"DON'Ts"

First, here are three "DON'Ts":

1. Don't recite. For most of the public speaking that you're likely to be doing, don't try to memorize a speech. One of the most boring presentations I ever saw was a guy who had memorized a 20-minute speech. Similarly, I used to attend a church where the pastor was noted for his ability to cite lengthy Biblical verses from memory...at least that's what I was told by the three people who remained awake. A presentation that comes across as "canned" is perceived to be insincere and trite.

2. Don't read. Think for a minute...when was the last time somebody read to you? If you're like me, it was probably your mother who read to you at bedtime. And, what was the purpose of her reading to you? I rest my case.

3. Don't start with a joke…or at least be REAL careful. The true mark of a real 'unprofessional' speaker is a person who feels compelled to start their presentation with a joke. Nine times out of ten, that joke is either not funny or, if it is, you've heard it a dozen times during the past month...if a popular joke is going around, most of your audience will have heard it. Also, ninety nine times out of a hundred, the joke has nothing to do with the presentation, such as, "Before I get started, I heard a funny joke the other day..." Humor is a principal tool of my speaking style, but it has to be used properly and in the right context to be effective.