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| | The **The Business Consortium** Network is not currently active and cannot accept new posts | | Comm Wed: Top 5 Public Speaking Mis-Steps | Views: 335 | | Aug 28, 2008 4:46 am | | Comm Wed: Top 5 Public Speaking Mis-Steps | # | 
Felicia Slattery | | Hi All!
As you know I was at an event last weekend that featured many speakers (including me!). I've been out seeing more and more folks using public speaking to market their businesses. And it's great!
Now, I'm not perfect and know there is always room for improvement with even the best speakers. With that in mind, I have noticed some good speakers making some mistakes and I thought I'd help you for the time when you get out there in front of an audience so you don't make the same mistakes.
Mistake 1: Rambling
Plan you presentation. Have a clear and focused goal and point of your speech. Follow it. Help you audience follow you.
Mistake 2: Too-crowded visuals
Don't write every word of your speech on a Power Point Presentation and call that a visual aid. It's a crutch for you & difficult on the audience. You're better off w/out it.
Mistake 3: Using Filler Words
A presentation should feel like a conversation with your audience, yes, but there are a few things that are ok in 1:1 conversation that you should avoid in a speech. Filler words like "you know" don't do much to enhance a conversation in general, but truly don't belong in a speech.
Mistake 4: Being too casual
Some people downplay the importance of dressing the part of a successful professional. But follow your branding; for example my friend Carrie Wilkerson calls herself the "Barefoot Executive" so no shoes for her during a talk is OK.
Mistake 5: Not having ANY offer.
Not every speech should have the purpose of selling something, but it's a mistake to leave the stage w/o offering a free reason for people to stay engaged and allow you to follow up.
There are plenty more mistakes (I could probably write a whole book on mistakes alone!). What else do you see that you think ins a mistake speakers make?
Warmly,
Felicia
Felicia J. Slattery, M.A., M.Ad.Ed.
It's back! Discover how to write a speech to market your business.
http://www.SignatureSpeechWorkGroup.comPrivate Reply to Felicia Slattery | | Aug 28, 2008 12:14 pm | | re: Comm Wed: Top 5 Public Speaking Mis-Steps | # | 
Susan McCool | | Mistake 6: Over Selling
Not having any offer is a mistake, but over selling your offer is also a mistake. Audiences are wising up and all that hypey sales talk is really starting to annoy them :)
Mistake 7: Empty Information
I absolutely hate when I make arrangements and take the time to show up for something that has been hyped up to be a GREAT, CAN'T MISS EVENT. Only to have the speaker give empty information. Empty information would be telling you about a problem and saying there is a solution, but never actually telling you the solution - nope, you have to buy X, Y or Z to find out. That isn't a speech - that is an ad! If you are speaking, give up at least a little bit of information to prove you are credible.
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Susan McCool
Spotlight Marketing & Design - http://www.SpotlightMarketingAndDesign.com
Virtual Office Associates - http://www.VirtualOfficeAssociates.net
Ryze Network - The Business Consortium - http://tbc-network.ryze.comPrivate Reply to Susan McCool | | Aug 28, 2008 3:58 pm | | re: Comm Wed: Top 5 Public Speaking Mis-Steps | # | 
Julie Bestry | | Bravo, Felicia. I wish I could require every speaker I see to have a sit-down session with you!
I think I've mentioned before, I generally "script" my presentations, though even people who know me well think I'm often speaking extemporaneously. Thus, I don't do #1 or #3 very often, but if someone asks a question mid-presentation, I can answer it, but if I'm not careful and try to be extemporaneous, I tend to make less-than-stellar jokes. Unplanned cornball makes for bad speaking, and you know how one bad joke makes you keep doing it to try to dig out (much like gamblers throwing good money after bad).
I'll admit to #5; I'm so much of a teller and not a seller, if I don't put it in the "script", I can easily forget to sell, even when the venue is a perfect opportunity.
Can you make 2A "reading your presentation verbatim off the PowerPoint"? If the audience can read what you're saying, why do they need you there, eh?
Thanks!
--
Julie Bestry, Certified Professional Organizer®
Best Results Organizing
"Don't apologize. Organize!"
organize@juliebestry.com
Visit http://www.juliebestry.com to save time and money, reduce stress and increase your productivity Private Reply to Julie Bestry | | Aug 30, 2008 2:44 pm | | re: re: Comm Wed: Top 5 Public Speaking Mis-Steps | # |
Felicia Slattery | | Susan!
Excellent extra points! You are right. One of my best tips is to not only tell what you have to offer and why they need it-- but HOW to do something. Let's say for example, you were to tell someone the principles of good design so they could design their own e-book cover. Would that mean no one in the room would want you to do it for them? No way! Knowing the principles of design and how to apply them is one thing, but being able to execute like a pro is something totally different.
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Julie,
I agree. Every speaker should have a sit down session with me or sign up for my Signature Speech Work Group http://www.SignatureSpeechWorkGroup.com (Thanks for giving me the chance to do the plug!).
And you're SO right about PPT. It bugs me to NO END when speakers read the slides word for word and add NOTHING else to the presentation. In fact, many PPT experts say you should never use ANY words on yo9ur slides. I don't know if I agree with that, but in terms of words w/ PT, less is definitely more!
Thanks for commenting! You make this fun :-)
Warmly,
Felicia
Felicia J. Slattery, M.A., M.Ad.Ed.
It's back! Discover how to write a speech to market your business.
http://www.SignatureSpeechWorkGroup.comPrivate Reply to Felicia Slattery | | |
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