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The 7 Greatest Speech Blunders
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1. DULLNESS. Using just one or two illustrations to make your points is a lecture, not a speech. Who wants to listen to that? So, use timely quotes, appropriate examples, personal stories, salient statistics and a little humor to help listeners visualize your message, feel its impact and remember its significance.
2. NOT REPEATING YOUR MESSAGE ENOUGH. Repetition is crucial to retention. Repetition is crucial to retention. The average listener forgets 40% of what was said 30 minutes after a speech. Making your points more memorable means referring back to them often. Your audience will understand and retain your message longer.
3. NOT ANSWERING THE AUDIENCE’S REAL QUESTION, "What's in it for me?" If you can’t state in one sentence the reason others should hear your speech, you are not ready to give your speech yet. Define your purpose and refine your delivery.
4. NOT BURYING YOUR POINT. Use phrases such as "What's important here..." or "This can't be overemphasized..." in order to focus attention on the most important part of a speech. This helps your audience see the value in your material.
5. FAILING TO PRACTICE. Practice out-loud, using the same time constraints and materials you will have during your presentation. You’ll quickly identify weak areas in your speech that affect your purpose and can lose your audience.
6. FORGETTING TO CHECK VISUAL AIDS. Do they work? Can your audience see them? Do you have a back-up? What can you do if you cannot use them?
7. GETTING DISTRACTED BEFORE YOU SPEAK. Take five minutes to collect your thoughts, focus on your message, and breathe before stepping up to the lectern.
Based on material published by Toastmasters District 23, 29 September 2006.