CHAMPION STRATEGIES – PUBLIC SPEAKING WORKSHOP – FEBRUARY 25, 2021
Common Mistakes by Public Speakers
#3 Eyes and Eyebrows
Do you believe that you control your facial expressions well? Facial muscles are difficult to manage without training. There are a couple of millimeters between a mysteriously seductive look and wide eyes filled with fear!
Psychological studies have shown that the audience pays 10-15 times more attention to the eyes of the speaker than to any other part of the face. Eyebrows are the main element of your facial expressions; they not only indicate emotions but control them. Raised eyebrows sign insecurity and incompetence.
Pay attention to your eyes and eyebrows. Synchronize them with what you’re saying, and the audience will love you. Laughing eyes and straight eyebrows are just what you need! Practice in front of a mirror, record your performance on video and analyze it.
#4 Word Choice
We hear, understand, and react to individual words faster and less consciously that to the meaning of the whole sentence. Also, the negative particles are perceived later than the rest of the words (or even not perceived at all). Therefore, the continuous use of constructions like “will not bring losses,” “not bad,” “not afraid to make efforts” makes an effect opposite to the expectations of the speaker.
Note that words always turn to pictures into the listeners’ imagination! Therefore, use only those words that reinforce the desired goal. If you want to create a positive attitude, then instead of “it’s not bad,” say “it is good.”
#5 The Lack of Humor
Not just informative, but also interesting speech will help you to retain the attention of the audience. Feel free to smile, joke, and tell funny stories within reasonable limits (of course, no one requires you to tell jokes at the memorial service). People need to relax periodically. They will respond to you with favor and attention.
For example, you can laugh at yourself if you have made some mistakes, and the audience will take it as a sign of your self-confidence.
Laughter is a life-giving environment for the brain. Skilled teachers know that humor and good mood increase the desire to learn and make the process more efficient. Laughter helps to relax and leads to the formation of the chemical environment in which the brain better perceives information.
#6 Omniscience
It’s even worse than the lack of experience. I hope you’re not one of the generalists bursting from the awareness of self-importance and considering themselves smarter than the audience to which they appeal.
Never mind the delusion that you know more than all the others put together! Even if you are proficient on the topic, in some areas listeners may know much more than you. Do not assume the audience is dumber than you; otherwise, it will pay you back in kind.
Try to accurately assess the knowledge of the listeners so that to be with them on the same wavelength. By this, you’ll kill two birds with one stone, demonstrating the respect for participants and making your speech more exciting. Finally, be grateful to the audience for active participation, because it is a sign of interest in you as a speaker.
