There is nothing in this world that is “absolutely perfect,” and the same goes for presentations. We all make mistakes be it a rookie or a professional. This is essentially what makes us human and differentiates us from robots. Can you recall the last time you gave a perfect presentation? No, right? I believe that is because a perfect presentation is a myth. No matter how prepared you go on the stage, you will still stumble or forget to give some examples you rehearsed in the practice sessions. Aiming for perfection is never the right approach. It would help if you focused on improving and becoming a better version of yourself. Even the best of the presenters have a similar outlook for improvement. They read about best practices in presentations, observe their competitions, and are in the continuous pursuit of gaining more knowledge.
Wouldn’t you want to be like those great presenters who are at the pinnacle of their careers but still look for every opportunity to improve and grow? This article focus on common pitfalls that speakers fall into while giving presentations. At the start, you will find yourself falling into the same mistakes over and over. Do not lose patience. Focus on improving, and take it with a challenge.
Inappropriate images and visuals
Visuals, if not used properly, can potentially distract your audience. People generally do not know how to use Microsoft PowerPoint on a professional level. Quality images are highly under-utilized. But please ensure that you do not use Powerpoint clipart, which is pre-installed. All the clipart that exist has been through the audience thousands of times, and they do not want to see it anymore. I believe it does not need to be reinstated again as to why you shouldn’t use these cliched images. Therefore, please use fresh images from authentic sources that blend with the presentation’s tone.
While you are choosing your presentation’s color scheme, you must consider where you are giving the presentation. Suppose you are going to present in a dark room. Then you can go for a dark background and a light foreground (for texts), and it will work just fine. But if you present in a room with lights on or ample natural light, it is already advised to keep the background light and the text dark.
Facing back towards the audience
One thing that you should never forget is that your slides are merely a glimpse of your presentation and not the presentation at large. Powerpoint has this feature of making notes that you can use for your own reference while presenting that wouldn’t be displayed to the audience via projector. Or carry cue cards, make a note, or a script if need be. But for the love of God, never, if you have to write blocks of text on the presentation, never stand with your back facing the audience while you read through the slides.
Focussing on just what is there on the screen
The slides are just a part of the presentation and not the entire presentation. It is you who should be under the spotlight and nothing else. The entire purpose of having a presentation is to help you communicate your message in the best possible ways. So, focus more on yourself. Know what you are going to wear, how you plan to keep yourself tight, and even how you move around. You must realize that you are the focal point during the presentation, no matter how good your prepared slides maybe.
Humor
Yes. You read it right. I am sure you would have read that humor is a great way to break the ice with your audience. In most cases, we are not very aware of our audience, so I generally do not suggest humor in the business presentation. Most of the time, humor is culturally volatile and can evoke all kinds of responses. Probably what you think funny could be a private matter to some or maybe considered taboo in some cultures. One small mistake while using a joke can put you in greater jeopardy and doom your presentation. Therefore, avoid the use of humor in professional presentations. Think of other ways to break the ice or form a rapport with the audience. Try and have a quiz, or maybe start with a small game to enhance engagement.
Starting presentation past the scheduled time
In no way should your presentation start at any time except for the scheduled time. If you start late, it shows that you do not have respect for the audience’s time, and it reflects really bad on you. Not to forget it is essential where you are presenting, as in which part of the world. Time is viewed differently in different parts of the world. In the US/ Canada, it is a symbol of professionalism to start and finish the presentation at the said time. In many parts of the eastern world, being on time is considered rude. You are expected to be present before the scheduled time to show your respect to the audience. Therefore, whenever traveling or presenting abroad, it is best to consult any colleague who is based out of that country. Ask them what is considered as ‘normal’ and make a point to abide by that. It may be different from the practice you follow back home, but it is always a good idea to adapt.
Going with a lack of preparation
We see people go around praising great presenters like Steve Jobs and how effortlessly they present. What we do not see is the weeks and weeks of preparation that goes behind that one presentation. Imagine a situation where you are asked to deliver a presentation, and you have no option but to make it work. You get absolutely no time to prepare for the presentation. How do you think your presentation would go? Trust me, and you will need a miracle to save yourself from being on the stage. This is an important fact, and the sooner you realize it, the better it is for you. If you are not well prepared with what you are presenting, your audience will most certainly know.
