content which means that the audience will see you as disorganized, unprofessional, and sloppy.
When you are giving a presentation, you should know the content so well that you could easily teach someone else about it. In addition, you should be prepared to answer questions from your audience members.
Alienate Audience
Sometimes, a speaker will make a comment that they appreciate everyone’s attendance but then comment that the content will not be beneficial to a certain demographic. This is a terrible thing to do. They are most likely there because they believe they will benefit from the presentation you’re offering. Let them decide what they feel like would be beneficial.
Ramble/Ignore Time
There are times when a speaker will become so engrossed in their message that they will go off on a tangent and go over their allotted time. This is very disrespectful for other events/speakers, as well as the audience and their time. Of course, there are times when the audience is also engrossed and wants to hear the end of the story.
The best way to avoid going over your time is to set a timer on your phone and have it set to let you know when you’ve got 5 minutes left, 3 minutes left, and 1 minute left. You can also practice your presentation with a timer and refine where necessary until it fits within the allotted time and also provides the info you need.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, most people really don’t want to see you fail because they don’t really want to sit through a bad presentation. The things listed here are surefire ways to deliver a bad presentation. If you can avoid these, you will be successful with giving a good presentation.