14 public-speaking mistakes you never want to make continued

5. Not rehearsing
Most proficient presenters prepare. "That is,
they know the topic, organize their content,
design a slide deck, and study their notes,"
Price says.
However, according to a recent survey
she conducted, less than 2% of over 5,000
business presenters in Fortune 100
companies actually conduct a dress rehearsal
and practice their presentation aloud. This
bad habit results in the audience seeing and
hearing the unrefined run-through, versus
the finessed final performance.
"To optimize their perception of you and get
the outcome you want, perform the entire
presentation aloud at least once, and the
opening and closing at least three times," she
suggests.

6. Data dumping
"It's understandable. After all, our credibility
is on the line when we stand up and speak
out," Price says. "So, to be safe, we focus
almost entirely on what Aristotle called
Logos, which includes the left-brain
functions of logic, language, analysis,
reasoning, critical thinking, and numbers."
When we rely too heavily on this type of
content, we end up talking too long, reading
too many overcrowded illegible slides, and
turning our backs on the most important
element of all: the audience. "Ditch the habit
of data dumping," she suggests. "It loses the
audience and undermines your innate ability
to inspire, connect, and persuade."

7. Not inspiring
Even more vital to persuasion than Logos ,
says Aristotle, is Pathos, which includes the
right-brain activities of emotions, images,
stories, examples, empathy, humor,
imagination, color, sounds, touch, and
rapport, Price says.
"Tomes of studies show human beings
typically make decisions based on emotions
first (Pathos); then , we look for the facts and
figures to justify it (Logos). Audience
members do the same. With your words,
actions, and visuals, seek first to inspire an
emotion in them (joy, surprise, hope,
excitement, love, empathy, vulnerability,
sadness, fear, envy, guilt). Then, deliver the
analysis to justify the emotion."
An engaging, memorable, and persuasive
presentation is balanced with both
information and inspiration. "It speaks to the
head and the heart, leveraging both facts and
feelings," she says.

8. Lack of pauses
Many speakers have the bad habit of rushing
through their content. Like a runaway train,
they speed down the track out of control,
unable to stop and turn at critical junctures.
The causes are often anxiety, adrenaline, or
time constraints, Price says. "Regardless of
the reason, the three times you definitely
want to pause include: before and after you
say something very important which you
want your audience to remember; before
and after you transition from one key talking
point to the next; and between your opening,
main body, and closing."
When you consciously use silence as a
rhetorical device, you'll come across as more
self-confident, your message will be more
impactful, and your audience will remember
more of what you say.

9. Not crafting a powerful opening
"According to Plato, 'The beginning is the
most important part of the work.' Yet, it's a
common bad habit for speakers to waste
those precious opening seconds rambling
pointlessly, telling a joke, reading an agenda,
or apologizing needlessly, all of which fail to
grab the audience's attention and motivate
them to listen," Price says.
You, your message, and your audience
deserve much more.
So open with a bang. Invest the thought,
time, and effort to craft and memorize "the
most important part of the work." For
example, tell an engaging, relevant story;
state a startling statistic; or ask a thought-
provoking question.

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