The Biggest Public Speaking Mistakes People Make

Even when you have the best intentions, there is always the possibility that your speech will not resonate with the audience or leave an impression. While you don’t have total control over how an audience reacts to a speech, there are mistakes that can be avoided so the chances of giving a bad speech are reduced. The biggest mistake people can make when giving a speech is not spending enough time preparing.

This includes deciding on a theme, creating a few drafts, and learning how to give the speech in a way that is authoritative, entertaining and memorable. Regardless of whether this is your first speech or your fifth speech, the amount of time you spend preparing will make a big difference in the overall quality of the speech. The failure to choose a theme and learning when to pause during the speech are common mistakes people make. Learn more about these mistakes below.

Failure to Choose a Strong Theme

The theme of your speech is what holds the entire speech together and hopefully encourages the audience to think more about what you’ve said after the speech is over. If you fail to create a strong theme on which to build your speech, you may end up with a series of points that don’t connect to a greater meaning. This can leave the audience confused and unimpressed. When choosing a theme, make sure you choose one that you believe in. This will make writing the speech much easier. Make sure the theme is relevant to the event you’ve been invited to. Learn as much as you can about the audience so your theme will be relevant to them as well. You may need to break down a general theme into smaller components and use one of these components as the theme for your speech. If you’re unsure about which theme to use, ask friends, family or co-workers for suggestions or opinions. Brainstorming with another person can help you find a theme that’s meaningful to you and the audience.

Failure to Practice the Speech Out Loud

Have you ever wondered why some people are better at delivering a speech than others? Many times, those who give a great speech rehearse not only the words being said, but also the pauses needed when taking a breath and the pauses that signal to the audience they are moving on to their next point. Deciding where to pause during your speech can also affect the rate in which it’s given.

If you notice that you speak quickly, adding a few extra pauses for you to take a breath will cause you to slow down. Speeches need to be clearly heard by everyone in the audience so they can be appreciated. When you fail to practice your pauses, you run the risk of rambling, forgetting important sections in the speech and losing audience interest. Even though this mistake is a common one, you can avoid it by rehearsing the speech over and over until you’re comfortable giving it. This will also make you feel more confident when standing in front of an audience.

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