12 THINGS YOU SHOULD NEVER SAY DURING
YOUR PRESENTATION
“I have a lot of information to cover, so let me get started.”
This statement is the kiss of death to your audience. When we hear this as your audience, we are already expecting to be bored.
“I’ll keep it short”
This is a promise nobody ever keeps. The
audience really doesn’t care if you
keep it short or not. They’ve
invested their time and just want to be
informed and inspired.
“Hello? Can everyone hear me?”
Never assume that all your equipment will work correctly.
Arrive early to check everything out so you will be better prepared.
“Well, I didn’t have much time
to prepare.”
Because they’ll tune you out; they’ll think
you have nothing important to say.
I’m Very Nervous Today”
“Sorry,
We’ve all seen speakers who keep pushing the hair out of their eyes or behind their ears, or others who repeatedly push their glasses up
farther on their nose.
“Ummm…”
Avoid filler words including “Um,” “uh,” “you know,” and “like.” They are distracting and make you sound unsure about what you’re going to say
next.
“In the future, I plan to…”
If your new product is still in production,
try not to tell anyone. Make a
public announcement about your new
designs, products and offers when they’re
ready.
“Hmm, the font is small.
Let me read this slide for you.”
A visual presentation full of words is dull and boring. Try not to read your slides to the audience. That’s what handouts are for.
“I’ll get back to that later”
If you happen to stumble upon an audience that is eager to learn and interact you should always
grab that chance and enjoy it.
“I Guess That’s It”
your final point (and the entire presentation)
should make it obvious enough,
and you should be able to transition instantly into the
next step
“What, I’m out of time?
But I have 23 more slides!”
If you come unprepared and need more time
than you are allowed; you’ve screwed up. You need to practice
your presentation and make it fit
within the allotted time-slot.
Don’t get sucked in
by irrelevant questions.
Sometimes questions seem to come out of nowhere, unrelated to the subject. Be courteous and polite in answering someone who asks such
a question.
