Regardless of how seasoned you are as a presenter, there will always be something to learn or polish up to become better.
Presentation mistakes are familiar to every presenter. Some of them are like false friends. They give the impression of enhancing your presentation but have the opposite effect like:
- Including interesting but oceans of content.
- Lots of jargon or complex terms in an attempt to sound smart.
- Unnecessary transitions and animations to add fun to slides.
Then there are others, which are detrimental in every scenario like:
- Not dressing up well.
- The research on the topic was not thorough.
- Giving importance only to the speech and not the slides or vice versa.
- Reading the entire presentation from the slides.
No matter how small they seem, these mistakes can impact the success trajectory of your presentation. This article is a comprehensive guide on presentation mistakes and what you can do to avoid them. Read on to learn more.
Mistakes to Avoid While Making the Presentation
1. Building a Data Dump for a Presentation
When crafting presentations, you might end up including a lot of information, but that won’t serve your purpose.
While the temptation might be to appear knowledgeable or comprehensive in your research as you include that data, what might actually happen is –
- It will be a struggle for people to read from the slides and listen to you at the same time.
- They can get overwhelmed or disoriented and lose interest.
Note – Include only keywords in your slides and not complete sentences. That way, people will have to listen to you to understand the meaning of the words on the slides.
The negative space will also enable you to use a decent font size and make your slides look attractive and professional.
2. Irrelevant and Inappropriate Visuals
Visuals that are not related to your content and message would serve no purpose in your slides. It will only add distractions and make people indifferent.
Irrelevant/inappropriate visuals can also downplay your credibility as a presenter and, in turn, undermine your presentation altogether.
Note – Incorporate relevant, clear, and aesthetically appealing visuals and multimedia content into your slides to make them inclusive and catchy.
3. Not Practicing and Preparing Well
Presentations require a lot of practice. Content and delivery should be in tandem and impeccable for it to become etched in people’s minds.
If you haven’t prepared or practiced well, there will be hiccups in the content or delivery, resulting in a below-par presentation, which sure can’t translate into new business.
Note – Research your topic well, create a well-structured presentation, and practice as much as possible to become thorough and fluent with your work.
Your presentation should have enough data and statistics to support your points. It will add credibility to your work and let people take you seriously.
4. Undefined Presentation Goal
Are you seeking to inform people regarding a critical social concern? Or is it pure entertainment that is your end goal? Do you wish to inspire people into action? Or is it persuasion that you seek for your products and services?
You should know your goals, or it can lead to mistakes when you craft the presentation. Unclear goals translate to undefined content and speech delivery, which can take you far from your presentation target.
Note – Have a clearly defined presentation goal with the audience in the center. Once you get clear with what you want, it will reflect in your slides as clear, crisp, and precise content.
5. Bad Slide Design
Poor use of typography, color palette, negative space, and design principles like contrast, proximity, alignment, etc., all account for bad design in presentation slides.
While these things might not become the factor that makes or breaks your presentation, they can disengage people – or worse – undermine your credibility.
Note – Consider design rules like 10/20/30 – 10 slides, a 20-minute presentation, and fonts not smaller than 30 points. Depending upon the type of presentation, modifications can be done accordingly.
Professionals or pre-designed, easily customizable PowerPoint presentation templates can be another solution to your concern.
6. Overuse of Transitions and Animations
Avoid putting moving texts on the slides. Also, minor transitions and animations are good but don’t overdo them.
Don’t make people look at bouncing, spinning, growing, floating, diminishing screens, or they might develop motion sickness looking at it.
Note – Focus on creating impeccable content and use effects only where they amplify the work. Overaccessorizing will only make your slides look unprofessional, stuffed, and clumsy.
7. No Structure to the Presentation
The human mind understands and follows structure well. An unclear structure (opening, middle part, and conclusion) can confuse people. Contrary to this, a structured presentation will assist people in understanding the flow.
Note – Ensure that your presentation is well-structured, enabling smooth comprehension.
8. Not Knowing Your People
Failing to consider people’s concerns when crafting slides can be a fatal mistake for the success of your presentation.
Neither you nor the company is the center of a presentation – it’s the audience. If you are not sharing anything of value with them, they won’t have much incentive to sit through the entire session and pay attention.
Note – People are the central element of a successful presentation. Learn about their concerns and address them in the best way possible.
9. Unnecessary Jargon and Complex Words
Find out the skill set and knowledge level of your audience before introducing complex terminology in your presentation.
People can’t listen to you if they are busy translating your words in their head. So, avoid giving them unnecessary work in your attempt to seem knowledgeable.
