THE 7 DON’TS OF PUBLIC SPEAKING

1.?????Do not Ramble

Do not spread your presentation too wide, and do not utter words for the sake of utilizing the time assigned to you. Never chant or ramble; your audience will only tolerate you at best. Instead, be organized and concise delivering your talk point by point. Always arrange the points in order of their importance to ensure a captivating flow of thoughts and ideas and to help your listeners flow with you. When your points are haphazardly arranged, you will lose track of the presentation, and worse, you will lose your audience, or your audience will lose.

2.?????Never Look Away from Your Audience

Eye contact is pivotal in asserting your authority as a speaker. When you start scanning the whole building and moving your eyes from one corner to the other like an eagle scouting for prey, you put your credibility into doubt. Maintain proper eye contact with the audience by eliminating unnecessary eye shifts and gazes. While it is not possible to keep eye contact with everybody when speaking to a large crowd, maintain your eyes directly at the level of their faces. Do not look away from them by gazing at the ceiling, the space behind, or the floor. Maintain direct and great eye contact with your audience, and you will be admired as an authority; lose the contact, and you will be judged an amateur and a novice.

3.?????Never Carry Cluttered and Untidy Notes to The Podium

Nobody wants to see or experience your clumsy side. Your audience needs better treatment than seeing you fumbling through a pile of notes trying to place them in order or to look for the next page. If you are going to use notes, keep them neat and simplified. Collate them into a spiral-bound booklet for ease, turning pages without distracting the audience or arrange them into numbered loose hard cards that are easy to flip. Do not draw your audience into concluding that you are either incompetent or using someone’s mind in the form of notes.

4.?????Never Use Complex Slides

Avoid complex slides and, if possible, do away with slides completely. They tend to become the center of focus instead of you, the presenter. If you must use the slides, keep them simple and clear. The person seated on the furthest corner of the building should not struggle or strain to read the slides. Adopt font sizes based on the size of the room and the type and age of the audience. Minimize the notes on the slides by using appropriately complementary images.??

5.?????Never read word for word

Whether using notes or slides, remember that reading is bad for the eye. If you are going to read boring lecture notes to your audience, you can as well give them the notes to read for themselves. Reading eliminates authenticity and makes one look like a clown or a copycat. It will dilute your authenticity and enthusiasm, making your presentation a dull venture. When using slides, avoid turning your back on the audience to read the projected content. If you must read it, read it from the source; the laptop, tablet, or teleprompter.

6.?????Avoid Fidgeting

Your body posture is as important, if not more, as your message. It speaks as much as your words. Avoid unnecessary movements and gestures and much fidgeting. Keep your hands firm but not stiff, and ensure your gestures are more natural and conventional. Avoid fidgeting, take control of your fingers and feet, and maintain your natural cool. Maintain confident and composed posture and gestures throughout your presentation.

7.?????Avoid too Softy or too Cracky Voice

Just like the voice is very important for a professional singer, so it is for a professional speaker. Do not frighten your audience with too much shrilling or too loudly cracky voice. Moderate your tone and cords to produce a voice that is loud and comfortable to the audience. Your listeners need their eardrums intact after the presentation, so spare them the agony of seeing a doctor after your talk. Maintain a calm, confident, loud, and clear voice.