Stop Saying These Phrases

I’m sitting at a town hall meeting with the other 130 employees in my division, and the Customer Experience Manager, presenting his monthly results, says this banger line:

“I know you can’t read this but I’m hoping you like the pretty colours”

My jaw drops (ok, not literally, but in my mind), and the man 2 seats from me makes a noise that sounds unimpressed.

For the next 10 minutes, this slide – yes, this exact one, I have saved it in my “really bad slide examples” folder - ?is presented to us in excruciating detail.

This is possibly the 10 most pointless minutes of my life. From 9 rows back, I cannot see anything.

For a long time, I wonder why someone would present something so inane.

I eventually realise that this wasn’t someone TRYING to be boring. His presentation skills were just lacking.

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We’ve all been on the receiving end of a terrible presentation. Sometimes it’s hard to put a finger on what’s wrong with. Often though, a poor presenter will go as far as to point out why their presentation is sub-par. This is possibly worse.

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So when you’re making a presentation, how can YOU ?avoid these pitfalls? What phrases destroy your credibility regardless of your content?

Here’s the top three culprits that I see over and over:

"Wow, I'm so nervous"

This one is usually followed by an awkward giggle.

When you tell the audience you’re nervous, you’ve instantly lost them. They’ll not only doubt you, but also your material. It’s absolutely ok to be nervous, but saying it passes the discomfort on to your audience. They feel nervous FOR you.

I get it - but aUtHeNtIcItY. We're always told to be AuThEnTiC. And I am all for authenticity, I really am - but there's a difference between being authentic, and being a mess. Confidence in a speaker gives confidence to your audience. You can be yourself, be authentic, and still be like a duck - smooth on the surface, paddling like hell underneath. They're not mutually exclusive.

When we run our Presentation Skills workshops, we ask participants to rate how nervous they feel when they’re up front on a scale of 1–10, with 10 being the most nervous. This usually results in scores of 8+. We then ask the audience to rate how nervous the person looked. This usually comes out at a max of 3. It’s one of the main reasons we think other people don’t feel nervous, we just can’t tell how truly nervous someone is by looking at them, so avoid telling your audience.

"You probably can't read that slide too well"

We talk a lot about PowerPoint slide design, but by far the biggest problem is cramming too much information into one slide. Saying that a slide is hard to read is just drawing attention to this mistake. Not only does this tell your audience that you are knowingly giving them poor slides, it also detracts from your audience’s attention as they struggle to make out the tiny markings on the screen.

There is a simple fix for this: better slide design.

If you think your text is too small…increase it.

If you can, look at your presentation in the room you’ll be using and stand up the back. Can you read the information? Remember, the slide show is a tool to?support?your presentation and shouldn’t be a word-for-word recount. If there’s a lot riding on your presentation, then consider getting your slides designed by a professional.

"And that's me done"

If you ever want people to remember anything from a presentation, you need a strong conclusion. Just finishing abruptly after you’ve gone through your presentation is not that. Take the time to think about what you’ve said and quickly recap. This can be as simple as listing the key points or recommendations that you discussed. It will cement your message in their minds, maximising their retention.

So when you’re preparing for your next presentation, remember to avoid these three phrases:

“Wow I’m so nervous” (people don’t see how nervous you feel)

“You probably can’t read that slide too well”; (have good slides)

“That’s me done”. (always finish with the information you want your audience to remember)

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Kate Norris?spent years working in finance and analytics where data was presented in the same complex, boring way. And for years, not knowing any better, she did the same.

Eventually, she realised that all her efforts were leading to?no action?and her insights were not being clearly communicated throughout the business.

With research (plus plenty of trial and error), she discovered how to quickly and easily translate data into engaging, story-based presentations. Unsurprisingly, this made a huge difference to her work.

Now, she teaches this same methodology to others, helping them present data stories that are non-boring and deliver actionable insights.

She lives in Brisbane with her kids (2) and husband (1), and spends an irritating amount of time pushing her cat off her keyboard.

PS Whenever you’re ready, here are some ways we can help you tell stories with your data and turn insights into business decisions - faster…

1. Grab a free copy of my ebook,?The Articulate Analyst, that provides actionable tips and quick wins in a simple and vibrant format.

2. Work with me and my team privately.?Let’s set up a time to chat and understand your business so we can put a plan together.