If you can’t do without using certain terms and jargon, introduce the meaning, too. Also, don’t explain too many things at once.
Note – Keep your presentation simple to enable people to comprehend your message fully.
Mistakes to Avoid When Delivering the Presentation
(i). Inadequate Eye Contact
Eye contact helps forge connections, make you appear confident, and let people trust you.
Avoiding eye contact will have the opposite consequences. It will make you seem unreliable and unprepared, which can further ruin the very reasons for presenting in the first place.
Note – Consciously make eye contact with different individuals throughout the presentation. It will not only build rapport but also keep people attentive and engaged.
(ii). Bad Enunciation and Filler Words
Speaking clearly and effectively is critical to getting your message across and establishing your authority as a speaker and presenter. Also, avoid speaking in a monotone or using filler words like um, uh, like, etc. It makes you look inexperienced and unprepared.
Scenarios like this – and people might stop listening very quickly regardless of how catchy the content is.
The issue could lead to the following things –
- People will have difficulty listening to and understanding your words.
- It will obstruct the comprehension of the message.
- It will undermine your authority as a speaker, and the audience won’t be able to take you as seriously as they should.
Note – Speak clearly and give people time to absorb your message. With consistent practice, eliminate filler words from your speech. Instead, fill it up with pauses to give yourself space to think about your following words.
(iii). Not Dealing with the Nervousness and Anxiety
Pre-stage jitters are something everyone goes through, even the most experienced presenters.
Note – One way to deal with presentation anxiety is knowing that not you but people are the center of attention in that room. The goal is to work around their concerns.
You can also try techniques like long breathing, meditation, positive affirmations, etc. before you step on the stage.
(iv). Reading from the Slides
Over-reliance on slides can make you look unprepared and cause people to disengage quickly. In all likelihood, people in front of you can read the slides, too, so it doesn’t make sense for you to do the same.
It can cause two issues –
- First, if you are reading from the slides, it means you have stuffed them with information, which will make your slides look unprofessional and difficult to process.
- Second, by reading from the slides, you will exhibit a lack of confidence and preparation, weakening your credibility again.
Note – Slides are there as a supplement to support your words and should be treated as such. That being said, don’t compromise on your slides. Design them professionally to deliver a truly impactful presentation.
(v). Gabbling or Fidgeting or Failing to Pause
Speaking too fast or too slow – both are detrimental to the effectiveness and comprehension of your message. If you go fast – people will miss out on information, their minds will get puzzled and disengage eventually.
Speaking too slowly will cause them to lose interest due to boredom.
Pauses, again, are an essential element of a speech. Going nonstop will not let you collect your thoughts, register the environment, and improvise if needed. Similarly, it will not give people the time to absorb information and will affect their retention.
Note – It’s essential to practice tone, pace, and voice modulation to get your speech right. Strategize the use of pauses to add emphasis and give people time to ponder over the critical information.
(vi). Making Your Presentation a One-Way Street
Turning your presentation into a one-sided monologue won’t serve any purpose. People can get bored, disinterested, misunderstand your message, or do endless other things.
Failing to engage people by eliciting participation can hinder the success and effectiveness of your speech.
Note – Incorporate elements like quizzes, polls, group discussions, Q&A, etc., to add fun to your presentation and keep people involved throughout.
(vii). Bad Time Management
How does it feel sitting through presentations when the speaker is going really fast to finish their presentation on time? It’s stressful, right? There is an energy shift, and everything feels very rushed.
Similarly, the audience may feel overwhelmed when the presentation finishes way ahead of time.
In both scenarios, there is a loss of information. Going over or under time constraints can result in flow disruption and leave people confused or frustrated.
Note – Practice your presentation so that it sits well within the allotted time. Denote time to each section and practice repeatedly with a timer to become thorough and fluent with each part of the presentation.
(viii). Avoiding Post-Presentation Reflection
No matter how seasoned you become with time – of course – there will be a few things that will have the scope to improve. If you become negligent towards that, you can never grow past that stage.
It’s imperative to reflect upon your performance and analyze areas of improvement to enhance your skills for future engagements.
Note – Actively ask for feedback from people around you to become better. Seeking it from the audience will make them feel heard and respected for their opinion, which will lead them to connect better with you.
(ix). Inability to Engage Emotionally
We tend to think that our decisions are made rationally. However, according to studies, our emotional mind helps us make decisions, which we rationalize afterward.
If you can’t engage people emotionally, there is a high chance that they won’t be really involved in your presentation.
