Top 5 of the most common mistakes made by speakers.

2. Do you remember Steve from
another presentation* ?
* see: Break the rules of presentations

3. As part of his job he visits top-
seminars all over the world..

4. ..to learn from experts, thought-
and industryleaders.
In-depth knowledge is a
very valuable asset!
(Remember Allan, Steve’s boss?)

5. Being part of the audience so
often…

6. Steve gets annoyed by common
mistakes many speakers make.

7. See him asleep?

8. ..and him?

9. ..and her?

10. How about all
these people?

11. Falling asleep is something Steve
can’t afford!
Any idea what we paid for
his seat?
He’d better stay awake!

12. So please help Steve* to stay
awake…
* ..and everyone else in your audience!

13. ..by avoiding the 5 most common
mistakes speakers make.

14. Here they are:
I like charts. They
make things relative
and measurable!

15. Technical malfunctions

16. It can happen to anyone: bluescreens, bad
working projectors, low batteries.
Please arrive at least half an hour upfront to
check the equipment. And also verify if colors
and contrast on the projector match those of
your computer screen.

17. The next mistake is very common
amongst high executives and
politicians…
How can there possibly be a
similarity between me and a
politician?

18. Irritating non-words
er..
you know?

19. It’s okay to say “uhm ” now and then, but it’s
getting very annoying if you say it every 20
seconds.
You should practice in front of your colleagues
or your camera, and note any disgressions.

20. And because many speakers only
think about themselves..
I would never be succesful if I’d
only thought about myself!
But enough about me, what do
YOU think of me?

21. ..lots of their speeches lack
interaction!

22. We, your audience, are not there for you, but
for your story. We want to learn something and
expect you to help us.
Please involve us in your presentation: Ask
questions, let us calculate in our heads or ask us
to imagine. Help us to remember your message!

23. Some speakers have so much to
talk about, that there is ..
When you’ve reached a certain
level, everything you do is very
important.
(and so is everything you say!)

24. ..no room for in-depth, re-
vealing and eye-opening content

25. We expect you to be the expert on the subject.
There’s no need to prove it (again).
Don’t bore us with lists, facts and statistics.
Instead, show us your knowledge on the subject
by telling stories and showing best practices.
Persuade us that your ideas can be beneficial for
us!

26. Now, guess what the
#1annoyance is..
Don’t tell me it’s a
sleeping audience!

27. Reading your powerpoint
slides out loud

28. If you are reading your slides, why would we
bother attending a live seminar?
We came to hear you speak, not to read your
slides. Besides, we read faster than you can
speak, so reading your slides looks kind of silly.
Don’t use your slides to help you through your
presentation, use them to help us through your
presentation.
Take time to prepare your presentation.We
think we are worth it!

29. So next time, please your
audience…
They paid piles of money to attend
your presentation!

30. …by avoiding these 5 mistakes..
Reading your slides out loud
Lacking in-depth, revealing &
inspiring content
Having no interaction
Using irritating non-words
Having technical difficulties

31. ..to keep your audience awake.

32. Arthur Sevenstern
arthur@excellentpresenteren.nl
www.excellentpresenteren.nl

33. Photos:
5,7,8,9,10 : flickr/UK Space Agency/Seminar audience 2
11: flickr/Jason Puddephat/Aeroplane – Thomas Cook
11: flickr/Evelyn Proimos/Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas
11: flickr/Dave Herholz/Easter dinner on the cruise boat
11: flickr/Flemings Mayfair/Opening night at the Flemings Cocktail Bar, Mayfair
15: vocaro/blue screen
21: flickr/Adam Lang/Panel Discussion
24: ffffound.com/home/disco/found/
27: flickr/Ikhlasul Amal/Presentation
29: flickr/Images Money/Dollar
31: : flickr/UK Space Agency/Seminar audience
Other images are author’s collection or acquired from istockphoto.com