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18 presentation mistakes you probably make (and how to avoid them)

July 11, 2017

Almost exactly one year ago I was in Paris with a colleague and his team of presentation coaches. We were gonna hold a presentation workshop for an international company and their senior managers. What unfolded in that workshop was eye-opening. We asked the attendees to reflect on what makes a presentation great versus awful, and the consensus was clear - bad slides can ruin even the most brilliant presenter's performance.

As we delved into the workshop, it became evident that the common pitfalls were "bad slides," "too much text on slides," and "ugly PowerPoint slides." Aha! The attendees understood the significance of clean design in business presentations. This was great news for me who was growing my presentation design agency.

Bad slides can make the greatest presenter fail

One might argue that as long as you're a captivating speaker, the slides are secondary. However, reality struck us during a 5-minute presentation exercise. One of the senior managers, let’s call him John, had great stage presence and his outgoing and fun personality caught my attention straight away. John was not talking about a super exciting topic, but his impressive way of presenting it made me actually want to listen and see if I could learn anything.

The issue was that John's slides kept pulling my attention away from him and what he was saying, and my focus was instead on reading his bullet points. And it didn't take long before I had lost him and what he was talking about. This happened over and over again with several of the other managers. It became clear that the details crammed into his slides were working against him, not for him.

Most of the senior managers were good at communicating their ideas but they didn't need all the content that they had stuffed in their slides. The details in their presentation slides worked against the speaker rather than supporting them. And this is a fact that most speakers neglect: do my slides enhance or detract from my message?

When you are preparing a presentation, try asking yourself these three questions:

Do I really need all these points on my slide? Embrace simplicity and let your speech fill in the gaps.

What can I delete from my slides and convey through my words? Less is often more when it comes to impactful presentations.

Do my slides support me, or are they stealing the spotlight? Ensure your slides complement your narrative, not compete with it.

The 18 most common presentation mistakes people do, and how to avoid them

On the second day of the workshop we worked together with the participants, did some role plays, critiqued their slides and how they gave their presentations. From these exercises we developed a big list of the most common mistakes people make when giving presentations. We also gave suggestions on how to stop making those mistakes. Here are the top 18 from that list.

1. Ignoring the Power of Design

Mistake : Underestimating the impact of presentation design.

Solution : Embrace clean, visually appealing slides that complement your message. Consider color psychology, visual hierarchy, and maintain consistency throughout. It's hard to tell stories with bullet points.

2. Overlooking the Psychology of Colors

Mistake : Neglecting the influence of colors on audience perception.

Solution : Choose colors wisely to evoke the right emotions. Warm tones for passion, cool tones for trust. Align your color palette with the mood and message of your presentation.

3. Neglecting Visual Hierarchy

Mistake : Failing to guide the audience's attention through visual hierarchy.

Solution : Use larger fonts, bold colors, and strategic layouts to highlight key points. Guide your audiences' attention with visual hierarchy.

4. Inconsistency in Design

Mistake : Not maintaining a consistent design throughout the presentation.

Solution : From fonts to color schemes, consistency breeds professionalism. Create a cohesive narrative by ensuring all design elements align with your brand.

5. Underestimating the Power of Storytelling

Mistake : Overlooking the impact of a compelling narrative.

Solution : Tailor your story to resonate with your audience. Craft a narrative arc with a captivating introduction, core content, and a memorable takeaway. Humanize your presentation with real-life anecdotes.

6. Not Knowing Your Audience

Mistake : Failing to tailor your presentation to your audience.

Solution : Understand their needs, challenges, and aspirations. Make your message more relatable by addressing their specific interests.

7. Neglecting Virtual Presentation Skills

Mistake : Ignoring the nuances of virtual presentations.

Solution : Master the art of virtual communication. Leverage tools, optimize visuals for screens, and maintain an engaging tone to keep your audience actively participating.

8. Avoiding Interaction in Presentations

Mistake : Sticking to a one-way communication approach.

Solution : Break away from monotone presentations with interactive elements. Incorporate polls, Q&A sessions, and multimedia to keep your audience engaged and participating actively.

9. Underestimating the Impact of Presentation Design Agencies

Mistake : Overlooking the expertise of presentation design agencies.

Solution : Collaborate with specialized presentation and/or PowerPoint agencies for visually stunning presentations. They understand the nuances of effective design and can transform your ideas into captivating visuals.

10. DIY Design Mistakes

Mistake : Thinking effective design requires a hefty budget.

Solution : Explore user-friendly design tools like Canva. Invest in online courses to enhance your skills and gather feedback from peers to uncover areas for improvement.

11. Ignoring Rehearsals

Mistake : Neglecting the importance of rehearsing your presentation.

Solution : Practice your delivery to enhance confidence and identify areas for improvement. Record yourself and watch it back. Seek feedback from a colleague.

12. Overloading Slides with Information

Mistake : Cramming too much information onto slides.

Solution : Embrace simplicity. Focus on key points and let your speech fill in the details. A clutter-free slide enhances audience understanding.

13. Disregarding Body Language

Mistake : Ignoring the impact of body language during presentations.

Solution : Be mindful of your gestures, posture, and facial expressions. Positive body language enhances your credibility and engages the audience.

14. Neglecting the Opening Hook

Mistake : Starting your presentation with a weak or generic opening.

Solution : Capture your audience's attention from the start. Begin with a compelling question, quote, or anecdote to hook your audience and set the tone.

15. Poor Time Management

Mistake : Overrunning or rushing through your presentation.

Solution : Practice pacing to ensure your presentation fits the allotted time. Be mindful of your audience's attention span and adjust your content accordingly.

16. Ignoring Feedback Loops

Mistake : Disregarding the importance of feedback.

Solution : Seek feedback from peers, mentors, or the audience. Constructive criticism helps refine your presentation skills and address blind spots.

17. Using Overly Complex Jargon

Mistake : Assuming your audience understands complex industry jargon.

Solution : Simplify your language to ensure universal understanding. Clear communication enhances engagement and relatability.

18. Lack of Adaptability

Mistake : Failing to adapt your presentation style to different audiences or settings.

Solution : Understand the context and preferences of your audience. Tailor your delivery to resonate with diverse groups, whether in a boardroom or a virtual setting.

Mastering the art of presentation goes beyond being a captivating speaker. It involves understanding the marriage of design and storytelling, navigating the technological landscape, and adapting to evolving presentation styles. Whether you collaborate with a presentation design agency or take the DIY route, the goal remains the same - to captivate your audience and leave a lasting impression. Embrace the power of design, craft compelling narratives, and watch as your presentations become not just informative sessions but memorable experiences.

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The 15 Most Common Presentation Mistakes You Should Avoid

Becoming a better presenter should be in your bucket list. With so many real-life benefits to improving your presentation skills, you’re seriously missing out if you think being an ‘okay’ presenter is good enough. Avoid these common presentation mistakes, and be on your way to becoming a popular and highly sought-after speaker in your industry!

Perfection Isn’t Key To A Successful Presentation

Photo by Jonathan Hoxmark on Unsplash

There is no such thing as a ‘perfect’ presentation. We’re all bound to make mistakes – rookies and expert presenters alike. And that’s alright. Why? Because we’re not robots. We’re humans. As such, we are inherently error-prone.

Think about the last time you had a ‘perfect’ presentation. Can you remember? No? Maybe that’s because it never happened. No matter how well-prepared you are, you may still occasionally stumble, mispronounce something, or forget to mention some meaningful examples you’ve rehearsed during practice.

Perfection isn’t something that you should aspire to, anyway. You’re just setting yourself up for failure that way. When you’re aiming for perfection, you’re setting the bar far too high and putting a ton of pressure on yourself. The more you make mistakes, the more frustrated you become. Even if you achieve the impossible and do a ‘perfect’ presentation, what’s next for you? What’s comes after ‘perfection,’ anyway?

Perfection is never the right approach. Instead, strive to continuously improve and become a better version of yourself. Even the most successful presenters constantly look for ways to improve themselves. They read up on presentation techniques, observe their competitors in action, and are relentless in their pursuit of knowledge.

Wouldn’t you love to be like these ‘experts’? They’re already at the pinnacle of success, and yet they continue to seek knowledge and growth. Complacency just isn’t part of their vocabulary – and it shouldn’t be in yours, too!

Stop Committing These 15 Most Common Presentation Mistakes

In the beginning, you may find yourself committing these mistakes over and over again. That’s okay. Don’t be frustrated. Take it as a challenge to continue improving. These mistakes are called ‘common’ for a reason. Presenters of all levels make these from time to time. So, don’t be too harsh on yourself if you don’t succeed right away.

1. Not defining your presentation goal

Presenters who don’t define their presentation goal are prone to making a lot of mistakes which translates to a higher risk of failure. Sure, you can try to ‘wing’ it, but what would you say your chances of success are?

Before you even plan out your content, you should know what your presentation’s goal is. Are you looking to inform, educate, persuade, activate, inspire or entertain the audience?

Now, it doesn’t have to be one or the other. One would expect an informative or educational presentation to be a bit more serious than an entertaining one would be. But, if it’s not against the rules, try to liven things up as well. You can say you want to educate and, at the same time, entertain people. Or, you can persuade and inspire your audience simultaneously.

Whatever your goals may be, always have the audience in mind. Meet people’s expectations and plan your presentation in such a way that they will not be disappointed.

2. Not preparing enough for the presentation

It’s so easy to put off preparing for a presentation when you know the topic like the back of your hand. In your mind’s eye, you can see yourself finishing the outline, the speech, and the slides – all in just a few hours.

But, of course, when it comes right down to it, you find yourself panicking because you underestimated the task at hand. So, when you get to your presentation, you’re sweating nervously. And your slides are nothing but a bunch of copied-and-pasted text from the Internet.

Procrastination has destroyed so many reputations and so many careers. Leaving stuff up to the very last minute may give you a rush of adrenaline. It makes you feel powerful when you get lucky and pull a successful presentation off. However, it also makes you think you can pull the same stunt every time you have a presentation coming up. You get complacent and don’t prepare until the very last minute.

The only excuse you can have for not preparing is when you’re not given enough time in the first place. Say you’re doing a client presentation. But your boss only assigned that task at the very last minute, leaving you with literally zero time to prepare. You certainly can’t be blamed in this situation, unless your boss is deliberately trying to get you fired.

3. Not knowing who your audience is

You’re doing your presentation to benefit your audience. So, spending a fair amount of time researching your topic is the right thing to do. But don’t stop there. Learn more about your audience, too.

How can your presentation add value to people’s lives? Why should they listen to you? And why should they care about your presentation?

Getting to know your audience can mean the difference between success and failure. If your message resonates with them, they’re going to pay attention to you. Otherwise, they’ll tune you out – they simply have no reason to listen to you.

Let’s say, for example, you’re giving a presentation on a new product your company is launching. If you know your audience, you can tell stories that they can relate to. You can cite real-life examples that are relevant to your audience.

If you’re presenting in front of a culturally diverse group of people, you don’t want to make an off-putting joke that people will hate you for. Offending your audience is the last thing you want to happen during your presentation.

Getting to know your audience isn’t really as hard as it sounds. This article will give you ideas you can follow to learn more about your listeners.

4. Not checking if the presentation file is working

In most cases, you won’t have a technical team on standby. Whether you’re doing a one-on-one presentation, or presenting in front of a group, it’s important to personally make sure you can access the presentation file.

It doesn’t matter if you’re using PowerPoint, Keynote or Google Slides, or whatever your preferred presentation app is. You may have designed a bunch of impressive-looking slides, but if you can’t access it on presentation day, then your work is all for naught.

This is especially important when the stakes are high. If you’re trying to get people to invest a considerable sum in your business, you need them to trust you. And the thing is, they’re not going to trust you if they witness you panicking because the presentation file is corrupted, or worse, missing!

How can people trust you with their money when you can’t even be bothered to check beforehand if your file is working? Think about it. So, don’t throw a tantrum if people give you negative feedback on your company website or on social media. Own up to your mistakes and do a better job next time.

5. Not scoping out the presentation venue ahead of time

Here’s another very common presentation mistake. You don’t just waltz in to your presentation venue without visiting it earlier in the week (or day), and making sure everything’s in good working condition.

Check the sound system, the projector, the podium, the stage, etc. Go to the very back of the room, and see if you can still read the text on your presentation slides. If not, well, at least you still have time to make the necessary adjustments. Ideally, however, this should have been factored in before you even started working on your slides.

Make sure your voice carries across the room, and everyone can hear you loud and clear. You’ve got an important message and you want it to be heard.

If you’re presenting in a cozy cafe or renting a small meeting room in a very busy establishment like a restaurant, then check the noise levels in the area. Can your guests hear you? Perhaps you can request to be moved to a better, quieter spot.

Scoping out your presentation venue may sound unnecessary, but really, it’s the small things that count. After all, you want your audience to be as comfortable as possible, so they’d be more receptive to your presentation.

6. Too many animations

Subjecting your audience to a presentation with nonstop animations and transitions is akin to torture. Seriously, try watching your presentation yourself and see if you can last till the end without getting dizzy, or worse, throwing up!

Animations, when used sparingly and carefully, can do a lot of good to your presentation. You can get people to re-focus their attention on you. A subtle movement every now and then can emphasize important points in your presentation. Applying animation effects to every single element on your slides is just plain overkill.

For best results, stick to simple animations. The most commonly used slide transition effect is a simple fade animation. For object animations, there are plenty of options to choose from in PowerPoint. Before you apply an animation effect, ask yourself first if it adds any value to your presentation. If the answer is ‘no,’ forget it. If ‘yes,’ then by all means, add that effect to your slide!

7. Not getting straight to the point

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Your audience is most likely composed of busy individuals. Respect them by not wasting their time. After briefly introducing yourself, tell them what they can expect to learn from your presentation. Then, go through your points one by one.

Having an outline – and sticking to it – will help prevent you from going around in circles. With an outline, you can structure your presentation, and go from introduction to body to conclusion smoothly. In short, an outline can help you plan how you can make the most impact on your audience.

Remember, people have short attention spans. If you don’t deliver on your promises, and you keep on talking about non-relevant stuff, people will tune you out. You better give them something important to chew on before they turn their attention elsewhere.

8. Too much text or information in slides

This is personally one of my pet peeves in presentations – cramming way too much info on slides. When you lay out everything on your slides, you don’t give your audience any incentive to continue listening to you. They’re just going to read your slide and play on their phones while they wait for you to move on to the next slide. They’ll just repeat this process until the end of your presentation.

The element of surprise or the unknown is important in presentations. Keep your audience’s interest by not sharing everything on your slides. Pique their curiosity by giving hints and clues on your slides. Then deliver a verbal discussion on what those hints mean.

Another benefit of not putting way too much text or information in your slides is that you avoid doing the next mistake.

