7 Public Speaking Habits to Avoid

I have come across this article by Darlene Price. We all have to speak in front of an audience from time-to-time and Darlene's advise is very relevant to most all of us! Happy reading; hope you all pick up a point or two on how to become more effective speakers!!!

"A bad habit never disappears miraculously.  It's an undo-it-yourself project." --Abigail Van Buren

"Bad public speaking habits occur daily in the workplace by presenters who are otherwise smart accomplished professionals. These habits are most often unconscious. Most of us would never consciously pace the floor, avoid eye contact, or repeatedly say, "Uh." The key is to become aware of these unconscious behaviors and strive to eliminate them. That is, commit to an "undo-it-yourself project." Here's a list of seven common public speaking habits to avoid, and how to remedy them.

1. Excessive uhs, ums and filler words. Record your next talk. Afterward, listen to the recording and count the number of times you said "Uh," "Um" or any overused word such as "So," "Like," "You know," "Okay," "Actually," "Basically" and "Right." As speakers, we often unintentionally use fillers when our thoughts are unstructured and unrehearsed. While our brain is figuring out what to say, the voice fills the gap with meaningless sound. These repeated fillers not only annoy the audience, they jeopardize the speaker's credibility. The remedy is to briefly organize and outline your thoughts then rehearse them aloud once or twice. Slow your pace of speech so that you can consciously place deliberate silence at punctuation marks. For example, pause for one second of silence at each period between sentences.

2. Lack of enthusiasm. A boring monotone delivery that lacks energy and expression is an audience's most disliked trait in a presenter. Listeners want to be engaged. To avoid losing your audience, boost your energy level. Speak expressively, smile sincerely, move naturally, and enjoy the moment. As John Wesley once said, "When you're on fire about something, people love to come and watch you burn!"

3. Eye dart. From beginners to veterans, the majority of speakers fail to maintain meaningful sustained eye contact with their listeners. Unconsciously, their eyes dart from person to person, flitting around the room without ever pausing to make meaningful contact. To the listener, a speaker's eye dart often conveys insecurity, insincerity, or disinterest. Instead, maintain eye contact for at least two to three seconds per person or long enough to complete a sentence. Effective eye communication conveys confidence, conviction, and credibility.

4. Not rehearsing. Many presenters prepare. That is, they organize their content, design slides, and study their notes. However, most presenters do not rehearse. According to a recent survey, less than 2% of over 1,000 business presenters in Fortune 500 companies actually conduct a dress rehearsal and practice their presentations aloud. Commit to rehearse the opening and closing at least three times each and the main body at least once. Ralph Waldo Emerson advises, "Rehearsal is nine-tenths of success."

5. Data-dumping. Delivering too much information (known as TMI) is the number one complaint of many senior leaders. As presenters, our credibility is on the line when we speak and we want the audience to perceive us as knowledgeable. However, when we talk too long, say too much, and use over-crowded slides, we ironically lose credibility. Keep the message brief and keenly focused on the audience's needs and interests. Especially when addressing executives, present only the 'must-know' material. If they want more details, they'll ask. 

6. Generic content. You'll lose listeners fast if you don't tailor your message to them. Benjamin Disraeli said, "Talk to a man about himself and he will listen for hours." Customize your presentation to address this particular audience's interests and concerns. Ask yourself, "Who is my audience? How does my message help or affect them? What do I want them to do as a result of hearing my message? Be sure to show them you know them. All the best practices in public speaking depend upon this first tenet: Know your audience.

7. Distracting mannerisms. Do any of the following sound familiar? Clenching your hands, pacing back and forth, keeping your hands in your pockets, twisting your ring, swaying back and forth, fidgeting with an item, placing your hands behind your back, crossing your hands in front of you, turning your back on the audience, and reading from notes or slides. One or more of these physical habits can distract the audience from your message and compromise your professional image. As a remedy, record yourself speaking and watch the playback. Also recruit a colleague to point out any distracting mannerisms you may have. Rehearse and record yourself often and strive to use conscious, purposeful movement. "

Thank you Darlene or your continued guidance and recommendations on how to become more effective speakers!