Public Speaking Mistakes That Ruin Your Speech (and How to Avoid Them)

1.      Don’t practice too much: When you practice what you’re going to say too much, the result can be what sounds like a “canned” answer or speech. Like a politician who has repeated the same soundbite over and over again. You want what you say to sound natural.

2.      Don’t eat beforehand:  Before a speaking engagement, try to avoid heavy foods, i.e. red meats, heavy dairy products, pasta – anything that will fill you up. Eat light. When your body has to use more energy to digest, your brain tends to move slower. And you tend to burp and belch…

3.      Don’t be perfect: Your stutters, gaffs, hiccups – they can serve to make you more down-to-earth to your audience. Laugh at yourself, your audience will be more engaged. Don’t aim for perfection, aim for connection. Sometimes a funny screw-up can help.

4.      Don’t smile too much: Many primates interpret showing teeth as a sign of submission. Constantly smiling to your audience implies nervousness, “trying to hard”, or desperately wanting to be liked. Smile when appropriate, and remember a calm face exudes confidence. 

5.      Don’t be thorough: Don’t read from your notes, don’t constantly look down trying to get every detail right, don’t worry about forgetting a word. People only listen and take in about 50-perfect of what you’re saying – so make it as simple as possible. It will be more effective to talk off the top of your head in simple sentences, than to present a comprehensive idea. You will lose your audience.