9. Reading the presentation slides

Trust me when I say you’re disrespecting your audience by reading whatever is on your slides. It’s like you’re assuming they don’t know how to read for themselves!

What’s even worse is when your slides are so crammed with text that the font size becomes reduced to near-infinitesimal levels! So, you end up inadvertently insulting your audience even more. Now they’re stuck listening to you read your slides because they can’t read what’s on there. It’s the double whammy of bad presentations!

To sum up this point, people want to learn from you and they want to listen to you. But they DON’T want to listen to you read your slides.

10. ‘Death by PowerPoint’

Don’t quote me on this, but I don’t think anyone’s literally died yet just by watching a PowerPoint presentation. ‘ Death by PowerPoint’ is a phenomenon brought about by the millions of PowerPoint presenters who bore their audiences to tears, or in this case, death.

If you’ve ever attended a presentation where the presenter showed a dizzying and confusing array of slides, or droned on and on without caring if anyone’s actually listening, then you’ve personally experienced this phenomenon. I bet you – and everyone else – were thinking you’d rather be anywhere else but there.

Here’s a video from 10 years ago that’s still relevant today:

So, yeah, ‘death by PowerPoint’ is easily one of the most common PowerPoint mistakes you should avoid at all cost!

11. Not speaking clearly

Many rookie presenters are guilty of this common presentation mistake. Who wants to listen to a presenter speak gibberish? Not me. And I’m pretty sure not you, either. You’re attending a presentation because you want to learn something. When the speaker on stage doesn’t speak clearly, frustrations can quickly build up.

So, when you practice your speech, it’s important to make sure you enunciate each word clearly. Don’t use words that your audiences aren’t familiar with. If you’re speaking to a bunch of elderly people, don’t use lingo they may not understand. If you’re with a younger group, try to learn their slang so they’ll feel more comfortable with you.

Also, when using acronyms, make sure you define it first so people don’t end up confused. You want everyone to be on the same page as you, and communication is key to achieving this particular goal.

12. Not making eye contact

Making eye contact is one of the first things you should work on as a presenter. Why? Because avoiding eye contact during presentations make you look dodgy and untrustworthy. You won’t inspire confidence. So, don’t be surprised if no one takes you seriously.

With eye contact, however, you make it easy for people to see that you actually believe in what you’re saying. If you’re trying to persuade them to buy something from you, they’ll look at you for reassurance that you yourself believe in the product you’re selling.

Eye contact helps you build connections with your audience. When you make eye contact for a few seconds, you feel like you’re talking to that person one-on-one. In that moment, you make that audience member feel important and respected. In return, they will be more receptive to the message you’re sharing with them.

If you’re a naturally shy person, you’ll need to take some baby steps in the beginning. Try practicing making eye contact with the people you interact with on a daily basis. Over time, you’ll find yourself making eye contact naturally and you’ll feel your confidence levels rising.

13. Not dressing appropriately

Photo by Heather Ford on Unsplash

How would you feel if you wore formal attire to someone’s presentation and the speaker shows up wearing street clothes? You’d probably be annoyed that you took the time to dress up. Here you are listening to someone who didn’t even bother to wear a more suitable outfit for his talk.

First impressions are everything. The right clothes can make people warm up to you. You’re selling an image of being a professional, trustworthy speaker. Your clothes can definitely speak volumes on your behalf.

When in doubt, stick to the classics – gray or black business suits look good in presentations. If you’re borrowing someone else’s suit, make sure it at least fits you. You don’t want to look like you’re swimming in your clothes. For best results, invest in your own business suits. Wearing your own clothes will help you feel more comfortable and more confident.

Don’t forget about your hair, too. You want nothing sticking out unless you’re speaking to a bunch of guys with spiky hair. But even then, you’d still want to maintain an air of professionalism.

The bottom line is, make yourself look good so you’ll feel good. Carefully pick out your clothes . Let your audience see that you’re someone they can build a professional relationship with.

14. Insufficient knowledge of presentation topic

As I’ve mentioned earlier in this article, people attend your presentation because they want to learn something new from you. So, if you show up to your presentation without doing your research or your homework, then you’re essentially wasting their time.

It’s important to be prepared for your presentation. But don’t just cover the basics and then gloss over the details. Be prepared to go as in-depth as possible and cover all possible angles. Now, I don’t mean you need to know everything about the subject, but do try to be as well-informed as possible.

Don’t tell people what they already know. Figure out how you can ‘sell’ your ideas and make your presentation engaging and exciting!

15. No clear call to action

Many rookie presenters make the mistake of not adding a call to action (CTA) to their presentations. They think that their job is done just by sharing whatever their message is and that nothing else needs to be done afterwards.

To be fair, however, in informative presentations, the need for a CTA may not be as clear-cut as, say, a sales presentation. But you should definitely still add a call to action to ALL presentations.

Why? Because CTA’s motivate and encourage your audience to take action. You’re letting them know that the ball is in their court now. You’ve laid out what they need to do, so they can apply the information they’ve learned from you.

Don’t let people treat your presentation as something they can just sweep under the rug. Make an impact during your presentation so that people will be more willing to follow your CTA.

Here’s a tip: instead of using a thank you slide, put your CTA in the final slide. This way, people will be more likely to remember – and take action on – your call to action.

Final Words

You don’t need to aim for a perfect presentation. But avoiding these common presentation mistakes will definitely help you become a better presenter. Define your presentation goal and plan out your content before you do anything else. When designing your slides, make your audience’s visual experience a positive one. Create a strong first impression and engage with your audience throughout your presentation. Help them learn from you, and they’ll help you achieve your presentation goals!

You might also find this interesting:

• Here are the best resources to improve your presentation techniques
• The seven worst presentations of all time and why they went wrong
• Bad PowerPoint Examples You Should Avoid at All Costs

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Presentation Training Institute

A division of bold new directions training, the most common presentation mistakes and how to avoid them.

At some point, most of us have sat through a boring, dull, or confusing presentation. Chances are you were doing everything but listening. You may have been scrolling through your phone, checking an email, making a grocery list, or even nodding off. The fact is, no one enjoys sitting through a bad presentation. That’s why it’s so important to spend some time perfecting your presentation skills. Regardless of how much presentation experience you have, there is always room for improvement. So, how do you go from an average presenter to a great one? Take a look at some of the most common mistakes presenters make and how you can avoid them. 

Not Preparing Enough

You may assume that since you know your topic like the back of your hand that you don’t need to spend as much time preparing for your presentation. Wrong! In your mind’s eye you may think you have the whole presentation worked out, but when it comes time to actually present it, you find yourself panicking because you underestimated the task. Pulling off a good presentation takes adequate preparation. Do your due diligence, know your topic, spend time creating a meaningful presentation, and rehearse it several times. Preparation is the key to delivering a successful presentation. 

Not Focusing on Your Audience

Oftentimes presenters get so wrapped up in their topic and the delivery of their presentation that they forget about the needs of their audience. The whole point of your presentation is to provide something beneficial for the audience, so it only makes sense that you need to learn about them before you arrive. Take some time to find out who your audience is, what their background knowledge on the topic is, and what they hope to gain from your presentation. Then, you can tailor your presentation to meet their needs. 

Too Much Text on Slides

There is nothing more annoying to an audience than having to read paragraphs on every slide. Slideshows can be a great way to enhance your presentation, but they are intended to do just that. Every piece of information should never be included on your slides. Cramming too much information on a slideshow will almost certainly guarantee you lose audience interest. Furthermore, if your audience is busy reading all of that text, they won’t be listening to you.  Keep your slideshows simple and remember that less is always more. 

Reading from a Slideshow

The only thing worse than expecting your audience to read all of your slides is for you to read it to them. Again, keep your slides simple with less text, meaningful images, and visuals that supplement what you are saying. People are there to listen to you speak, NOT to hear you read from slides. 

Rambling or Using Too Much Jargon

Most people aren’t super excited about attending a presentation, so be respectful of people’s time. Don’t spend an hour talking if you can get your point across in 20 minutes. Likewise, be mindful of your audience and avoid using too much jargon or too many technical terms. It’s difficult to pay attention to someone when you have no idea what they are talking about. 

Trying to Cram Too Much Information

Before preparing your presentation, ask yourself: “What is the main purpose of my presentation and what do I want my audience to take away from it?â€. Narrowing your presentation down to one main point can help you eliminate unnecessary information so you aren’t cramming too much information into your presentation. You don’t want to overwhelm your audience, but rather leave them with a few memorable points and a call to action. 

Not Familiarizing Yourself with the Venue and Equipment

Imagine your presentation begins in an hour and when you arrive at the venue to set up, the projector won’t work with your laptop. All of those slides that you have been preparing for weeks are useless and you only have moments to improvise. You can avoid this situation by checking out the venue and available equipment ahead of time. Familiarize yourself with the space and all of the technical equipment so you can identify potential issues and come up with a plan B if needed.

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28 Common Presentation Mistakes. Which are you making?

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• > 28 Common Presentation Mistakes. Which are you making?

The best presenters and speakers continually hone their skills and test out new material. Regardless of how much presenting experience you have, don’t assume you have nothing new to learn. But don’t strive for perfection either. Instead, identify a few issues that you could improve upon and work on those first – starting with whatever will have the biggest impact on your presentations.

So how do you go from average to outstanding presenter? Have a look at our list of the  28 biggest presentation mistakes  that most presenters make. Is there anything we missed?

1. Starting poorly

Make sure to start your presentations with impact. Saying,  “Welcome, my name is ___. Today we will be talking about…”  is  boring . Do something different – be bold, creative, inspiring! And arrive early so you won’t feel flustered, which will carry over into your presentation. Most importantly, be interesting!

2. Failing to address the audience’s concerns

Before you even think about creating a presentation, know what your audience is struggling with so that you can solve their problem or address their concerns.

3. Boring your audience

If you can’t be interesting, don’t bother speaking in front of people.

4. Failing to engage emotionally

We like to think that humans make rational decisions, but   studies show  that people make decisions based on emotion, and then rationalize their decisions afterwards.

5. Using too much jargon

Your language needs to be appropriate for your audience. They can’t listen to you while they’re trying to figure out what you said. If you speak in circles around them, they may never fully catch up. If you can’t avoid the use of jargon or a technical term, be sure to explain what it means when you introduce it, and don’t introduce too many at once.

6. Being too wordy or rambling

Don’t use up an hour of time when 20 minutes will do. Respect people’s time and get to the point. Be concise and don’t ramble. But don’t rush, either. Yes, it’s a fine line.

7. Going over your allotted time

This is a simple matter of respect. If your presentation goes over your allotted time, there’s a good chance your audience will lose interest and leave anyway – or at the very least, stop listening because they’ll be focused on other commitments and trying to figure out how they will adjust.

8. Lack of focus

Your slide deck should help you stay on track. Use it as a guide to make sure you move logically from one point to another.

9. Reading slides verbatim

In all likelihood, your audience can read perfectly well without your assistance. If you’re just going to read to them, you might as well save everyone some time and just send them a copy of your slide deck. This isn’t the place for a bedtime story.

Challenge yourself to put as few words on the slides as possible, so that you can’t read from them. Could you do your entire presentation with only one word on each slide? If not, this is an indication that you may not know your materials well enough.

10. Poor slide design

PowerPoint gets a bad rap because 99% of slides are very poorly designed, but it’s not Bill Gates’ fault that the world lacks design skills! Just because a feature is available in PowerPoint, doesn’t mean you need to use it.

In fact, when you start designing a presentation, it’s best if you don’t even open PowerPoint. Use Microsoft Word to create an outline first. Focus on the content and structure, and only when that is outstanding, move to PowerPoint and start designing your slides.

If you don’t know how to design good slides, find someone who does or learn. While poor slide design probably won’t make or break your presentation, it can undermine your credibility and distract your audience – or worse – help put them to sleep.

Depending on the type of presentation, you may want to consider the   10/20/30 rule from Guy Kawasaki . Ten slides for a 20-minute presentation with fonts no smaller than 30 points. It’s not appropriate for all types of presentations, but it’s a nice guideline and slide-to-duration ratio.

Be careful when buying PowerPoint templates – while they may look pretty, more often than not, the design is not conducive to great presentations. The fonts are almost always too light and/or small to be read at the back of a room and the designers often cram too much on one slide. Buying presentation templates only works if you understand good design. Don’t trust that just because a “professional” designed it, that it’s any good. It can take longer to fix a poorly designed slide than to just build one from scratch.

11. Cramming in too much information

If the audience can’t make sense of the data, or if they have to stop listening to you so they can read, you’re doing it wrong. Simplicity and white space are your friends. Think, “How would Apple design a slide deck?”

12. Incorporating too much data

Ask yourself, “Why am I including this data?”, “What action do I want to inspire?”, and “If I removed this, could I still make my point?” to help determine if the data relevant enough to include.

“We have met the Devil of Information Overload and his impish underlings, the computer virus, the busy signal, the dead link, and the PowerPoint presentation.” – James Gleick

13. Relying on PowerPoint as your only presentation tool

Even when used correctly, PowerPoint should not be your only tool. Use flip charts, white boards, post-it notes, and other tools to engage your audience. Try to break up the amount of time the audience spends staring at a screen.

14. Making it about you

As the presenter, you are the least important person in the room. When you understand that and focus on the goal of helping your audience, you can eliminate a lot of the nervousness that comes with presenting.

15. Being a Diva

To be a great presenter, one could argue that you have to have a slightly inflated sense of ego and tough skin. It’s not easy standing in front of a room full of people (often complete strangers) who will critique your performance without knowing anything about you or the kind of day you’ve had. That inflated ego can be useful in protecting you when things don’t go well.

But your ego doesn’t give you permission to act like you’re more important than everyone else. You’re the least important person in the room, remember?

The best presenters are those who are authentic and who truly want to help people. Try to accommodate the organizers and see things from their perspective when they need you to adapt. Make it easy for people to work with you and they will ask you to come back.

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou

16. Not practicing enough (or at all!)

“Winging it” works well for very few people. The people who successfully speak without much practice are those who are fantastic natural speakers  and   who know their material inside out and upside down. Even if you’re one of the lucky few, you need to get the timing right – so practice anyway!

17. Apologizing or drawing attention to your fears or shortcomings

When you’re having an “off day” it’s natural to want to say something like, “I didn’t sleep well last night so forgive me if I seem tired.” But when you do that, you’re undermining your own credibility because your audience might not have even noticed you were tired. But now that you’ve drawn attention to it, they will focus on it, look for clues, and may even include a comment on your feedback form. Don’t give them reasons to complain!

18. Technical difficulties

There are no excuses for not preparing technology ahead of time. Make sure you’ve tested everything before your presentation. Always carry extra batteries for your presenter remote (if you use one).

If you arrive late, you’re setting yourself up for failure and run the risk of starting off stressed, which can have a domino effect on the rest of your presentation.

