• [REF XXXXXXX] Top Ten Mistakes Made By Presenters!
• No Presentation Objectives - If you don't know what your audience should do at the end of your presentation, there is no need for you to present. Knowing your objectives is the key to developing an effective presentation.
• Poor Visual Aids - Visual aids are designed to reinforce to your audience the main points of your presentation. Without effective visuals, you are missing a key opportunity to communicate with your audience.
• Ineffective Close - Closing your presentation is extremely important. It is when you tie up your presentation and spell out what you want your audience "to do". A weak close can kill a presentation.
• Mediocre First Impression - Audiences evaluate a presenter within the first 120 seconds of your presentation. Presenters who make a bad first impression can lose credibility with their audience and as a result diminish their ability to effectively communicate the information in the presentation.
• No Preparation - The best presenters prepare for every presentation. Those who prepare and practice are more successful in presenting their information and anticipating audience reaction. Practice does make perfect!
• Lack of Enthusiasm - If you aren't excited about the presentation, why should your audience be? Enthusiastic presenters are the most effective ones around!
• Weak Eye Contact - As a presenter, you are trying to effectively communicate with your audience to get your message across. If don't make eye contact with the members in your audience, they will not take you or your message seriously.
• No Audience Involvement - The easiest way to turn off your audience is by not getting them involved in your presentation. Use audience involvement to gain their "buy-in".
• Lack of Facial Expressions - Don't be a zombie. Effective speakers use facial expressions to help reinforce their messages.
• Sticky Floor Syndrome - There is nothing worse than a speaker who is glued to the floor. Be natural and don't stay in one place.
• Examples of presentation problems follow
1. The demonstration - the good, the bad and the ugly - playing with your computer during the presentation
2. All the features, sound, lights, action - too many options
3. The screen saver - something to look at
4. Where’s the on button? - knowing your equipment
5. Microfilm - Making the fonts too big or small
6. Just a bad presenter - no eye contact, mumbling, etc.
7. The cut and paste - format not right for presentation
8. The reader - too much details on overheads, and presenter reads
9. The constant droner - fills all gaps in sound with ‘ah’, ‘um’,
10. The Fiddler - playing with objects and moving too much
11. The Jedi Knight - laser pointer or weapon? (aka caffeine amplifier)
12. The Derivation - one big equation
13. Flipper - spends time jumping backwards in slides
14. Where’s the file? - looking for that lost file on the hard drive