The 5 Things Most Speakers Do Wrong

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Why is so much public speaking — especially in the business world — so awful? And how can we raise the bar?

I believe most speakers are making 5 crucial mistakes:

1. They tell personal stories chronologically. That, of course, is the way that experience happens, so it makes sense to the person telling the story to say, first this happened and then this and then this. And on and on. But that’s never the most interesting or compelling way to tell the story. Instead, begin your story as close to the end as possible, at the most exciting point possible. Back fill with crucial information if you must, but if you want to grab your audiences, begin as close to the climax as you can. Don’t start with the planning for your trip to Mount Everest. Start us on the mountain. Better yet, start us near the top, when the wind is blowing, the temperature dropping, and your fellow hiker in trouble. Now, you’ve got me!
2. They overload their talk with far too much information. We all love a little insider gossip, but only a little. We don’t want to know how many miles of Interstate highway there are, even if you know that fascinating fact. We want to know how your suggested changes to driving practices and management could make our rush hour a breeze. Of course, because public speaking is a self-conscious activity, speakers naturally focus on themselves…