19. Overusing animations and transitions

Many people struggle with vertigo, motion sickness, and nausea. Out of respect for those people, never  move   text; if you must animate it, the text should remain static on the screen as it fades or wipes in. This allows people to fix their eyes on a focal point and start reading before the animation finishes. Don’t make your audience follow bouncing, flying, zooming, spinning, growing, or floating text… or anything else for that matter!

Transitions are quite unnecessary, but if you must use them, only use a quick fade. If your transitions are too slow, they’ll interfere with your normal speech pattern.

Remember – no one will leave your presentation and think, “Wow, those animations were great!”. They will comment on the content and your ability to present it. And the food… or lack thereof.

20. Not using enough relevant stories

Connect with people on a personal level to build rapport and trust. People will remember your stories much more easily than they will remember any facts you present. Just make sure the stories are relevant to your presentation or you’ll risk annoying people for wasting their time.

21. Making your stories too long

Don’t drag out your stories with useless details. The worst stories begin something like this:

“So last Tuesday I was walking the dog and… or wait, was it Wednesday? No, it must have been Tuesday. Hmm, now I’m not sure. Oh, wait. I was wrong. Actually, it was Monday and I know that because I had just come back from the gym. Right. So, last Monday, I was walking the dog and…”.

By now your audience is ready to pull their hair out. To make your stories more interesting, keep them succinct and only include relevant information. If you mess up unimportant details that don’t affect the outcome of the story, don’t correct it – just keep going.

End strong with a punch line, a twist, a lesson, or a call to action.

22. Lack of eye contact

Obviously, you want to be sensitive to different cultures, but In North America, lack of eye-contact can make people distrust you. If making eye contact adds to your nerves, pick three main focal points around the room (one on the left, one in the centre, and one on the right). Move from one focal point to the other as you speak, making eye contact with a few people from each area.

23. Failing to pause

A pause is like the mount on a diamond ring. The diamond is the message, but the mount is what presents it to the world and helps it shine! Help your message shine with a well-placed pause.

24. Poor use of humour

Humour can enrich any presentation, as long as it’s appropriate. Self-deprecating humour is almost always safe. Poking fun at yourself also helps put people at ease, and when you hear laughter, it can help you relax.

25. Ending with Q&A

This is a mistake that almost everyone makes. If you end with a Question and Answer session, what happens if you can’t answer the last question? What if the answer isn’t one the audience likes or wants to hear? Ending with Q&A risks ending on a negative note. Instead, do your Q&A a few slides before finishing up so that you can end strong.

26. Summarizing the entire presentation

If you can recap your entire presentation in 5-10 minutes, why did you waste an hour of the audience’s time? Emphasize only the main ideas very briefly.

27. Not including a call to action

What was the purpose of your presentation? Were you trying to teach something? Did you wan to persuade the audience to take an action? Whatever the goal, make sure to tell people what you want them to do next.

28. Not asking for (anonymous) feedback from the audience

Feedback is useless unless it’s anonymous. If you just want people to tell you how great you are, ask them in person. You’ll rarely find anyone who won’t be willing to tell a little white lie to save face. But if you actually want to improve your presentation skills, ask for honest, anonymous feedback in writing. This is where that tough skin comes in handy, but it’s the best way to learn. And over time, as your presentation skills improve, so will your feedback.

“There are always three speeches for every one you actually gave. The one you practiced, the one you gave, and the one you wish you gave.” – Dale Carnegie

************

To improve your presentation skills in a safe environment with the guidance and feedback of an experienced presenter, register for PMC’s   Skills for Effective Presentations  course. This workshop will help you gain the confidence you need to go from average to outstanding presenter – sign up today!

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What Makes a Bad Presentation: Top 9 Mistakes to Avoid

Bad presentations waste great ideas. Have you ever watched someone stumble through their slides, losing everyone’s attention?

9 Common Presentation Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

What makes a bad presentation?

Bad presentations waste great ideas. Have you ever watched someone stumble through their slides, losing everyone’s attention? That’s a bad presentation. Common mistakes include not preparing enough, mixing up information, and boring your audience. These errors can turn exciting topics into snooze-fests. But don’t worry! Improving your presentation skills and learning to avoid these mistakes will help you give great presentations.

If you are looking for In-House Presentation Skills Training for a group or teams, please see our

We’ll explore nine common presentation errors and show you how to fix them. Whether you’re preparing for a school project or a work meeting, these tips will help you speak with confidence and keep your audience interested.

Key Takeaways

• Bad presentations often result from poor preparation and structure.
• Engaging your audience is crucial for effective communication.
• Technology and visual aids should support, not overshadow, your message.
• Understanding your audience’s needs and cultural background improves impact.

If you are looking for In-House Public Speaking Training for a group or teams, please see our

What Makes a Bad Presentation?

Lack of preparation.

Imagine standing up to give a talk without practicing. Your hands get sweaty, your mind goes blank, and you wish you could disappear. This happens when you don’t prepare and it could be very difficult to calm your nerves .

Not preparing is like trying to cook without a recipe – it usually ends badly. Start working on your presentation early. Think about what you want to say and how you’ll say it. Ask yourself:

• Who will I be talking to?
• What do they care about?
• How can I make my topic interesting for them?

Good preparation means knowing your topic so well you can talk about it like you’re chatting with a friend. When you’re well-prepared, you’ll feel more confident, and your audience will want to listen.

Poor Structure

A presentation without structure is like a book with mixed-up pages. It confuses people and makes them stop listening. To keep your audience engaged , organise your ideas before you start talking.

When outlining your presentation , think of your presentation as a story with a beginning, middle, and end. You could:

• Start by describing a problem
• Explain why it matters
• Share your ideas for solving it

Use simple tricks to help people remember your main points. For example, if you’re talking about study tips, you might use “ABC”:

• Always take notes
• Break big tasks into smaller ones
• Create a study schedule

Whatever structure you choose, make it easy for your audience to follow. Tell them what you’ll cover at the start, go through your main points one by one, and finish by summing everything up. This helps your listeners understand and remember what you’ve said.

Overloading Slides with Information

Too much information on slides confuses your audience. Use slides to highlight key points, not tell the whole story. To create impactful presentation slides , keep them simple:

• Use big, easy-to-read text
• Include one main idea per slide
• Add pictures or graphs that explain your points

Don’t read from your slides. Your audience can read faster than you can speak. Instead, use slides to support what you’re saying.

Lack of Audience Engagement

Talking at your audience makes them lose interest. Instead, make your presentation a conversation. Try these:

• Ask questions to get them thinking
• Use examples they understand
• Tell stories that explain your points
• Let them share their own experiences

When you involve your audience , they’ll remember your message better.

Neglecting to Rehearse

Practice improves your presentation. Without it, you might stumble over words or run out of time. Here’s how to practice well:

• Speak in front of a mirror to see how you look
• Record yourself and listen to improve how you talk
• Time yourself to make sure you fit everything in
• Ask friends or family to watch and give advice

The more you practice, the more comfortable you’ll feel when it’s time to present for real. Even expert speakers practice many times before a presentation.

Misuse of Technology and Multimedia

Technology can enhance your presentation, but it can also cause problems if not used well. Don’t rely too much on fancy effects or complicated software. You can always just stick to the classic PowerPoint . Keep it simple:

• Test your equipment before presenting
• Have a backup plan in case technology fails
• Use videos or animations only when they add value
• Make sure everyone can see and hear your multimedia

Remember, technology should support your message, not distract from it.

If you are looking for In-House PowerPoint Presentation Training for a group or teams, please see our

Ignoring Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence means understanding and responding to how others feel. In presentations, it helps you connect with your audience. Pay attention to:

• Your audience’s reactions
• The mood in the room
• How fast or slow you’re speaking
• Your own body language and tone of voice

If people look confused, explain things differently. If they seem bored, try to make your content more interesting. Adjust your presentation based on what you see and feel from your audience.

Lack of Cultural Sensitivity

When presenting to people from different backgrounds , be aware of cultural differences. What’s normal in one culture might be offensive in another. To be culturally sensitive:

• Research your audience’s cultural background
• Avoid jokes or examples that might offend
• Be careful with hand gestures – they can mean different things in different cultures
• Use simple language and avoid idioms that might not translate well

Being culturally aware shows respect and helps your message reach everyone in your audience.

Failure to Address Audience Needs

Every audience is different. A presentation that works for one group might not work for another. To make your presentation effective:

• Find out who your audience is before you present
• Learn what they care about and what they need to know
• Adjust your content to match their interests and knowledge level
• Use examples that relate to their experiences

When you address your audience’s needs, they’ll find your presentation more useful and interesting.

Improving Presentation Skills

Becoming a better presenter takes practice and attention to detail. Here are key ways to improve:

• Plan your content well before your presentation
• Organise your ideas in a clear, logical order
• Design simple slides that support your message
• Engage your audience by asking questions and encouraging participation
• Practice your presentation multiple times
• Learn to use technology effectively, but have a backup plan
• Pay attention to your audience’s reactions and adjust accordingly
• Be aware of cultural differences in your audience
• Always focus on what your audience needs to know

Remember, the goal of your presentation is to communicate your ideas clearly and effectively. Keep practicing and learning from each presentation you give.

How Impact Factory Can Help

At Impact Factory , we specialise in helping people become better presenters. Our training programs can help you overcome nervousness when speaking in public . We teach you how to structure your presentations effectively and develop skills to engage your audience. You’ll also learn to improve your body language and voice projection, as well as handle difficult questions confidently.

We offer different types of training to suit your needs. Our one-day workshops bring groups together to learn and practice presentation skills. For more personalised attention, we provide one-on-one coaching sessions . 

Becoming a more confident and effective presenter is within your reach. Get in touch with us at Impact Factory. We’ll help you develop the skills you need to make your presentations stand out and deliver your message with impact.

What should I avoid in a presentation?

Avoid reading directly from your slides, overloading them with information, or ignoring your audience’s reactions. Don’t use complicated language or technical terms without explaining them. Also, steer clear of relying too heavily on technology without a backup plan.

What are the qualities of a good presentation?

A good presentation is well-prepared, clearly structured, and engaging. It addresses the audience’s needs, uses simple and understandable language, and includes relevant examples or stories. Good presenters also show confidence, maintain eye contact, and respond to their audience’s reactions.

What is the 5-5-5 rule for better presentations?

The 5-5-5 rule suggests using no more than five bullet points per slide, with no more than five words per bullet point and no more than five text-heavy slides in a row. This rule helps keep your slides simple, and your audience focused on your message rather than reading dense text.

What are the 5 P’s of an effective presentation?

The 5 P’s stand for Purpose, Passion, Preparation, Practice, and Performance. Know why you’re presenting (Purpose), show enthusiasm for your topic (Passion), plan your content thoroughly (Preparation), rehearse multiple times (Practice), and deliver with confidence (Performance).

What makes for bad visuals in a presentation?

Bad visuals include slides crammed with too much text, hard-to-read fonts or colours, irrelevant images, and overly complex charts or graphs. Avoid using distracting animations or transitions. Instead, use visuals that support and clarify your message without overwhelming your audience.

Related Articles:

You won’t become an expert in presentations overnight. But you can take immediate steps to move you closer to the goal:

• Presentation With Impact: How to Stand Out from the Crowd – If you’re looking to achieve mastery, sign up for our 5 Day Intensive program Presentation with Impact.
• What Tools and Software to Use to Create the Best Work Presentations – Find the right tools and software to make your work presentation shine.
• How To Use Body Language To Enhance Your Presentation Skills – Learn how to use body language effectively and radiate confidence.

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10 Common Presentation Mistakes – How to Avoid

January 02, 2024

Many of us make common mistakes in our business presentations. Often these presentation mistakes are ways of working that seem efficient (but are not) such as: (1) planning your talk with PowerPoint, (2) writing your talk without planning, (3) skipping practise sessions and (4) narrating dull slides.

So, what makes a bad presentation? And how do you avoid common presentation errors?

Each of these presenting mistakes are ‘false friends’ – where you feel as if you are making progress but in reality you are diverting from the true path and giving yourself more work than necessary.

Study these bad presentation mistakes and identify where you can improve.

• Do you avoid planning your presentation up front?
• Are you too quick to start producing presentation slides?
• Are you reluctant to try out your presentation ideas on others early in the process?
• Do you use boring safe language?
• Do you try and say too much in your presentations?
• Are you unsure how to bring your presentation to life with levity.

These are all simple, natural presenting mistakes that cause thousands of presentations every day to be less effective than they should be.

While avoiding these traps will not make you a brilliant presenter, each trap you identify will take you much nearer to being a confident and convincing presenter.

Top ten ways to avoid common presentation mistakes

• Don’t start with PowerPoint. Leave creating visual aids until the end of the process
• Don’t start writing before planning. Have a clear plan first
• Don’t be the centre of attention. Make your talk about your audience.
• Don’t use written language. Translate everything you write into compelling spoken language.
• Don’t try and say too much. Say less, but say it better.
• Don’t be boring. Say something interesting every 10 words.
• Don’t be subtle. Be big, bold, clear and compelling.
• Don’t speak too fast. Leave a pause every 5-10 words.
• Don’t lead with slides or narrate slides. Speak directly to your audience and only use visual aids when they help your audience
• Don’t avoid practising. Dedicate time perfecting your talk and perfecting your performance.

Presentation Mistakes #1 – Do you waste time with PowerPoint?

Summary: powerpoint is a poor planning tool. only open powerpoint after you have decided what you are saying..

Most people, when they start writing a presentation, they open PowerPoint. They create slides, perhaps use old slides, design new ones and feel as if they are making progress because they can see ‘progress’ – something they can print and share.

BUT: Starting with PowerPoint is the equivalent of creating a movie by filming before you have a story or a script. You end up with a lot of footage, but it is near impossible to turn this into anything usable. You waste time and you waste money.

Instead, Create a powerful talk that barely uses any visual aids. Use the planning and language tools outlined in this blog article to create a talk that can work on its own without slides. You may realise that your presentation does not need slides. If you do want visual aids, only start creating them at the end of the presentation process, not at the start.

And why not rename ‘slides’ as Visual Aids. This change of language will help you think differently. Each Visual Aid must help your audience interpret what you say. Only create Visual Aids where they are absolutely necessary. Make life easier for your audience.

“Failing to prepare is preparing to fail”.  – Benjamin Franklin

Avoid Presentation Mistakes – Top Tips

• Stop using PowerPoint to plan
• Only use PowerPoint to create your visual aids or handouts after you have decided what to say.

Learn how we can help – schedule a free consultation now

Presentation Mistakes #2 – Do you make yourself or your idea the focus of your presentation?

Summary: while your presentation might be about your product or your business, you will be more effective if you make your audience the centre of attention..