Suppose you can do just one thing before you have to deliver a presentation. Without a doubt, it should be getting deep knowledge of the topic that you need to present if you have that you do not need any script or cue cards. You will have a different level of confidence while you sail through your presentation. Overall, preparation is done on both personal and professional fronts. Personal preparation includes your attire choice, body language, vocal variety, etc. On the professional front, you need to prepare for aspects like adequate research on the subject, deciding on the content outline and images to chose from, etc.
Not familiarizing yourself with the real-time surrounding
Imagine a situation wherein you reach the venue of your presentation 30 mins before your presentation. To your shock, the projector is not responding to your laptop. The entire preparation of yours will start to go down the drain. Your nerves will start to get to you. It is not just about the equipment but a lot of other things. Many presenters do not pay much heed to their attire and do not realize how important it is. You should know what you are going to wear- make sure it is comfortable and appropriate as per the presentation’s subject. Secondly, arrive early to the venue to check the environment and preparations first hand. See if all the equipment is there and working. If possible, try and have your last practice or trial run in the set environment. Lastly, ANTICIPATE all the contingencies that can exist and prepare the required back up. Also, anticipate some obvious questions that can be asked during or after the presentation and be prepared.
Not knowing the audience well
If there is just one thing to know about presentations over other things, no presentation in this world is one size fits all. We all continuously strive to make our presentation tailor-made for our audience. To do that, we need to know who our audience is. Find out the basic demographics of your audience. What are the designation of the attending people? Who all are the final decision-makers? How much do they know about the subject you are presenting? What is the majority of your audience’s first language? If there is any cultural expectation that you should know?
Consult them if possible before you start preparing for D-day. If you know what they already know and what is it that they are expecting. By doing just this, you save yourself and, more importantly, a great deal of trouble. If you know what you are presenting to your audience is useful, you automatically get confidence. Save yourself from the reaction of your audience by simply confronting them beforehand. The reaction of the audience can be a huge factor in making or breaking your presentation. Consulting your audience will help you know the audience better and give a certain level of control over their reactions.
Poor presentation of content
A lot of time, to make our presentation stand out, we commit some fundamental mistakes. Do not forget the primary idea of a presentation is to deliver the information in the best possible way. Often, presenters attempt to take their presentation a notch up by adding unnecessary abbreviations and jargon. A lot of the time audience is not well versed with things you think they know. So, most of the abbreviation that you think they’d know goes right above their head. It is safe to elaborate on the abbreviation and give their full form at least once, even when it’s elementary. The same goes with the jargons. Give at least a one-line meaning of any jargon that you use. A good presenter always thinks of their audience as a layman and patiently takes them through their presentation, explaining bit by bit.
Freezing
Another common mistake that new presenters make is that they freeze at a particular place on their entire presentation stage. They lack dynamism in them. Great presenters like Steve Jobs have a unique relationship with the stage, each of the hand gesture and body movement when on stage has a purpose. He used both his gesture and body language to show his passion for the subject. Therefore, it is really very important you develop dynamism. It is a great way to reflect your emotions and communicate with the audience. Also, make a note that you should use gestures and body language if they are coming naturally to you, or else you will become a laughing stock.
Conclusion
It requires great time, effort, and patient to learn to give an effective presentation. But it is great to know the common mistakes people make when they are learning. Because learning from the mistakes of others is better than learning from your own mistakes. Common mistakes include not having a structure, lack of preparation, not knowing your audience, etc. It would help if you were really mindful about what you present and how you present. Using big/chunky blocks of texts is frowned upon. It is preferred to use bullet points. Images are also a great way of communicating with a purpose and makes difficult concepts look easier. Make sure you scale your presentation to the level of your audience.
Do not forget that presentation is a form of public speaking, and the more you practice, the better you will get at it. Try and speak at a relatively slower pace than you generally do to sound clearer and better to your audience. Make the best use of visual cues, gestures, body language to complement your message to keep your audience engaged.