Top Ten Pitfalls You Absolutely Have To Avoid When Making a Presentation

So you’ve been asked to give a presentation. Great. Here’s what you need to avoid in order to make sure it’s not your last...

1. Assuming just because you have a lot of knowledge about a topic that automatically means you are capable of communicating that to others. (Does knowing the words to a song make you a great singer?)

2. Thinking that the more information you give an audience, the more they will retain.

3. Talking in terms of your needs and interests rather than your audience’s.

4. Believing that ‘stories are for children’ and therefore overlooking one of the most engaging communication techniques known to man (and woman).

5. Assuming that people enjoy seeing and reading complex and detailed power point slides.

6. Failing to recognise that the way you say something is equally if not more important as what you say.

7. Lacking focus or a clear purpose to your presentation and seeing it more as an opportunity to tell your audience absolutely everything you know about the subject.

8. Believing that speaking ‘off the cuff’ is an adequate substitute for planning and preparation.

9. Being so full of your own self importance (or being so unprepared) that you fail to appreciate the need to stick to time.

10. Failing to seek honest feedback from others on how you can improve your presentation for next time (assuming there is a next time).

Presenting is a brilliant opportunity to raise your personal profile and impress a lot of people. How well it goes could have the potential to either launch or sabotage your career. Avoiding the above pitfalls and working on your speaking skills will enable you to enhance your credibility and improve your chances of career success.', 'So you’ve been asked to give a presentation. Great. Here’s what you need to avoid in order to make sure it’s not your last...