A typical bad presentation starts: “In today’s presentation I will talk about how we performed last month, what our plans are for this month and how we are changing the way numbers are reported. I’ll talk about project Pegasus and give an update on the latest company sales figures”

Why is this not good? This presentation opening is more like a table of contents than anything else – and it contains little that is useful for the audience.

The art of communication is translating what you want to say into what it means for your audience. You’ll grab your audience if you talk about them and their interests. If what you say is useful, your audience is more likely to pay attention.

Instead, start like this: “As we all know, this has been a tough month. You’ll hear more about last month’s disappointing performance and learn about our plans for this month and what that means for your departments. I’ll also share with you the changes you can expect to see in how we report our numbers. You’ll also be pleased to know that project Pegasus is on track. We can already see a positive impact on our sales numbers – which I am sure we are all very pleased to hear.”

What has changed?

• Each ‘I will talk about’ has been translated into a ‘you will….’
• By using many more personal pronouns (we/ our/your) the talk is easier to listen to.
• In the revised text you hear much more useful information (is it good news, bad news) and
• The audience is involved in the story (‘we are all very pleased to hear’).

In short, the audience is now the centre of attention of this talk.

“Nobody cares what you think until they think that you care” – Maya Angelou

• Give your audience useful information from the start.
• Talk about them and what your information means for them
• Avoid ‘tables of contents’. Say something interesting in every phrase.

Presentation Mistakes #3 – Is your presentation a data dump?

Summary – a data dump is not a presentation. the real job of a presentation is to analyse and interpret information so it means something for your audience. you must add value..

A typical bad presentation sounds like: “Sales last quarter were 3.6m, this is up 3.2% on last quarter and down 2.8% on the previous year. This is 4.6% behind budget and 4.5% better than forecast. Breaking it down by division we can see that North was 8.2% over budget while South was 1.2% behind budget…….”

What’s wrong with this?  If you compile data then it’s tempting to share your hard work. But talking through raw numbers is a waste of everyone’s time. Instead, you want to look impressive.

That means, you must add value. You should describe what those numbers are saying. For example, you might say:

“As we can see, sales at 3.2m last month were as expected. The important thing to note is that North won the new IBM contract, which was unexpected, while South had three customer delays which pushed their sales back by a month. We are still pretty confident of reaching our end of year numbers.”

By speaking in this way you are giving your audience valuable information throughout (sales: “as expected” …. North: Unexpected IBM contract….South: customer delays,… pushed sales back by a month…’confident of reaching end of year numbers”).

The real art here is doing the hard work for your audience. If you make it easy for the audience you’ll not only have a better presentation, you will also look more impressive in front of your audience.

“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I’ll spend the first four sharpening the axe.” – Abraham Lincoln

• When you report data, add value.
• It’s your job to do the hard work.
• Explain what the data means for your audience.
• Make it easy for your audience.

Presentation Mistakes #4 – Do you use written language in your talk?

Summary – the written word and the spoken word are two different languages. one belongs on the page, the other in the mouth..

A typical bad start: “It is a pleasure to welcome you to this symposium, which is part of our programme to mark the 75th anniversary of the Central Bank of Ireland. I am especially delighted that Francois Villeroy de Galhau is joining us today to give a keynote address. I am looking forward also to learning from the excellent lineup of speakers later in the afternoon. “The topic of financial globalisation is a natural theme for the Central Bank of Ireland. At a macroeconomic level, the global financial cycle is a primary determinant of financial stability conditions in small open economies. This lesson was painfully learned across the advanced economies during the international credit boom that occurred over 2003-2008.” Remarks by Governor of the Central Bank of Ireland, to the Financial Globalisation Symposium as part of the programme to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Central Bank of Ireland, Dublin, 2 February 2018

What is wrong with this?  When you preparing words for a talk or presentation, you want to avoid planning through typing. The spoken word and the written word are like different languages.  If you type first, you’ll probably find:

• The sentences are too long,
• The words are too complicated
• The rhythm of spoken language is lost
• You miss powerful rhetorical tools that make spoken language interesting and easy to listen to.

Written language must be translated into spoken language.

So, instead, say it first then write it. Then say it out loud again. Check that you are using plenty of rhetorical tools.  Listen for the rhythm of your speech and whether it’s easy to say (and easy to listen to). For example, this might have been a speech writer’s first draft for the Governor of the Central Bank of Ireland.

“Welcome everyone to this great occasion. It’s 75 years since the Central Bank of Ireland was born. In that time we have grown up. – We were born as a new institution in a new country – and we are now standing tall alongside our brothers and sisters in Europe and around the world, a full participant in the global economy. In our busy life we’ve lived through financial cycles, a few near misses and, most recently, an international credit boom. “Financial globalisation is a topic close to our heart. What happens globally determines what happens locally. The global credit boom that ended in 2008 showed us how our financial stability is at the mercy of global forces.”

“Everything becomes a little different as soon as it is spoken out loud.” – Herman Hesse

• Always speak words before writing them down
• Use plenty of rhetorical tools
• Use an audience to test that it’s easy to understand

Presentation Mistakes #5 – Are you trying to say too much?

Summary – great talks usually say less, but use more reinforcement, illustration and examples.. the art of presenting is knowing what to take out..

Imagine an over-enthusiastic primary school teacher explaining atoms to her students.

“Atoms are the basic building blocks of everything around us. And each atom is made up of protons, neutrons and electrons. These atoms are very small – you can fit 10^19 atoms into a grain of sand. The really interesting thing about electrons is that they are both particles and waves – they have a duality. In fact all matter demonstrates duality – but it is most easily seen in electrons. Now let’s look at protons and neutrons. These are made up of more elementary particles call quarks. The Standard Model of particle physics contains 12 flavours of elementary fermions and their antiparticles……”

By now the children are very confused.

What went wrong? When you say too much you give your audience a problem. If your audience has to work hard to interpret what you say, you have failed in your job as a presenter.  Your job as a presenter is to make it easy for your audience. 

Great communication involves simplifying, reinforcing and giving examples.  Imagine this alternative start:

“Atoms are the basic building blocks of everything around us. The air we breathe is made of atoms. The ground we walk on is made of atoms and we are all made of atoms. Atoms are very small. See this grain of sand here? Guess how many atoms are in this grain of sand? It’s a big number: a one followed by nineteen zeros. That’s a lot of atoms. There are roughly as many atoms in this grain of sand as the total number of stars in the observable universe. To look at it another way. If this apple were magnified to the size of the Earth, then each atom in the apple would be approximately the size of the original apple……”

“Simplify, then exaggerate” – Geoffrey Crowther, Editor, Economist Magazi ne

• Say less, but say it better
• Cut out non-essential information from your talk
• Don’t be afraid of reinforcing, illustrating and repeating what’s important

Learn these techniques and more to improve your presentation skills with intensive presentation training

Presentation Mistakes #6 – Are you guilty of Death by PowerPoint?

Summary – death by powerpoint happens when bad presenters let their slides lead. they ‘talk through’ what’s on the screen. instead, you want to talk directly to your audience, using visual aids as support..

Imagine this bad, and typical presentation: “As you can see on this page, we have looked at fifteen initiatives to revitalise the businesses. We examined the pros and cons of each initiative, as outlined in the table below. Following our analysis, it looks like initiatives 3, 7, and 8 are the most interesting. We’ll now look at each of the fifteen initiatives and explain why we came to our conclusions.”

That’s what death by PowerPoint feels like.

Death by PowerPoint has three causes.

• The speaker is narrating slides rather than speaking directly to the audience. i.e. the speaker expects the audience to both read and listen at the same time.
• The speaker talks about HOW they have done the work they have done rather than WHY this work matters and WHAT their work means.
• The speaker adds little value in what they say.

To Avoid Death By PowerPoint, get straight to the point.

Try this alternative start (read it out loud) “As you know, we were asked to find ways to revitalise the business. After speaking to everyone in this room, we identified the three projects that will make a real difference. We’ve chosen these because they deliver the greatest return on effort, they have the lowest risk and they can be implemented fastest. By the end of this meeting, we want all of us to agree that these are the right projects and to get your full support for rolling these out over the next 6 weeks. Is that OK?”

“I hate the way people use slide presentations instead of thinking. People confront a problem by creating a presentation. I wanted them to engage, to hash things out at the table, rather than show a bunch of slides” – Steve Jobs

• Get to the point immediately.
• Don’t rely on your audience reading. Tell them directly what’s important.
• WHY is more important than WHAT is more important than HOW

Become an impressive presenter with bespoke presentation coaching. Learn more about intensive presentation training

Presentation Mistakes #7 – Do you use meta-speak?

Summary – meta-speak is talking about talking. avoid it. speak directly to your audience..

Imagine this bad presentation: “I was asked today to talk about our new factory. In putting together this talk I wanted to tell you how we designed it and went about planning it. I also wanted to cover the process we used to get it delivered on time and on budget.”

What wrong with this? It’s as if the speaker is narrating their thought processes about planning this talk. While that might be interesting to the speaker, it is of little value to the audience. Avoid.

Instead, get right to the point, Speak directly.

“We have just opened our new factory. And we did this in just 12 months from board approval to the cutting of the ribbon in the loading bay. How did we achieve this? And how did we deliver it on time and on budget? Today I’ll share some of the lessons we leaned over the last 12 months. And I’ll reveal some of the mistakes we nearly made. And I’m doing this because it just might help you when you are faced with what seems like an impossible problem…”

“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” – Albert Einstein

• If you see meta-speak creeping in, cut it out
• Make your language direct.
• Get right to the point.

Presenting Mistakes #8 – Do you gabble or speak too fast?

Summary – speaking too fast helps nobody. you should learn how to incorporate pauses – many pauses – long pauses – throughout your talk..

Try saying this out loud:  “A-typical-speaker-will-speak-in-long-sentences-and-keep-speaking-linking-phrases-together-so-that-there-is-no-gap-and-no-time-for-the-audience-to-absorb-what-the-speaker-has-said-and-no-time-to-plan-what-to-say-next-this-causes-the-speaker-to-feel-more-nervous-so-they-speed-up-and-it-frustrates-the-audience-because-they-have-no-time-to-process-what-they-have-heard-before-the-speaker-is-onto-their-next-point…”

This typically happens when a speaker is nervous. So they rush. And it is then hard for the audience to listen.

Instead, try speaking this out loud:  “Good speakers use short phrases — They share one thought at a time — — By leaving gaps — it’s easier for the audience. — The good news is — it’s also easier for the speaker. — When a speaker uses pauses — they have time to compose their next sentence. — This helps the speaker look more thoughtful — and more convincing. — It also helps the speaker feel more confident.

“The most precious things in speech are….. the pause.” – Ralph Richardson

• Pausing takes practice. Few people do it instinctively.
• Use shorter phrases – one idea at a time.
• Aim for a pause at least every ten words
• Record yourself, listen to your pauses and hear how they add gravitas
• Keep practising until your pauses feel natural and sound natural.

You can learn these techniques quickly with bespoke presentation coaching

Presentation Mistakes #9 – Are you too serious?

Summary – levity can help you look more professional and will help your audience pay attention to what you say..

Too many presentations overly serious, dull and un-engaging.

Why? When we have something important to say we want to look ‘professional.’ But professional and serious are not the same. When you are too serious it’s harder for your audience to connect with you.

If you really want to look professional, bring the audience into your world. Levity and humour helps you achieve this. This does not mean you should tell jokes, but you should help the audience smile and feel clever for understanding what you say.

See how you can do it differently.  This is the third paragraph of Apple CEO Tim Cook’s EU Privacy speech . He uses humour followed by flattery to get his audience open and receptive to what he is about to say.

“Now Italy has produced more than its share of great leaders and public servants. Machiavelli taught us how leaders can get away with evil deeds…And Dante showed us what happens when they get caught.

“Giovanni has done something very different. Through his values, his dedication, his thoughtful work, Giovanni, his predecessor Peter Hustinx—and all of you—have set an example for the world. We are deeply grateful.”

“Inform, Educate & Entertain”. – Sir John Reith, BBC

• Have a smile on your face when preparing your talk
• Look for opportunities to introduce humour and lighten the tone
• Play with ideas.

Presenting Mistakes #10 – Do you avoid practising?

Summary – it’s tempting to avoid practise and to wing it on the day. this is the amateur approach..

The best presenters, like great athletes, do all their practising in advance , so that their performance on the day  looks effortless.

People make excuses to avoid essential practise:

• “I’m always better without practice”
• “I don’t want to over-prepare”
• “I sound wooden when I over-rehearse”
• “I’m more natural on the day”
•  “This is an artificial environment. I’m much better in front of a real audience.”

But many people are deluded. They believe themselves to be good speakers.

So, instead, think of yourself as a professional athlete, actor, pilot or dentist. These professionals make their work appear effortless only because of hours of preparation. A great presenter should think the same.

Use your rehearsal to try out every aspect of your talk and to iron out what works. Use a critical audience. Keep changing and improving it until it’s as good as it can be. If you are not a brilliant speaker, then spend time building your skills. This practice includes:

• Cut any waffle or anything boring
• Say something interesting at least every 10 words
• Use more rhetorical tools (see Chapter x)
• Keep reinforcing your key points
• Start strong, end strong

“The more I practise, the luckier I get”. – Gary Player, champion golfer

• Dedicate proper practise time – at least three sessions for an important talk.
• Use a critical audience
• Keep cutting, changing, fixing and tweaking
• Only stop when you are able to pay attention to your audience’s reaction rather than remembering what you want to say.

Summary – key presentation mistakes to avoid

When you understand the common mistakes presenters make, you will find it easier to create and give a compelling, successful presentation.

Reminder: Top ten ways to avoid common presentation mistakes

How to avoid presentation mistakes – for ever, if you really want to improve your presentation skills, then get in touch. our team of expert presentation coaches has been helping business executives polish their presentation skills for over 15 years. we are trusted by some of the world’s largest businesses. click on the link below to discuss your needs., transform your presentation skills with tailored coaching.

We can help you present brilliantly. Thousands of people have benefitted from our tailored in-house coaching and advice – and we can help you too .

“I honestly thought it was the most valuable 3 hours I’ve spent with anyone in a long time.” Mick May, CEO, Blue Sky

For 15+ years we’ve been the trusted choice of leading businesses and executives throughout the UK, Europe and the Middle East to improve corporate presentations through presentation coaching, public speaking training and expert advice on pitching to investors.

Unlock your full potential and take your presentations to the next level with Benjamin Ball Associates.

Speak to Louise on +44 20 7018 0922 or email [email protected] to transform your speeches, pitches and presentations.

Or read another article..., how to write a speech that matters – 10 top tips.

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how to give the perfect presentation

10 most common presentation mistakes, avoid these basic presentation errors, 1. lack of preparation.

Too often a good presentation is ruined because the speaker has not taken the time to prepare. Preparation involves attention to both the personal and professional aspects of the presentation. Personal elements include body language, voice, and appearance. Professional aspects include researching the subject, organizing the content, and preparing the visuals. So, whether your presentation lasts for five minutes, five hours, or five days, you owe it to yourself and your audience to prepare thoroughly.

