TRUST KILLERS! Inconsistencies, grammatical errors, typos… How do these affect your credibility as a presenter?

Wednesday: Speak on the Shoulders of Giants FROM THE DESK OF MILES EVERSON: Trust: one of the most important values to establish with your audience in a public speaking setup. Trust is a factor that enables them to welcome your thoughts, messages, and ideas regardless of who you are. But how can you earn your audience’s trust? By establishing yourself as a reliable and credible speaker. Keep reading to know more about the “trust killers” and what you should do to prevent them. CEO, MBO Partners Chairman of the Advisory Board, The I Institute

TRUST KILLERS! Inconsistencies, grammatical errors, typos… How do these affect your credibility as a presenter? We are well aware of the stress everyone goes through when they’re tasked with having to speak in front of an audience to represent their brand or company. We’ve all been in the same position one way or another. If we could avoid it altogether, we would. But… that shouldn’t be the mentality! After all, practice is all that’s needed. “If we want to be leaders or achieve anything meaningful in our lives, we will often need to speak to groups, large and small, to be successful.” Yes, it’s easier said than done, so we’re here to help and share with you one useful tip! PROOFREADING gives power and credibility to a presentation. It’s a simple act that shows the level of care and preparation you’ve put into what you want to share with your audience. Proofreading is one of the most important tips that you should apply to your slides, script, and presentation as a whole. You want to avoid and watch out for: Grammatical errors Typographical errors Misused punctuation marks Format inconsistencies … to name a few. An audience may understand that it’s normal to have errors and weird layouts on a presentation slide. But wouldn’t it be better to show something as close to perfect as you can make it, and avoid any errors from the get-go? Having unfinished and lousy-looking slides, or not being prepared with what you want to say, can affect the audience’s first impression of you as a speaker. Worst: Risking going onstage without proofreading your slides or script, only to end up having loads of typos and layout issues, might say a lot about your professionalism, characteristics, and credibility. Effects of NOT PROOFREADING your presentation: Can be seen as unprofessional Careless mistakes in grammar, spelling, and punctuation marks can imply that the presenter is not fully prepared and has rushed creating the presentation deck. It can also give the impression that the presenter might be an amateur. Can miss seeing inconsistencies in the layout and content Inconsistencies can kill your audience’s trust in your presentation. Keep the presentation in one tone, voice, and format all throughout. This will help your audience follow the discussion easily and avoid any confusion. Can lack clarity Misused punctuation marks, grammatical errors, and typos can distract your audience. Clean (free of typos and other issues), polished, simplified, and concise content on slides will help the audience understand and stay focused on the message you want to convey. So, presenters should always allot a good amount of time to proofread and edit their outline and content before the day of the event or speaking engagement. REMEMBER: It’s about the audience! Your goal is to present and communicate with confidence and capture your audience’s attention. Apply this tip the next time you build your presentation and present on stage. See the difference it makes on your public-speaking skills! Hope you’ve found this week’s public speaking tip interesting and helpful. Follow us on LinkedIn. Stay tuned for next Wednesday’s Speak on the Shoulders of Giants! Power Reading can help you cover everything they need to say during your speech or presentation. Learn more about how you can both consult your notes and keep your audience engaged on next week’s Speak on the Shoulders of Giants!