President's Tip of the Week

The Seven Thinking Sins of Public Speaking, part 1
(10/27/08)

from Speaking about Presenting by Olivia Mitchell

1. My presentation must go perfectly.

Truth: There is no such thing as a perfect presentation. And neither is it a laudable goal. Audiences prefer authentic to polished, they prefer conversational to slick. It's normal to stumble over a word or forget for a moment what you want to say next. Your audience will forgive you.

Solution: Your goal is to forge a connection with your audience. Focus on that, not the perfection of your speech. Accept that you'll make some mistakes - that's human.

2. I must be interesting and engaging.

Truth: It's a tall order to say that you must be interesting and engaging at all times. Sometimes people in an audience do drift off into their own thoughts for a moment. Or maybe they're exhanusted from being up all night with a teething baby. It's not about you.

Solution: Your goal is to be interesting and engaging. Focus on the people in the audience who are connecting with you - they are energy chargers. The people who aren't paying attention to you are energy suckers. Looking at them will demoralize you and your energy will drop. Or you'll get so obsessed in trying to get their attention that you'll become too zany.