2. Poor Use of Visuals

Visuals should enhance your presentation, not detract from it. Most business people around the world today have learned how to use PowerPoint technically, but not professionally. Slides are overcrowded, unattractive, and inconsistent. They are loaded with lengthy, unnecessary words, written in sentences, instead of bullets. They include detailed information that should be provided to participants in the form of handouts. They underutilize the power of images. By taking the time to learn how to create powerful visuals, you will have a creative edge over the competition.

3. Inappropriate Humor

Off-color jokes could doom your presentation, because you are taking the risk of offending someone in the audience. Humor is culture-sensitive. What is considered funny in one part of the world may be considered private and taboo in another. So, avoid using humor in professional presentations, and consider other ways of breaking the ice and establishing rapport with your audience members.

4. Inappropriate Dress

The best advice is to dress conservatively so that the audience can pay attention to what you are saying, not what you are wearing. In your private life, feel free to express your individuality. In professional arenas, it can be disastrous to show your true colors. Like it or not, professionals around the world expect to see you dressed a certain way. It is best not to surprise them; otherwise they will be concentrating on your unusual appearance instead of your worthwhile message. Women in particular should be extra careful to present a professional appearance, and stay away from low necklines, short skirts, jangly jewelry, wacky hairstyles, and flashy colors.

5. Not Knowing the Audience

Custom-design your presentation to fit the needs of your audience. Find out the size and demographics of your audience beforehand. What are the ranks and positions of the people who will be attending? Who are the decision-makers? How much knowledge do they have of the subject you will be presenting? What is their native language? What other cultural expectations or protocol should you be aware of? By considering such factors beforehand, you increase the effectiveness of your presentation dramatically.

6. Non-Functioning Equipment

Since so much of our business world is dependent on technology, always check your equipment beforehand. There is nothing more frustrating than malfunctioning equipment, which can cause unnecessary delays and frustration. One solution is to have a printout of your visuals for yourself. That way, you will have the necessary information you need to deliver a presentation, even if you do not have the necessary equipment. If you solve the problem in this way, you will also gain the empathy and appreciation of the audience, who may have been in your shoes at some point in their own professional careers.

7. Starting or Ending a Presentation Late

Like you, the members of the audience have time restrictions. Respect them. In the United States and Canada, the mark of a professional is one who starts and finishes the presentation on time. However, time is viewed differently in eastern and western cultures. When traveling or presenting in an international context, consult a local partner or colleague to find out what is considered “normal”, even if it seems strange or differs from your own practices back home.

8. Using a Monotone Voice

Your voice is the primary means of communicating with your audience. No matter how interesting your material, if you speak in a monotone voice, you will lose your audience. An effective voice should be vital, audible, and clear. Of course, voice will be affected by age, gender, physiology, health, motivation, and past experience. Nevertheless, people of all kinds can learn how to make their voices more effective by learning about voice production, breathing techniques, vocal exercises and voice care. If necessary, work with a voice coach to learn how to improve your voice.

9. Too Much Material in Too Short a Time

If you have too much material, cut back or cut out. It is annoying and pointless for a speaker to try to rush through a presentation. If you have strict time restraints, be selective about what information to include. Pass on extra information in the handouts. Remove a number of detailed slides and keep only the most basic ones. Allow for the fact that you may have less time available to make your presentation due to interruptions, malfunctions, delays or other circumstances. By restricting the information flow, you will have a greater impact on your audience. They will remember more and be in a better position to speak to their superiors or take action on your recommendations.

10. Not Clarifying the Topic

Make sure you know clearly what you are expected to speak about. Second, don’t assume the audience knows what you are going to speak about. To avoid confusion, always include information about the topic of your presentation in your introduction. Get into the habit of saying, “Today, I’ll be explaining…” or ”My presentation today will show…” Do this without exception. Some members of your audience may also be global learners, who need to know the destination before they can follow along the detailed path of your presentation.

how can I custom design my presentation to an audience from another country?

By reading! There are several excellent books available that provide information about the cultural norms, habits, values and expectations of various countries. One especially useful book is When Cultures Collide by Richard Lewis, an experienced cross-cultural expert. There are also many websites that provide cross-cultural insight. You could also look for information produced by the foreign ministries of various countries, or visit a consulate / embassy and request further information. Today, depending on where you are, it may also be possible to simply talk to someone from the host culture.

I have a lot of information I need to provide in an upcoming presentation. I know I will run short on time. Is there anything I can do?

Looks like you have no choice but to reduce the amount of material. There is nothing to be gained by overloading your audience with information. Include only the most critical information on your slides and put the rest into a handout which you distribute after your presentation is over. If you hand it out beforehand, you will lose the attention of the audience as some of them will be leafing through the handout instead of paying attention to your presentation.

i am good in grammar but when i start a presentation then my voice quality is not good.means i am not a good speaker.so please tell me the best way to improve it.

About Presentation Prep

Being able to speak in public can change your life! Presentation Prep is your complete, free guide to delivering speeches, lectures, and presentations more successfully and confidently. Whether you're a native English-speaker who suffers from public speaking anxiety, or a non-native speaker who needs guidelines for presenting to international audiences, this site will give you everything you need. Presentation Prep is written by Rebecca Ezekiel, an experienced corporate trainer who specializes in the areas of communications, presentations, and cross-cultural skills. Her online English language training videos are watched by millions of students worldwide.

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• Business Plans

15 Bad Business Presentation Mistakes (And How to Avoid Poor Results)

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You've got to inform and persuade those around you daily. They need to believe in your vision (and more importantly, believe in you) to get more money, notoriety, or internal resources.

Sometimes you're trying to win new customers. Other times, you're trying to get new investors or land press at a conference. And sometimes you're simply providing the quarterly numbers to your boss. 

One of the best ways to persuade people is through a presentation.

Presenting complex information in an easy-to-digest format isn't easy.  To make matters worse, it's rarely taught in any formal schooling either—which means you're left to fend for yourself (and mess up often).

Sure, having a good presentation design is a nice place to start. The right  PowerPoint presentation template  can give you a tremendous head start.  

However, there are a ton  of other variables that ultimately determine if your presentation will be a success or failure. It's all too easy to put in a lot of effort, only to end up with a bad presentation.

15 Common Mistakes to Avoid in Business Presentations

Here's 15 of the most important presentation ideas to avoid critical mistakes, along with a few tips to improve each issue. Learn how to address proper presentation writing, quality of design, common speech mistakes, audience engagement, and more.

But first, if you want to take these tips further, be sure to download our free eBook: The Complete Guide to Making Great Presentations . It'll help you master the complete presentation process.

The last thing you want to do is deliver a bad presentation, so let's make sure to avoid these poor presentation mistakes: 

Mistake 1. Not Scripting Your Presentation

All good presentations and speeches start with a tight script.

Believe it or not, there’s some method to this madness when writing out a professional presentation.

It’s somewhere between an outline and a full document that helps you lay out the foundation or groundwork, before providing supporting materials and finally transitioning into the conclusion.

Don't make the mistake of not writing out your presentation first. There's a reason why CEOs sound so polished giving keynotes and presidents craft their speeches. Learn more about the presentation writing process: 

Note: That’s especially true when you’re going to be giving a more formal, structured presentation like with a business plan .

Mistake 2. Reading, Not Speaking

The goal of the presentation, whether there’s two people you’re meeting with or 100, is to make a connection. You want each person to feel like you’re speaking directly to them; building the audience’s confidence in both you and the information you’re speaking about.

However, all that connection and credibility disappears when your head drops, your eyes look down, and you begin speaking in a monotone voice, reading directly from paper, your slides, or note cards.

First and foremost, if you've got to read the content on the slide, there’s too many words ( but we’ll come back to this in a second ).

The big sin is the disengagement that happens, as people’s eyes glaze over when they’re hit with a barrage of information. This can lead to a bad presentation that doesn't make an impact.

You should work to avoid that, though, and aim to make a  presentation that persuades . 

That being said, you’re not expected to memorize the entire thing either. Instead, highlight three to five major talking points and get comfortable speaking off the cuff to add in context and examples.

Mistake 3. Not Practicing Enough

Writing out a basic script or outline for your speech is a nice start. But it won’t come off smoothly until you actually sit down and practice it.

A speaker once told me that you should practice or rehearse around one hour for each minute of a speech. Twenty-minute speech? Twenty hours!

While that seems on the high side, running through your speech with notes (at first), and later without notes, from beginning to end, over-and-over-and-over, will drill the information into your memory and make it become second nature.

With repetition, you also start noticing the little details that can make a big difference in a presentation. For example, the transitions between different sections. The pauses to highlight key points. And even the ‘blocking,’ or getting used to how your stance, movement, and gestures will look on a stage. 

If you need more presentation practice and are having some anxiety about public speaking, you should know that's a normal feeling. Lean how to overcome it:

The other benefit of frequent practice is that you should be able to easily spot...

Mistake 4. Going Over (Or Under) Time

...your timing.

Nothing reeks of amateurism more than a speaker who fails to hit their time mark.

In a large setting, being way under time and not having enough material is one of the fastest ways to erode your credibility. And in smaller settings with a client or boss, not respecting their time by trying to hold too them long can be a deal killer.

If you’ve been practicing frequently, you should start using a timer as you get more proficient to see where your material lands.

Sometimes you might have to go in and add a few more examples or stories to illustrate your points (and drag out the time a little). While other times you might have to cut entire slides or sections, and speak a little quicker, to make sure you’ll be under.

The key isn’t to guess. You should know, before you even get to presentation day, exactly how long your presentation will take to deliver ( within a minute or two ).

Mistake 5. Boring, Unprofessional Design

It only takes people about 50 milliseconds to form a first impression, and incredibly about 94% of that comes down to your design. 

In a presentation, that means your slide deck is the obvious starting point. 

Chances are, those investors or savvy conference attendees have already seen that same default PowerPoint template hundreds of times over the past few years.

Fortunately, we’ve got you covered with a few simple, modern PowerPoint presentation templates  with premium-quality designs: 

Case-in-point: look at this creative PowerPoint presentation template, Sparrow . As you can see from the screenshot, the slides have little text and use mostly images and visual elements to illustrate the point.

Using a professionally made PowerPoint template is a great way to ensure you avoid some of the most common presentation mistakes. For example, almost all of the templates on Envato Elements use the best presentation practices and have an attractive design as well as making sure that no slide is overcrowded with text or uses clashing colors.

Another good business presentation template example that'll help you avoid giving a bad presentation is the Oriola template , which uses professional typography that'll enhance the readability of your presentation.

Mistake 6. Not Working Out the Technical Kinks

There are two things you can count on when giving a presentation.

The first, is that you’ll undoubtedly be nervous. That’s only natural, and the good news is that you can harness that nervous energy to help propel your performance.

The second is that there'll be some error or technical miscue.

Professional sports teams will commonly travel a day or two early to a location and take practice on the exact field they’re playing. They’ll even go so far as to use the locker rooms and do a ‘dress rehearsal’ in the location to work out any kinks.

If you're unfamiliar with the venue or location, try to get access to the specific location you’re speaking a day earlier if possible.

That way you can practice a few times in front of all those empty chairs to get a feel for how the audience will be laid out, along with how your positioning a movement should adjust accordingly.

You can also practice with any computer connections, microphones, and other audio/visual equipment.

Ideally, when you show up on the day of the presentation, you should only be thinking about doing a great job (and not stressing over about whether you forgot that HDMI cable).

Mistake 7. Cluttered, Text-Heavy Slides

The best presentation slides are also usually the most simple and straightforward too.

That means no flashy transitions. No overloaded bullet points. And little-to-no extras likes sounds or videos.

One trick is to try and use one slide to deliver only one message or point. That'll keep your delivery streamlined, helping the audience to focus in on your message.

And another added bonus is that it'll help you eliminate using long text paragraphs altogether.

Avoid bad presentation design. Instead, think of each slide as a visual support; aiding or showing an example of what you’re talking about for each point.

A good business presentation example includes relevant graphs or charts that instantly illustrate the key message behind whatever it is you're talking about (like using a green, up-and-to-the-right arrow to equate success).

Discover more professional PowerPoint designs, with numerous slide layout and infographics options:

Mistake 8. Neglecting the Audience’s Background

Jargon can be good or bad.

If you’re speaking to people with technical backgrounds, going on and on about GIT is great. It gives you a common bond, and immediately lets those people know that you understand exactly what they do.

However, if not, mentioning a single piece of technical jargon will make sure you lose the audience within a few minutes of opening your mouth.

In an ideal world, your content should be created (or adapted) with the audience’s background and preferences in mind. If it’s a client, ask your internal champion or whoever introduced the two of you. If it’s a larger event, ask the organizer for some details on who the audience is, what their interests and pain points are, and the type or style of content they’re interested in.

Sometimes that'll be detailed case study information, while others it'll be more surface-level actionable tips. Presenting one, to the other, is a common misstep—even if your content is still good!

Mistake 9. Failing to Hold Your Audience’s Attention

The length of your speech can have a huge bearing on whether the audience is going to pay attention to the entire thing.

Your delivery—which includes everything from your volume, pausing, pacing, body language, and more—can also help captivate or bore your audience.

For example, noticeably raising or lowering the volume of words you're saying can not only make a presentation more interesting to listen to, but also add an emphasis to certain words or phrases. 

The same goes for speeding up, slowing down, and inserting longer-than-usual pauses to give people an extra second to digest what you just said. A key difference between a good and a bad presentation is hitting your timing and delivery.

Beyond those little tricks and dramatic gestures, your content itself should emotionally hook people too. 

For example, don't just launch into the 'solution' or tips. Instead, spend some extra time at the beginning—and throughout—putting this information in a larger context that relates back to the major problems or pain points in your audience's life that can be resolved.

Discover additional techniques on how to deliver an engaging presentation: 

Mistake 10. No Takeaways or ‘Next Steps’

Chances are, your audience will hit information overload.

If you’re speaking at a conference in the afternoon or it’s day three , they’re most likely already mentally exhausted.

So, make sure your presentation is easy to follow.

Start with a simple outline of the agenda at the very beginning to give people a step-by-step overview of what you’re going to cover.

If you make a key point, repeat it. Multiple times.

When you’re about to transition into a new section, reiterate what they just learned and give them a preview of what they’re going to find out in the next section.

And last, but certainly not least, give them a key takeaway or ‘next step’ to do after you’re done speaking.

The best business presentations are meant to inspire action. And ending after reciting just the facts, without organizing that information into context or explaining how (and why) they should do something with it, will make your speech fall flat.

Learn more creative techniques on how to inspire your audience to action: 

Mistake 11. Avoiding Eye Contact

Feeling nervous before your presentation is normal. However, don’t let that be an excuse for avoiding eye contact with your audience. Avoiding eye contact is one of more common presentation mistakes that happens for a variety of reasons, which include feeling nervous as well as poor preparation.

