The 3 Biggest Mistakes You Are Making When You Do a Presentation

The ability to deliver dynamic and convincing presentations is an important key to success.  Yet many of my career mentoring clients tell me that they are afraid of standing up in front of a group and speaking.

Arvee Robinson is a friend of mine.  She is a presentation skills expert. The other day, I received an email from her in which she outlined the three biggest mistakes many people make when they are asked to deliver a presentation.  Check them out…

1. Starting your speech with a joke, quote, or story. You have 3 seconds to grab your audience’s attention and in those 3 seconds they have decided whether or not you are an expert and if they are going to listen. Starting with a joke, quote, story is risky because it takes your audience’s attention away from you and on to someone or somewhere else. There are better ways to grab their attention and keep it.
2. Giving too much content. We’ve heard content is king. However, it’s valuable content that’s king. If you give too much in a short period of time, you cannot go deep enough to teach your audience and they will lose interest and zone out. It’s important to give the right amount of content for the right amount of time you have to speak.
3. No call to action. Big mistake because this step is what generates the leads, referrals, clients, and prospects to your business. If you don’t invite people to take action, they won’t and you just flapped your jaw for nothing. Instead, take a moment at the end of your presentation to invite your audience to take the next step with you. That step may be to sign up for a coaching session, phone call, or a program. Whatever it is, the invitation is key.

Arvee usually works with speakers who are selling a service.  Her third point is directed at them.  However, a call to action is really important even if you aren’t in business for yourself.

For example, if you’re doing a talk to senior executives in your company, you most likely want them to approve and fund a project.  You need to end your talk with a call to action that clearly states what you are asking for.  If you’re looking for volunteers for your child’s school trip, you need to end your talk with a call to action that encourages other parents to get involved.  If you’re leading a training program in your company, you need to end with a call to action that encourages people to use the skills they’ve learned.

If you avoid the three problems Arvee lays out, you’ll do a better job of delivering dynamic presentations that help you get what you want.

Your career mentor,

Bud

PS: I write this blog to help people create the life and career success they want and deserve.  Now I’m going one step further.  I’ve created a membership site in which I’ve pulled together my best thoughts on success.  And, as a reader of this blog, you can become a member for free.  Just go to  www.BudBilanich.com/join to claim your free membership. You’ll be joining a vibrant and growing community of success minded professionals.  I hope to see you there.