The10WorstPresentationHabits
AsacommunicationscoachforsomeofAmerica'smostadmiredcompanies,Iworkwithbusinessprofessionalswhowanttoengagetheirlisteners--whethertheyareaddressingemployees,customersorcolleagues;whethertheyarespeakingtoanaudienceofoneoronethousand.Inmybook,10SimpleSecretsoftheWorld'sGreatestBusinessCommunicators,Iidentifybadpresentationhabitsthatimposebarriersbetweenspeakersandtheirlisteners.HerearetheworsthabitsandhowtoovercomethemGalloisaPleasanton(Calif.)-basedcorporatepresentationcoachandformerEmmy-awardwinningtelevisionjournalist.Heistheauthorofthenewbook,10SimpleSecretsoftheWorld'sGreatestBusinessCommunicators.Visithimonlineatwww.carminegallo.com
BadHabit#1.
Readingfromnotes
IGreatcommunicatorsdonotreadfromscripts,notes,orPowerPointslides.Whileit'sacceptabletorefertonotesfromtimetotime,readingdirectlyfrompreparednotesisano-no.Itbreaksdowntherapportbetweenlistenerandaudience.
Dothisinstead:
Reviewyourmaterialtothepointwhereyouhavesocompletelyabsorbedthematerial,youcandeliveritwithoutnotes.BusinessWeekrecentlyprofiledAppleCEOSteveJobs,whosemagnificentpresentationsaretheresultofhoursofgruelingpractice.!i9e(w+m8V/|%{:}%z
BadHabit#2
,Avoidingeyecontact"
Greatcommunicatorsunderstandthateyecontactiscriticaltobuildingtrust,credibility,andrapport.Fartoomanybusinessprofessionalshaveahabitoflookingateverythingbuttheaudience--awall,adesk,oracomputer.
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Maintaineyecontactwithyourlistenersatleast90%ofthetime.It'sappropriatetoglanceatyournotesorslidesfromtimetotime,butonlyforafewsecondsandonlyasareminderofwheretogonext.Youarespeakingforthebenefitofyourlisteners.Speaktothem,nottheslides.
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BadHabit#3
DressingDown
6K#t(u6H1Y5v/p1j'_:XGreatcommunicatorslookthepart.HaveyoueverseenDonaldTrumpdressedinanythinglessthanaclassysuitandtie?Evenonthegolfcourse,helookslikeamillion--okay,abillion--bucks.Manybusinessleaderstendtodressbeneaththeirposition.Theyshowupwithacheapsuit,wornshoes,andill-fittingclothes.#A,r0I+P*b1m*z"I;d7p
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Dothisinstead:
3c0m/o-X"U"K/v,WFindaclothingstoreandsalespersonwhoserecommendationsyoutrust.Alwaysdressappropriatelyfortheculture,butalittlebetterthaneveryoneelse.
Fidgeting,jiggling,andswaying
#F0e!g+?-A%e1N~(RGreatcommunicatorseliminatesmall,annoyinggesturesormannerisms.Fidgetingwithyourhands,jigglingcoins,orswayingbackandforthallreflectnervousnessorinsecurity.Thesehabitsinspirenoconfidenceinthespeaker.
Dothisinstead:
Thesolutionissimple.Don'tfidget,jiggleorsway!Videotapeyourpresentationsorrehearsalsfromtimetotimetocatchyourflaws.)Y7z"e)B'u9z'V2J
BadHabit#5
*s1G.S*7R#R)d%B7v/K1VDothisinstead:;{9Zv+r.I0K
TakeacuefromCiscoCEOJohnChambers.Hespendshoursrehearsingeverycomponentofhispresentations,fromthematerialtotheflowofslidestowhenandwherehe'sgoingtowalkamongtheaudience.It'spreparationtotheextreme,butitworks.
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;O7ND1[#l"K.[,PStandingatattention
9W+q%h.T;G+c2U2S:HGreatcommunicatorsarenotstiff.Standingatattentionlikeasoldierwaitingforordersmightworkforthearmy,butitmakespresentationstedious.
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Recitingbulletpoints
/u5Q%v#@"G!S0];m:a`'WGreatcommunicatorsassumetheaudiencecanread.Manyspeakersreadthebulletpointsontheirslideswordforword.Slides(oranyvisual)actasacomplementtothespeaker,nottheotherwayaround.9?p%P*{8t)r)a:B/^,O
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Don'twritetoomanywordsontheslide.Agoodruleofthumbisnomorethanfourwordsacrossandsixlinesdown.Forslideswithmorecontent,donotrecitetheslidewordforword.Includeastory,anecdote,exampletoaddcolortothecontent.Trustthatyouraudiencecanreadtheslideforthemselves.-O,z9y)`#g$C9GM,S
.R/j9j,m0u&U(g%P*q%FBadHabit#8
3m-t1X,Q4`.z#ISpeakingtoolong
&R(e3G#t"k1o'OGreatcommunicatorsknowthatleadershiprequirestheabilitytoarticulateamessagethat'spassionate,clear,andconcise.Studiesshowthatlistenerslosetheirattentionafterapproximately18minutes.Manyleadersthinkthatthelongertheyspeak,themoreimportanttheysound.Nothingcouldbefurtherfromthetruth.
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Dothisinstead:*h#^5\-v*B,L&n)u
Editeverythingyousay.Doyouspendfiveminutessayingsomethingthatyoucouldotherwisesayin30seconds?Whatcanyoucutout?Bethorough,yetconciseinallmannersofcommunication,includingphoneconversations,emailsandformalpresentations.
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Failingtoexcite6aG9l-c6n;c!w$s&z
Greatcommunicatorsgrabtheirlisteners'attentionrightoutofthegate.Audiencesrememberthefirstthingyousayandthelast.Butdon'tworry--ifyou'restrugglingtocomposeanopening,thereisasolution.6M2X6Z6^3i$G
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Dothisinstead:
0\-x$|1x,_Tellyourlistenerswhytheyshouldbeexcitedaboutyourcontent.Giveyouraudienceareasontocare.7^3|6L#s;\
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Endingwithaninspirationdeficitk,f-BRv0G"a!f
Greatcommunicatorsendtheirpresentationsonaninspiringnote.Mostpresentersbelievethemiddleoftheirpresentationcontainsthereallyimportantcontent.Itmight,butmostlistenerswillwalkawayfromapresentationrememberingwhatwassaidattheend.&?9r,P2n4S;W
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Dothisinstead:
&[+C6n0A1t;R;p0G8h#nGoaheadandsummarizewhatyoujustsaidinthepresentation,butleaveyouraudiencewithonekey