If you spend most of your time staring at your notes or at the presentation slide, your audience will quickly lose interest not to mention they'll feel like you’re not really familiar with the topic.

Establishing eye contact with your audience, even if it’s just a quick glance, is often enough to keep your audience engaged and creating a personal connection with them.

Take a look at this recording of a presentation about code architecture in WordPress. As you can see, the presenter, Mario Peshev, is not only great at moving around the stage, but also establishes eye contact with the audience ever so often.

If you’re presenting in front of a small audience, try to establish eye contact with each person in the room. If your audience is large, focus on a few key people instead.

Mistake 12. Inappropriate Humor

Using humor is a good way to break the ice and reduce the tension for yourself during a presentation. But if you’re not careful, inappropriate humor could backfire and offend your audience, which then leads to a bad presentation overall.

When it comes to humor, it’s important to remember that humor is very culture-dependent. What's funny in some parts of the world, might be highly offensive in other countries and cultures.

That’s why it’s crucial that you know your audience well before getting on stage and use humor carefully and sparingly. If you’re not that familiar with the audience, using other methods to break the ice is recommended.

Mistake 13. Speaking Incoherently

Another common presentation mistake is speaking incoherently. While you might not have any problems when speaking to your colleagues or friends, keep in mind that speaking to an audience is a whole other ball game. Nerves can get even the best of us, which leads to mumbling or rushing through the presentation to just get it done and over with.

However, neither mumbling nor rushing will help you get more sales. In fact, they'll result in a poor presentation. To avoid this, proper preparation is key as well as remembering to breathe and slow down instead of rushing ahead. If you find yourself rushing, pause for a moment to compose yourself. Take deep breaths, focus on speaking slowly, and don’t forget to enunciate each word for better clarity.

Listen to how Matt Abrahams clearly enunciates each and every word in his presentation Think Fast, Talk Smart:

Mistake 14. Dressing Inappropriately

The star of your presentation should be your topic and your slide deck, not your dress or your suit. The best advice you can apply is to dress conservatively so your audience can focus on what you’re saying.

There's nothing wrong with expressing your individuality through fashion in private. But unless your presentation is in front of a hip, fashionable audience, it’s best to stick to a professional dress code.

Men should avoid wearing flashy shirts and shorts while women should avoid low necklines, flashy jewelry, and short skirts. And no matter what, avoid wacky hairstyles.

Mistake 15. Forgetting to Introduce the Topic

Finally, don’t forget to introduce the topic of your presentation at the beginning. Don’t assume that your audience will know what your presentation is about, even if they know the title. After all, there are so many different ways to present any given topic.

In this presentation example, speech coach and speaker Steve Bustin, clearly explains what the topic of the presentation is:

As such, jumping straight in without explaining who you are, what your presentation is about, and why the topic is important is the best way to confuse your audience. Instead, take time at the beginning to share a few words about your presentation topic. This will not only help you pique your audience’s interest, but it'll also help you have a good business presentation.

Follow These 15 Good Business Presentation Tips - For Better Results

While you may have been taught years ago how to give a basic speech or presentation, an important business presentation with real money on the line is a completely different animal.

The problem is that common mistakes, like reading your cluttered, amateurishly designed slide deck in a boring monotone completely undermines your credibility. You lose the audience the moment you open your mouth.

• Script your presentation beforehand to lay out the foundation for the presentation, which will help come up with supporting materials and decide on the key takeaway and next steps your audience should take.
• Avoid reading directly from the slides. Your presentation will flow more naturally and you'll be able to better connect with your audience.
• Don’t forget that practice makes perfect. So, allow for plenty of time before the presentation. This will help you become super familiar with your topic and your slide deck. It'll also help you be more confident the day of the presentation.
• Be mindful and respectful of your audience’s time. Avoid going over or under the allotted presentation time.
• Consider using a professional PowerPoint template to avoid having to deal with a boring and unprofessional slide design. This common presentation mistake will result in your audience losing interest and having a poor impression of your brand and business.
• Be sure to test your microphone, computer, projector, and any other technical equipment needed for your presentation. Making sure that your equipment works is the best way to avoid any technical issues during your presentation.
• Keep your slides easy to read by keeping the text to a minimum. While you’re at it, use a larger font size and a font that’s easy to read.
• Your content should be created with the audience’s background and preferences in mind. Before the presentation, familiarize yourself with some details on who the audience is, what their interests and pain points are, and the type or style of content they’re interested in.
• On top of making sure your presentation isn't too long or too short, pay attention to your intonation and your body language. Doing so will help you hold your audience’s attention throughout the presentation.
• Once you’re done with the presentation, let your audience know what’s the next logical step. This will help you accomplish the main goals of your presentation and ensure you land that pitch or sell your product.
• Maintain eye contact with your audience throughout the presentation. This will help you establish a personal relationship with the audience.
• Avoid using humor unless you’re very familiar with the audience and their culture. Inappropriate humor can offend your audience, which will have a disastrous effect on your presentation.
• Take deep breaths, pause, and enunciate words carefully and clearly in your presentation.
• Dress appropriately for the venue and the setting of your presentation.
• Always remember to introduce and explain your topic before diving into your presentation.

Fortunately, you can avoid delivering a bad presentation. Start by tackling the tips above ( and add a whole lotta practice ) to make sure your next business presentation goes off without a hitch.

If you're looking for an easy place to start, check out this guide on PowerPoint templates  to make sure you've got the design basics down before progressing on to more advanced presentation techniques.

Here are a few more resources and tutorials to help you master your presentation:

Start Making Great Presentations Today

Take the tips you learned in this article further with our new eBook:  The Complete Guide to Making Great Presentations . Grab it now for FREE, along with a subscription to the Tuts+ Business Newsletter.  

Disorganized content, unclear design, and poor delivery can hinder even the best presentation ideas. Don't design a bad presentation that fails to deliver. 

Instead, learn how to write your presentation, design it like a pro, and prepare it to present powerfully. This 30-page eBook with helpful PDF checklist will walk you through the complete presentation process.

Apply These Tips to Avoid Presentation Mistakes 

Now you know some of the most common presentation mistakes and how to avoid making them. The tips in this article will ensure your presentation goes smoothly and you won’t leave a bad impression on your audience.

However, before you start working your presentation, you need to make a beautiful and engaging slide deck first. Start by checking out our beautiful PowerPoint presentation templates over on Envato Elements .

This tutorial was originally published in September of 2016. It's been comprehensively revised to include new information—with special assistance from  Brenda Barron . 

Top 10 Common Presentation Mistakes

In today’s academic and professional world, presentation skills have become a key requirement for success. Whether you are presenting a project in class or pitching an idea to potential investors, the ability to effectively communicate your thoughts and ideas is crucial. However, many students make common mistakes during presentations that undermine their message and leave their audience unengaged. In this blog post, we will explore the top 10 most common presentation mistakes and provide valuable tips on how to avoid them, ensuring your presentations are impactful and memorable.  

What are Presentation Skills?

Before we dive into the common mistakes, let’s first understand what presentation skills entail. Presentation skills encompass a set of abilities that enable individuals to deliver information or ideas in a clear, concise, and engaging manner. These skills include verbal and non-verbal communication, organization, visual aids utilization, and audience engagement techniques. Developing these skills is essential for students as it enhances their ability to convey their thoughts effectively and secure the attention and understanding of their audience.  

Top 10 Most Common Presentation Mistakes

There are many mistakes that should happen while giving a presentation. Here we have listed the top 10 common mistakes in the presentation.  

• Lack of Preparation: One of the most prevalent mistakes students make is failing to adequately prepare for their presentations. Without sufficient preparation, you risk stumbling through your content, causing confusion, and losing the interest of your audience. To avoid this mistake, make sure to thoroughly research your topic, create a well-structured outline, and practice your presentation multiple times.  
• Overreliance on Slides: Another mistake commonly observed is an overreliance on slides. While visual aids can enhance a presentation, using too many slides or cluttering them with excessive text can overwhelm your audience and divert attention away from your message. It is best to keep your slides simple, with minimal text and impactful visuals that support your main points.  
• Reading from Notes: Presenters who rely heavily on reading from their notes often come across as disengaged and unprepared. Memorizing your content or familiarizing yourself with key points allows for a more natural delivery and a stronger connection with your audience. Use cue cards or visuals as prompts to maintain a smooth flow of your presentation.  
• Lack of Eye Contact: Failing to establish eye contact with your audience can project a lack of confidence and connection. Make a conscious effort to maintain eye contact with different individuals throughout your presentation. This not only helps in building rapport but also keeps your audience engaged and attentive.  
• Speaking Too Fast or Too Slow: The pace you speak significantly impacts your presentation’s effectiveness. Speaking too fast can cause your audience to miss important information while speaking too slow can lead to boredom. Practice speaking at a moderate pace, allowing for clarity and understanding. Utilize pauses strategically to emphasize key points and provide your audience with time to absorb information.  
• Lack of Enthusiasm: Presentations that lack enthusiasm can quickly become monotonous and lose the attention of your audience. Injecting enthusiasm into your delivery by using variation in tone, gestures, and body language can help captivate your audience and convey your passion for the topic. Engage your audience with relevant anecdotes or examples that evoke emotions and make the content relatable.  
• Ignoring Audience Engagement: A presentation should be an interactive experience rather than a one-sided monologue. Failing to engage your audience by neglecting to ask questions, encourage participation, or provide opportunities for discussion can hinder the effectiveness of your presentation. Incorporate interactive elements, such as quizzes or group activities, to keep your audience actively involved throughout.  
• Poor Time Management: Going over or under the allocated time can disrupt the flow of your presentation and leave your audience feeling frustrated or unfulfilled. Practice your presentation with a timer to ensure it fits within the given time constraints. Allocate appropriate time for each section and be mindful of pacing during the actual presentation.  
• Inadequate Use of Visual Aids: While visual aids can enhance your presentation, they must be used thoughtfully and purposefully. Avoid overcrowding slides with excessive information or using irrelevant visuals that distract from your main points. Instead, opt for clear, concise, and visually appealing visuals that complement your speech and help convey your message effectively.  
• Lack of Post-Presentation Reflection: Many students neglect the crucial step of reflecting on their presentation performance. By analyzing what went well and what could be improved, you can enhance your presentation skills for future engagements. Seek feedback from peers or instructors and make a conscious effort to address any identified areas of improvement.  

Best Way to Avoid Presentation Mistakes

The best way to avoid these common presentation mistakes is through practice, preparation, and utilizing effective techniques. Here are some key tips to help you deliver successful presentations:  

• Practice : Practice presentation multiple times to familiarize yourself with the content and ensure a smooth delivery. You can rehearse in front of a mirror, record your presentations for self-evaluation, or seek feedback from trusted individuals.  
• Preparation : Thoroughly research your topic, create a well-structured outline, and gather relevant supporting materials. A solid foundation of knowledge will boost your confidence and enable you to deliver a more engaging presentation.  
• Visual Aid Design : Keep your visual aids concise, visually appealing, and relevant to your content. Use bullet points, graphs, or images to support your main points and enhance understanding. Limit the amount of text on each slide to avoid overwhelming your audience.  
• Engagement Techniques : Engage your audience through eye contact, variation in tone, body language, and interactive elements. Incorporate audience participation, encourage questions, and foster a collaborative environment to maintain interest and attention.  
• Time Management : Practice your presentation with a timer to ensure you stay within the allocated time. Allocate time for each section and be mindful of pacing to create a cohesive and well-structured presentation.  
• Reflect and Improve : After each presentation, take the time to reflect on your performance. Identify areas of improvement and actively work on honing your skills. Seek feedback from others and implement constructive suggestions to enhance your future presentations.  

Final Notes

Presentation skills are essential for students, and avoiding common mistakes can significantly enhance your ability to convey information effectively. By addressing the top 10 common presentation mistakes and following the best practices outlined, you can deliver impactful presentations that leave a lasting impression. Remember to practice, prepare, engage your audience, and continuously work on refining your skills. With dedication and effort, you can become a confident and influential presenter.  

Seeking a straightforward method to comprehend ideas similar to the one elucidated earlier? Join Tutoroot’s virtual tutoring sessions for a more efficient grasp of subjects and have your uncertainties resolved. Explore the realm of Tutoroot’s online tutoring today by arranging a complimentary trial session.

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Q: What are the mistakes in a presentation?  

A: The most common mistakes in presentations include lack of preparation, overreliance on slides, reading from notes, lack of eye contact, speaking too fast or too slow, lack of enthusiasm, ignoring audience engagement, poor time management, inadequate use of visual aids, and neglecting post-presentation reflection. By being aware of these mistakes and implementing strategies to avoid them, students can improve their presentation skills and deliver engaging and effective presentations.  

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What to do when you make a mistake in a presentation

Its many people’s worst nightmare – making a mistake whilst giving a presentation.

Written by Nick Smallman • 21 November 2014

Remembering points, trying to use body language, it can all get on top of you, especially if you’re an inexperienced presenter or are giving a complicated presentation. Don’t worry. Everyone makes mistakes when giving presentations , even the best. It’s how you handle it that counts. Whether you’ve said the wrong word, garbled a sentence, or lost your train of thought, the rules are the same.

Common presentation mistakes presenters make:

Presentations can be a great way to share information and ideas, but they can also be incredibly nerve-wracking. To ensure the success of your presentation, it’s important to avoid common mistakes that could harm its effectiveness. Here are some of the most frequent presentation mistakes and how you can avoid them:

Not Preparing Enough

Preparation is key when it comes to presentations , and not preparing enough will only lead to problems during delivery. Beforehand, research your topic thoroughly so you have an in-depth understanding of the material you are presenting. It is also beneficial to practice aloud several times before delivering your talk in order for yourself to become comfortable with speaking about the content confidently.

Relying Too Much on Visual Aids:

Visual aids such as slideshows or videos can help support what you are saying during a presentation; however, relying too much on them may distract from your message rather than enhance it. Make sure that any visuals add value by providing additional insight into your discussion points instead of repeating what was already said verbally—otherwise leave them out entirely if they do not contribute anything meaningful towards achieving the goal of the presentation itself!

Being Unprepared for Questions:

Asking questions is a normal part of any successful presentation; therefore, being unprepared for potential inquiries will make it difficult for you to answer effectively or provide relevant information quickly should someone ask something related but unexpected during delivery time! Practice responding to different types ahead so that when someone does pose a question at any point throughout yours–you’ll feel confident answering without hesitation or delay due diligence beforehand might just save face later down line!