Note – Engage with people, tell them stories and anecdotes, ask questions, and try speaking to their inclinations, hopes, and fears. All of this will enable you to forge an emotional connection with them, which will help them be more receptive towards you.
(x). Technical Errors
There is no excuse for not preparing for technical glitches or unforeseen circumstances. Arriving beforehand and familiarizing yourself with the venue will enable you to set it up as per your convenience.
Don’t reach the venue late, as it can lead you to a nervous start, having a domino effect on the rest of the presentation.
Note – Keep a check on lighting, microphones, etc., so that it suits your needs. Have an extra PDF or hard file of your presentation.
Carry an extra pair of batteries for your presenter’s remote if you plan to use that. In short, have a backup plan ready for any technical discrepancies.
(xi). Inappropriate Humor
Humor is like a double-edged sword. Use it appropriately and wisely – it can put you and people at ease and help you connect. Humor that’s insensitive to others can cause discomfort and make people dislike you.
Note – You can try self-deprecating humor, as it’s almost always in the safe zone. Enrich your presentation with a burst of laughter to ease off the tension.
(xii). Flat Opening and Conclusion
Your presentation opening is akin to a first impression in a one-on-one rendezvous. It will set the tone for your presentation and make people see you.
A flat opening can harm you in the exact same way. It might make people become apathetic right in the beginning and not feel so overjoyed about the rest of the presentation.
Similarly, good endings will make people remember your presentation. A powerful CTA will help them remember the context of the presentation and take the message home.
Note – Remember to invest time in creating a powerful opening and conclusion – they are as important as the body of the presentation and imperative for a successful presentation.
(xiii). Being Poorly Dressed Up
Dressing up badly or inappropriately can lead you to a poor presentation start. Both you and your audience will be distracted, with the essence of the message lost.
Note – Don’t wear fabrics that are see-through, sticky, and make you sweat. Also, avoid clothes that are too tight or loose. Refrain from wearing flashy colors.
In short, dress for success. Avoid wearing anything that will make you look unprofessional and make people notice your appearance beyond what they should.
(xiv). Beating Around the Bush
Respect your audience’s time by not beating around the bush and starting with the presentation as soon as possible.
Briefly introduce yourself and let them know what they can expect from the presentation. People have short attention spans, and you want to give them something credible to ponder over before they can move their attention elsewhere.
Note – Create an outline to structure your presentation with a clear flow. It will restrain you from going around in circles and confusing and frustrating the audience.
(xv). A Lot of Information But Not Enough Story
Are you someone who likes filling their slides with a lot of information?
But that information isn’t coherent enough to fall into one single narrative. That could be another big mistake you are making with your slides. Each page of your slide should connect to each other and tell a continuing story.
If the data you include is standalone information (even if relevant to the topic), people will have difficulty processing and remembering it all.
Note – Each page (in itself) and together should fall into a narrative that justifies your key message.
(xvi). Same Presentation for Everyone
You will be presenting to different audiences with different skill sets, inclinations, knowledge, concerns, and everything else.
Don’t go about delivering the same format with minor alterations. People might quickly lose interest in reading the one-size-fits-all approach slides.
Note – Customize each presentation based on the people. Read and learn about the audience to know what they are looking for, and create your content accordingly.
(xvii). Summarizing the Entire Thing
Reiterating your points enables retention, but don’t do that for the entire presentation. There was no point for people to sit for that long if the whole presentation could be revisited in 5 minutes.
Note – Introduce and reiterate only the key points very briefly.
(xviii). Ending with a Q&A Session
This is one mistake a lot of presenters end up making. Psychology says the human mind remembers the end over the means. If it ends well, mistakes in between can be forgotten, but not vice versa.
What if you are not able to answer a question being posed? Or what if your reasoning doesn’t appeal to the audience?
It would mean leaving your presentation on a negative note.
Note – Take the session a few slides before finishing up. That way, you can count on a powerful CTA/conclusion (in the end) to cover up for any earlier issues.
(xix). Monotonous Presentation Style
You shouldn’t solely rely on PowerPoint as your presentation tool. It can become boring, overwhelming, and disengaging. Explore other tools and options to keep people hooked to your speech.
Note – Use Post-it notes, whiteboard, and other tools to keep them engaged and break up the time people spend staring at the screen.
Also, do a thorough research to find the best tool and platform to construct your presentation.
Summing It Up
The best presenters are those who never stop honing their presentation skills and testing new material and ideas. You can never think you have become perfect, for it will only thwart your growth trajectory.
Take help from the issues mentioned above and start working on the ones that will most impact your presentation.
Consistent work and learning will get you on the journey of becoming an outstanding presenter and moving up.
