3 Things You Should Never Do When You Present … And What to Do Instead by Bridgett McGowen

1.  Never say to the audience "Come on! You can do better than that!" You usually hear this after a presenter greets the audience and receives a less than enthusiastic greeting in return; oftentimes the presenter will insist - jokingly or otherwise - on telling the audience it can do a better job of returning his/her greeting.

a. You have not done anything to get people hyped ... unless you have rock star status. And you immediately make the audience feel inadequate or like it has to do something it really does not want to do.

b. Do not rely on the audience to get you excited. Never make the audience responsible for making you feel welcome and wanted. Get yourself pumped by thinking of the value you're about to bring that's going to rock the house! Think to yourself "Okay. You aren't excited now, but wait until you get a load of this presentation!"

c. Greet everyone, accept the greeting you get in response, then set out to totally wow the crowd. THEN you will see the audience excitement go through the roof!

2.  Never pose a question to the audience within the first few minutes of your presentation, then call on an individual to bravely answer it in front of everyone.

a. You may not have provided enough information for a person to have a fair chance at arriving at a correct answer.

b. Remember it feels safer to answer a question in a small group of listeners than it does to answer a question in front of a room full of people.

c. Your first question for your audience should be one where audience members can engage with each other, discussing possible answers to the question, then you can call on someone to share with the larger group.

3. Never call on someone to answer a question to which the answer serves as a basis for understanding an integral part of your presentation without you providing the answer/definition, too.

a. Let that person offer an answer.

b. Thank him/her regardless of whether the audience member's answer was correct.

c. Ensure you provide the definition you need everyone to have.

Want more of what to do instead?  Click HERE, HERE, and HERE!

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