Not Engaging Your Audience:

Presentations should be engaging for both speaker and audience alike; otherwise everyone loses interest quickly after just few minutes into it!. To keep people interested in what’s being said try breaking up long segments with interactive activities like polls or Q&A sessions; these tools help foster participation while giving listeners opportunity express their thoughts freely which often leads better comprehension overall purpose behind each respective topic discussed throughout duration entire session itself.

What to do when you make a mistake in a presentation:

Take a breath..

Taking a breath gives you time and can calm your nerves. Pause for as long as you need to and resist the urge to quickly start talking again; begin when you know what you’re going to say makes sense. This stops you from making more panicked mistakes, or from garbling your words, and a pause can make you look thoughtful and in control.

Don’t apologise.

Apologising can reduce your credibility, and make you feel embarrassed. Making a mistake when you’re giving a presentation isn’t going to ruin anyone’s day, and you’ll really just be apologising to yourself. You can acknowledge the mistake, and be sure to correct yourself, but do so and move on.

Own the mistake.

By taking responsibility for a mistake, you appear confident. Tripping up on a word or getting a phrase back-to-front can be quickly solved by a correction, but any informational mistakes should always be corrected. ‘I should say x instead of y,’ or a correction along those lines is effective and isn’t apologising.

Talk To The Audience.

It’s okay to talk to the audience, especially if you’ve forgotten what you just said. Asking the audience what you were saying, or the name of something you’ve forgotten, can often seem planned and inclusive. It’s often a good idea to talk to the audience during your presentation anyway, and doing so can make this trick seamless.

No matter what your mistake, or how you handle it, remain positive and don’t get hung up on it. Mistakes are made by everyone, and are part of becoming a better public speaker.

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10 Most Common Presentation Mistakes You Can’t Afford To Make

Whispers, yawns and zero interaction from the audience besides checking their smartphones…do you know this scenario? Presentation mistakes happen to everyone, but there are certain situations that you can certainly avoid. Listed are 10 of the most common presentation mistakes that are an easy slip up if you aren’t careful, but that can quickly be tramped. Test yourself to see which of these 10 mistakes you could be making in order to save your audience a “death by PowerPoint”

• Boring title? Create a short and catchy title that will spark newly-found curiosity to your topic (limit to 70 characters). Try to incorporate keywords; this will give your audience a broad sense of what to expect. Know that it will take practice to create a great title, but it is worth the effort, time and exercise it will take.
• Endless bullet-point lists? Leave the forever long lists and endlessly detailed points behind and visually display the highlights of your speech. Your templates should aim to be beautiful and comprehensible at a glance. The purpose you are there is to give the full story and add the interesting details!
• No images? Did you know that 90% of information transmitted to the brain is visual? Keep the text on your templates to a minimum and add visuals and pictures. Use images to reinforce what you say.
• Overkill on company logos? Your company logo is great to incorporate in your presentation, but make sure you place it discreetly in the header or footer, or it will quickly start to become an annoying visual. Sponsor logos should be shown only once either at the very beginning or on one of your very last slides.

• Content overload on any single slide? Build your templates after the motto, one thought per slide. Make the template coherent and simple, but significant. Steve Jobs style of presenting is a great example here.
• Tiny, unreadable text? Use a text size that is visible – a good size is no less than 36 pt. for titles and 18 pt. for text.
• Speaking quietly and incomprehensibly? The obvious counter would be to speak loudly and clearly, but this might not be helpful if the real problem stems from stage fright or naturally being an introvert. The simplest solution is to practice in front of a mirror and practice in front of someone standing on the opposite end of the room. Projecting your voice clearly is a simple practice and builds up confidence. A great solution here is to pick up the hobby of singing to learn how to project your voice. So why not join a choir and stop hiding behind your pc?
• Talking Impersonally? Make the point to be personal by speaking to the audience directly, just like you would in a one-on-one conversation. Deliver your thesis with specific points that are relatable and incorporate stories and humor.
• Passing your intended presentation time? Practice your speech with a stopwatch in hand, and then rehearse and optimize your presentation. So you will internalize your topic so you can freely talk, but still be within your given time.We hope these quick tips helped pinpoint some flaws. Stay tuned for specific insights to some of these points and let us know what mistakes you have problems with! We’d love to read your comments.

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3 Group Presentation Pitfalls — and How to Avoid Them

by Allison Shapira

Summary .   

Putting together an effective group presentation takes teamwork and coordination so it doesn’t look like a patchwork quilt. And yet, many of us never budget the time to fully prepare. The author outlines some of the common mistakes people make in group presentations and offers best practices to keep you on track. 

Many of us have experienced poor group presentations. If you’re giving one, it’s the last-minute scramble the night before to decide who is presenting which part of the presentation. If you’re observing one, it’s the chaos of hearing multiple people talking over one another or, even worse, simply reading their slides word-for-word and ignoring their audience. 

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10 Common Presentation Mistakes

Avoiding common pitfalls in your presentations.

© iStockphoto Silberkorn

Don't fall into these common presentation traps.

Most of us have experienced dull, irrelevant or confusing presentations. But think back to the last really great presentation you saw – one that was informative, motivating and inspiring. Wouldn't you love to be able to present like that?

This article looks at 10 of the most common mistakes that speakers make when giving presentations. By avoiding these, you'll make your presentations stand out – for all of the right reasons, and none of the wrong ones.

Mistake 1: Not Preparing Enough

Steve Jobs was a famously inspiring speaker. His speeches may have looked effortless, but, in reality, each one took days or weeks of preparation.

Careful preparation is essential. The amount of time you spend on planning depends on your situation, but it's a good idea to start early – you can never be too well-prepared.

Proper preparation also helps you to manage presentation nerves   . When you know your material inside and out, you're far less likely to feel nervous. Our presentation planning checklist   and Bite-Sized Training session on " Giving Better Presentations   " can help you to plan your next event properly.

Mistake 2: Not Familiarizing Yourself With the Venue and Equipment

Imagine that your presentation starts in an hour. You arrive at the venue and, to your horror, the projector won't work with your laptop. The slides you spent hours preparing are useless. This is a disaster!

You can avoid a situation like this by taking time to familiarize yourself with the venue and available equipment at least once before your presentation.

Often, the sorts of problems that can jeopardize your presentation will be situations beyond your control, but this doesn't mean that you're helpless. Conduct a risk analysis   to identify potential issues, and come up with a good "Plan B"   for each one.

Mistake 3: Ignoring Your Audience

Sometimes, speakers can get so wrapped up in delivering their presentations that they forget about the needs of their audience.

Start your presentation by telling your audience what to expect. Let them know what you'll cover first, whether and when you'll stop for a break, if you'll be taking questions during the presentation, and so on.

Providing these "signposts" up front will give your audience a clear idea of what to expect, so that they can relax and concentrate on your presentation.

Mistake 4: Using Inappropriate Content

The primary purpose of any presentation is to share information with others, so it's important to consider the level you'll pitch it at.

Do some research on your audience. Why are they here? How much do they already know about your topic, and what do they most want to learn from you? It's no use giving a presentation that's so full of jargon   that no one understands you. But you wouldn't want to patronize people, either.

Try to put yourself in people's shoes, to get a clearer idea about their needs and motivations. You can also greet individuals as they arrive on the day, and ask questions   to get a feel for their level of knowledge. This will also help you to personalize your presentation and make a connection with each person in your audience, so that they'll be more attentive to what you say.

Mistake 5: Being Too Verbose

Short, concise presentations are often more powerful than verbose ones. Try to limit yourself to a few main points. If you take too long getting to your point, you risk losing your audience's attention.

The average adult has a 15- to 20-minute attention span. So, if you want to keep your audience engaged, stick to the point! During the planning phase, make a note of the themes you want to cover and how you want to get them across. Then, when you start filling out the details, ask yourself: "Does my audience really need to know this?"

Our articles on the 7 Cs of Communication   and Communications Planning   have more tips for communicating in a clear, concise way.

Mistake 6: Using Ineffective Visuals

Poor slides can spoil a good presentation, so it's worth spending time getting yours right.

We've all seen slides with garish colors, unnecessary animation, or fonts that are too small to read. The most effective presentation visuals   aren't flashy – they're concise and consistent.

When choosing colors, think about where the presentation will take place. A dark background with light or white text works best in dark rooms, while a white background with dark text is easier to see in a brightly lit room.

Choose your pictures carefully, too. High-quality graphics can clarify complex information and lift an otherwise plain screen, but low-quality images can make your presentation appear unprofessional. Unless an image is contributing something, embrace the negative space – less clutter means greater understanding. Use animation sparingly, too – a dancing logo or emoji will only distract your audience.

Mistake 7: Overcrowding Text

The best rule of thumb for text is to keep it simple   . Don't try to cram too much information into your slides. Aim for a maximum of three to four words within each bullet point, and no more than three bullets per slide.

This doesn't mean that you should spread your content over dozens of slides. Limit yourself to 10 slides or fewer for a 30-minute presentation. Look at each slide, story or graph carefully. Ask yourself what it adds to the presentation, and remove it if it isn't important.

Mistake 8: Speaking Incoherently

Even though we spend a significant part of the day talking to one another, speaking to an audience is a surprisingly difficult skill, and it's one that we need to practice.

If nerves make you rush through a presentation, your audience could miss your most important points. Use centering   or deep breathing   techniques to suppress the urge to rush. If you do begin to babble, take a moment to collect yourself. Breathe deeply, and enunciate each word clearly, while you focus on speaking more slowly.

Our article on better public speaking   has strategies and tips that you can use to become a more engaging speaker. One useful technique is storytelling   – stories can be powerful tools for inspiring and engaging others. Our Expert Interviews with Annette Simmons   and Paul Smith   have tips that you can use to tell great stories.

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Mistake 9: Showing a Lack of Dynamism

Another common mistake is to freeze in one spot for the duration of your presentation.

Some presenters feel most comfortable behind the podium. Try to emulate great speakers like Steve Jobs   , who moved purposefully around the stage during his presentations.

As well as working the stage, he used gestures and body language   to communicate his excitement and passion for his subject. Pay attention to what your hands are doing – they're important for communicating emotion. But only use gestures if they feel natural, and avoid being too flamboyant with your arms, unless you want to make your audience laugh!

See our Expert Interview, " Winning Body Language   ," to learn more about body language and what it says to your audience.

Mistake 10: Avoiding Eye Contact

Have you ever been to a presentation where the speaker spent all of their time looking at their notes, the screen, the floor, or even at the ceiling? How did this make you feel?

Meeting a person's gaze establishes a personal connection, and even a quick glance can keep people engaged. If your audience is small enough, try to make eye contact with each individual at least once.

If the audience is too large for this, try looking at people's foreheads. The individual may not interpret it as eye contact, but those sitting around them will.

It takes practice and effort to deliver a good presentation. But, if you know how to avoid the pitfalls, your presentations will be great.

Common presentation mistakes include not preparing properly, delivering inappropriate content, and speaking poorly.

Time spent on careful planning always pays dividends. Check out the venue, and familiarize yourself with equipment in advance to avoid possible problems.

Keep your content clear and concise, with visual aids to match. And make sure that you pitch it at the right level for your audience's understanding, so that your presentation doesn't patronize or bewilder.

Remember, public speaking is a performance. Practice speaking clearly with a slower pace than your normal speech to avoid "rapid-fire" delivery. Use eye contact, body language and gestures that complement your message to keep your audience engaged.

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Comments (17)

• Over a month ago Midgie wrote Thanks Ali for that feedback. Hope it helps you to make presentations with great impact! Midgie Mind Tools Team
• Over a month ago Ali Raza wrote Yes, I am entirely agreed with this article, and I just want say that this article is very helpful and enlightening.
• Over a month ago BillT wrote Hi Pandey, Thank you for letting us know that there was value in the materials for you. Having a well-laid out plan for your presentation can certainly help to engage the audience, and make the presentation both interesting and fun for everyone. BillT Mind Tools Team

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• Presentation Design

6 presentation mistakes to avoid

This is a guest article by Freddie Tubbs, a communications manager at Boomessays. He regularly takes part in marketing conferences and webinars, and contributes articles to Academized and Paperfellows blogs.

Holding someone’s attention is often a hard job. You have to be interesting, present something new and valuable and give accurate information. Most people are not born with a natural talent for speaking publicly, so this is a skill that has to be mastered.

However, mistakes happen when people are either not willing to learn or they are not aware that they are doing something wrong. If the problem is the latter, here are some of the most common mistakes that presenters make and easy ways to fix them.

CREATE OUTSTANDING PRESENTATION

1. Your data is hard to understand

This is a small mistake, something that often gets overlooked in companies but it creates a lot of problems. This is what happens when people have bad presentation making skills.

For instance, you have created a chart but you have placed it over an image related to the subject. That may seem creative but it’s really just confusing and it’s making your chart hard to see. Place your chart on a blank background so that it’s clear what it’s representing. Some presenters like to flaunt their thoroughness by presenting a table with a bunch of numbers and a lot of footnotes – this is a mistake as well. Never add large tables and remove footnotes entirely. You can place this data in your handouts but your presentation is just for your conclusions. Other mistakes include using large numbers – 654378910, for example – writing in small font and so on. ‍

2. You are sharing too much information

Presenters often fall into this trap – they have so much to share and they really want to impress their audience so they go on and on. However, people often get bored with this. They don’t want to know all about the data and your process. They just want a brief overview of how it went and then they want to hear your analysis.

A good rule of thumb is to lead the audience through only the essential information and then tell them why that information matters – balance information with insight. You will also avoid sounding dry.

3. Not composing an accurate presentation

As a presenter, grammar and spelling are probably not at the top of your list when creating a presentation. However, they should be. Other than adding to the overall clarity, good spelling and grammar will not distract your audience and it will make you look professional.

If you don’t want to deal with this yourself, you can use some of these tools:

- Academ advisor – Proofreading is a tedious job and people often miss mistakes after reading a text for a while. This is why proofreading tools like this could be extremely useful.

- UK Writings – Coming up with titles that will attract people and inspire them to listen to you is never easy. However, title generating tools like these will help you come up with something relevant and interesting.

- Viawriting – When creating a presentation, we often use data that other people collected or information that others came up with. This is why it’s easy to plagiarize unintentionally. Use this plagiarism guide to avoid this.

- Paper Fellows – Editing your presentation is another thing that you have to do but you would rather not.

- My Writing Way – Grammar is something we often forget to check. But with this tool, you can be sure that your presentation will be mistake-free. ‍

4. There is no clear point or stance ‍

Giving presentations is often done with a risk of people disagreeing with you. However, with data and information that you have gathered, you can often prove your point and clarify why you believe what you believe. But presenters are sometimes afraid that they’ll cause this disagreement that they take no stance.

This is a mistake because having a stance is what keeps the conversation going. If someone disagrees, you have a chance to learn but also give them a chance to learn. Presenting isn’t all about facts, it’s about having an opinion and sharing it with your audience. ‍

‍ 5. No passion when speaking ‍

The truth is – if you are not passionate or excited about your presentation, your audience will not be passionate or excited about it either. Speaking confidently isn’t easy and it can be awkward when you have to stand in front of everyone but even if you are a bit nervous but still excited over presenting this information, it will pay off and people will listen.

If you are not – and this is often paired with reading from the slides – you’ll just bore your audience, no matter how confident you are.

‍ 6. Distracting your audience with jargon

While jargon may sound professional, it’s a mistake to have it all over your presentation. No matter who your audience is, they will likely prefer common, simple language over complex words and business jargon, abbreviations, acronyms and so on.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Making mistakes is easy and fixing them can be just as simple if you notice your mistakes on time and do your best to avoid them.

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Here’s how to avoid 5 tragic presentation mistakes.

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Presentation skills are often critical for career advancement.

This article is part of an ongoing series Presentation Skills: The Secret Weapon of Career Success .

Like it or not, presentation skills can dramatically impact the trajectory of one’s career. Indeed, presentation skills are really leadership skills. National Speakers Association CEO, Mary Lue Peck insists, “When leaders invest in their presentation skills, they become more effective at working and interacting with others. Perfecting presentation skills help ensure that their message is not just being heard but understood.”

Unfortunately, that lack of investment can have dire consequences. A dreadful performance in front of the wrong audience may not just result in immediate negative impact for that particular project or task, but maybe more importantly it can undercut an employee’s confidence and credibility in the organization long term. Let’s face it - organizations are mesmerized by those who seem comfortable speaking to a group, are persuasive in front of the client, or prove themselves to be an effective, charismatic representative of the product or the organization, and once you’ve developed a reputation as someone who isn’t, career advancement options may be limited.

Unfortunately, many professionals make these five very common presentation mistakes that can yield disastrous consequences. Learn the mistakes and how to avoid them!

Mistake #1 – Not Practicing Enough

The best speakers often seem like they just glided on the stage and gave the presentation of their lives without much effort, but the truth is that the best speakers practice, practice, practice! When you try to “wing it,” you’re much more prone to stumble through the material, default to reading slides or get rattled by questions. Also, when you’ve not practiced much, you’re just not as confident and that lack of confidence comes across big time!

Instead, Do This – On a macro level, invest in honing your presentation skills on an ongoing basis by joining Toastmasters International , National Speakers Association or another speaking organization. On a micro level practice your presentation – over and over. Remember that writing the report and presenting the findings are two entirely different things. Practice – for real – stand up, speak to the slides, use a timer, etc. to try to simulate the actual event. Clicking through the slides on your laptop as you just think about what you’ll say isn’t true practice. For a major presentation you probably want to visit the room (even practice there if possible). Keynote Speaker Heather Monahan shares, “Going to the venue or meeting location days or weeks ahead of time helps too. When you run through what it will be like in real time and you envision yourself doing amazing, you will deliver on that.” K.V. Scott, President of Kossen Communications LLC also recommends conducting a dry run because it provides an opportunity to test out videos and slide animations to work out kinks in advance if needed. We’ve all witnessed a presenter being horribly embarrassed by technology failures - don’t be that presenter!

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Mistake #2 – Reading Presentation Slides

There’s nothing worse than watching a speaker stand with their back to the group (mostly) reading slides projected on a screen. Of course, if the speaker is just reading the slides, they’re not really necessary, right? That’s about the time most people start rolling their eyes wondering what they could be getting accomplished if only they hadn’t come to this presentation. Remember that slides should be a point of reference - they’re an accessory, but you’re the main event. If you’ve avoided mistake #1 by practicing, you know the content – don’t read it! It’s there. It’s not going anywhere. Avoid the temptation to talk to the screen and robotically read bullet points.

Instead, Do This – Review the content enough in advance so you know what’s there and don’t need to read it as a crutch. Instead, for each slide focus on answering these two primary questions:

-       What is the big idea on this slide?

-       Why should they care?

Also remember that reading slide content often complicates the overall message. Certified Speaking Professional and Founder of MotionFirst, a speaking and consulting company, Meridith Elliott Powell insists, “It’s a mistake to over complicate the message and share too much information. Presentations should be simple and focused.” It’s also important to intersperse a variety of techniques – asking questions, sharing anecdotes, using descriptive examples – to engage the audience and make the presentation more dynamic and interesting. (More on this in a future post in this series.)

Mistake #3 – Talking Too Fast

This is such a common mistake so don’t be surprised to realize that you might be talking 100 mph and leaving your audience in the dust. Remember that the best presentation becomes a train wreck if the speaker speaks too fast. The more familiar the content is for you, the more tempted you will be to speed through it so slow down!

Instead, Do This – First, trim your content so you’re not trying to fit a 30 minute presentation into a 10 minute time slot. A general rule of thumb for pacing is 1-2 minutes per slide so if you’ve got 30 slides for a 30 minute presentation, you may be setting yourself up for failure. Also, remember that reviewing data heavy, dense slides, responding to questions or interjecting stories will take more time so plan for that. If you’re staying on one slide for more than 4-5 minutes, you might want to consider breaking the content into two slides. Also, don’t be too proud to use a post it reminder on your practice podium or your mirror to remind you to slow down! You’ll be glad you did!

Mistake #4 – Relying on Filler Words Unconsciously

Virtually all speakers rely on “filler words” (e.g. um, uh, ok, etc.) unconsciously during their presentations. When I practiced a presentation in high school in front of my dad, he told me I’d said “you know” more than ten times, and I didn’t even remember saying it once. Once I started recording myself, I was horrified to hear myself say it over and over without even realizing I was saying it.

Instead, Do This - Don’t beat yourself up – just try to figure out what your filler word/phrase is so you can begin to remove it. Record yourself so you can identify your fillers, then consciously work to minimize them. Another approach is presenting in front of a friend and asking them ring a bell or hit a buzzer every time you use your filler word/phrase. Speaking more slowly should make it easier for you to remove the filler words so this is yet another reason why speaking slower is usually a smart move.

Mistake #5 – Getting Overwhelmed/Psyched Out

I’ve always heard that the average person is more afraid of public speaking than death. I’m not sure how true that is, but I definitely understand the anxiety created by the thought of speaking in front of a group. Anxiety and nerves can create a career limiting event, and no one wants that.

Public speaking can create anxiety for many professionals.

Instead, Do This – Find a technique that helps reduce your anxiety – taking deep breaths, repeating a reaffirming phrase, etc. Monahan suggests using lavender to kill the nerves right before you speak. I also find that the best defense is a good offense. By that, I mean be prepared! I find that the more rehearsed and confident I am with the content, the less nervous and anxious I feel. In fact, if I’m truly well versed and interested in the content, I’m usually just looking forward to engaging with the group and not as focused on the mechanics of the presentation. Also remember that people are typically more anxious the less comfortable they are with the topic so avoid presenting on topics that aren’t your area of expertise. One of the worst feelings is presenting on a topic where you don’t feel like you have the necessary expertise and competence to speak so just avoid putting yourself in that position and stick to what you know!

Stay tuned for the rest of the series which will explore how professionals can move their presentations from good to great.

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The top 5 presentation mistakes everyone makes

Nancy Duarte

We all know what it’s like to sit through a bad presentation. We can easily spot the flaws — too long, too boring, indecipherable, what have you — when we watch others speak. The thing is, when we take the stage ourselves, many of us fall into the same presentation mistakes.

What are the most common presentation mistakes?

Here are five of the most common presentation mistakes, along with some tips on how to avoid them.

1. Failing to engage emotionally

You risk losing your audience when you just “state the facts,” even in a business setting. No presentation should be devoid of emotion, no matter how cerebral the topic or the audience. Speak to people’s hearts as well as their minds .

Look for ways to add emotional texture to your exhibits, data, proofs, logical arguments, and other analytical content. Try opening with a story your audience can relate to, for example, or including analogies that make your data more meaningful.

To unearth the emotional appeal of your ideas, ask yourself a series of “why” questions. If you’re requesting funding to pay for cloud storage, for instance, start by asking, “Why do we need cloud storage?” Your answer may be something like “to facilitate data sharing with colleagues in remote locations.”

Then ask why you need to accomplish  that — and you’ll eventually get to the human beings who will be affected by your ideas. Suppose your answer is “to help remote colleagues coordinate disaster relief efforts and save lives.” That’s your emotional hook. Once you’ve found it, it’s easier to choose words and images that elicit empathy and support.

2. Asking too much of your slides

PowerPoint can be a great tool. But know what you’re trying to accomplish with it. Do only  that, nothing more. Problems crop up when you place too many elements in a slide deck. If you cram in all the points you’re going to cover so you won’t forget anything, you’ll end up  projecting entire documents  when you speak. (Garr Reynolds aptly calls these hydra-headed beasts “ slideuments .”)

No one wants to attend a plodding read-along. It’s boring, and people can read more efficiently on their own, anyway. So don’t try to spell everything out  bullet by exhausting bullet . Keep your teleprompter text hidden from the audience’s view, in the “notes” field , and project only visuals that reinforce your ideas. And if you need to circulate documents afterward? Create handouts from all that text you’ve pulled off your slides and moved into “notes.”

3. Trotting out tired visuals

Nothing gets eyes a-glazing like a visual cliché. Want your presentation to stand out (in a good way) from the others your audience has seen? Brainstorm lots of visual concepts — and throw away the first ones that came to mind. They’re the ones that occur to everyone else, too. That’s why you’ve seen them a million times in other people’s presentations. Generate several ideas for each concept you want to illustrate, and you’ll work your way toward originality.

4. Speaking in jargon

Have you ever listened to a presenter who sounded super-smart without having any idea what she really said? If so, the presentation was probably full of jargon. Each field has its own lexicon that’s familiar to experts but foreign to everyone else. Unless you’re speaking to a group of people who are steeped in the material themselves, you’re better off avoiding highly technical or industry-specific language.

Use words that will resonate with those whose support and influence you must earn. If they can’t follow your ideas, they won’t adopt them. Consider whether your presentation passes the “grandmother test”: If your grandmother wouldn’t understand what on earth you’re talking about, rework your message.

5. Going over your allotted time

One of the worst presentation mistakes you can make, is speaking for too long. A great talk goes by quickly. People in your audience will never scold you for ending early, but they certainly will for ending late. So treat the time slot assigned to you as sacred. And keep in mind that people have a 30-to-40-minute presentation tolerance (they’re conditioned by TV shows with creatively produced commercial breaks). Go longer than that, and they’re sure to squirm.

A version of this article originally appeared in HBR.

Illustrated by Aisling Doyle.

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• 8 Mistakes Made In PowerPoint Presentation and How to Correct Them
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How would you answer this multiple-choice question?

Which of the following statements best describes your view about your Power Point presentation? 1. My PowerPoint presentation uses every sound, clip art, and animation available. 2. My PowerPoint presentation IS the presentation. 3. My PowerPoint presentation enhances my points; is clear, clean, and concise; and my audiences walk away with a clarified message.

From the audience's perspective, answer 3 is the better choice.

Let's take a look at some common mistakes made when presenting using PowerPoint and how to correct them.

Mistake #1 - The Projected Image on the Screen Is My Comfort Blanket. Solution: Set up your computer so that it is facing you. This way you can be facing the appreciative audience and you don't have to look at or read from the screen. The last thing the audience wants to see is the back of your head. What you are seeing on your computer screen is the same image that is projected on the screen behind you. Keep eye contact with your audience to engage them in your presentation.

Mistake #2 - Leaving a Slide on the Screen Keeps the Audience's Attention. Solution: A slide should be on the screen only as long as you are talking about related material - somewhere between 30 seconds and two minutes.

Tip: To blank out a screen, just press the "B" key to turn the screen black or press the "W" to turn the screen white. This only works when you are viewing a show. To illuminate the screen, press the "B" or "W" again.

Value-added hint: Research has shown that audiences will remember your presentation best if they are allowed an opportunity to digest a new slide for a few seconds before you start speaking - especially if the visuals are complex.

Mistake #3 - I Have To Go Through My Slide Show in a Linear Fashion - i.e., Slide #1 Followed by Slide #2 and So On. Solution: You can navigate through your presentation any way you like. If you want slide #23 to follow slide #1, be sure you are in View Show mode, then just press 2 and 3 on the numeric key pad followed by "enter.' PowerPoint will automatically go to slide #23. This also is another good reason to print your slides as Handouts with the slide numbers on them. I usually print my slides in handout form, 6 slides to a page.

Mistake #4 – It’s Too Bad PowerPoint Doesn't Provide a "Pen" Function to Write on the Screen While Presenting… Solution: For those of you who like the "John Madden approach" you can press Ctrl "P" while presenting and a John Madden-style pen will come on the screen. Hold the left mouse key down while moving your pen around the screen, and you too can analyze the "play." To make this work, use the Tools pull-down menu and go to Slide Show. Choose your pen color. (Make sure it contrasts and compliments the background color of your slide.)

(John Madden, a famous football announcer on television, is well known for using a pen on the screen to show how a football play occurred.)

Mistake #5 - Audiences Are Wowed By All the Animations and All the Transitions I Use. Solution: Less is more. I recommend that you give the audience a copy of your PowerPoint presentation so they can follow it while you are presenting. Show the material on a slide without any animations. Your audience will already know what's coming. On the other hand, if the audience will not receive a copy of your presentation as a handout, you should use some animation, but remember - less is more.

Mistake #6 - The Room's Lighting Won't Have an Impact on the Visibility of My Slides. Solution: Check out the environment in which you will be presenting. First, try to make sure that all lights that directly hit the projected screen are turned off. (You may need to climb on a latter and unscrew some bulbs!). Light text on a dark background looks best in a dark or slightly darkened room. In a lighted room, a dark background may look so faded that your light text won't show up well. For this kind of situation, it doesn't hurt to try dark text on a lighter background.

Let me digress. While we are on the subject of lighting - do not subject your audience to a PowerPoint presentation in a totally dark room. At all costs, try to have the most light possible without diluting the impact of the color of your slides. A darkened room will put people to sleep, and hopefully this is not one of your objectives.

Mistake #7 - My PowerPoint Presentation Is So Powerful That My Audience Will Be Back in Their Seats As Soon As the Break Is Over. Solution: If you take breaks during your presentation, I highly recommend using a break "timer" which is projected onto the screen. I use a count-down digital timer and can even put my client's logo as the wallpaper behind the digital clock.

Mistake #8 - The Presentation Pop-Up Menu Helps Me Run Through My PowerPoint Presentation. Solution: Turn off the presentation pop-up menu. It is a sign of a Powerless PowerPoint presenter. Go to the Tools pull-down menu, then to View and uncheck both the Pop-up menu on right mouse click and Show Pop-Up Menu Button.

Have fun with your next PowerPoint presentation. Your audience will appreciate the care you show by make a presentation that is lively, fun, and targeted towards them. And, you'll get a standing ovation.

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