When delivering a business presentation, knowing what not to do is just as important as knowing what you should do. Learn about some of the common public speaking mistakes people sometimes make so you can take care to avoid allowing them to creep into your presentations.

4 Common Presentation Mistakes to Avoid

•Cramming in too much information – Presenters are often very passionate about their topic and so want to tell audience members every possible thing there is to know about it. The problem is, though, that business presentations typically don’t last very long. There is only so much you can cover in a set period of time. You’re better off making fewer points well than overwhelming people with too much information presented so quickly that they can’t really process what you are saying. If you find yourself rushing to fit everything in, you need to narrow the material in your presentation.

•Memorizing your presentation – There is a big difference between knowing what you are going to say and memorizing every word of your presentation. If you memorize your presentation, it’s easy to come across in a very monotone way. Rather than sounding sincere and passionate about what you have to share, you may sound as if you are rehashing someone else’s words in a way that doesn’t capture the interests of the audience.

•Vocal interferences – While an occasional filler word or sound might not sabotage a really well-done presentation, too many ums, uhs, likes, and you knows can make it very difficult for people to focus on what you’re saying – and can even keep them from wanting to bother trying to listen to you! When you are delivering a presentation, it’s important to strive to avoid introducing excessive vocal interferences into your delivery.

•Chewing gum – Don’t stand up to give a presentation with gum in your mouth. This seems obvious, but I’ve seen it happen. When I taught public speaking to college students, I once had a student stop in the middle of the speech, hold up his hand and swallow a piece of gum before continuing with his presentation. Another student stopped speaking and announced “Oh, I forgot my gum.” He then took it out of his mouth and stuck it under the podium. I have also seen presenters at business conferences chew gum throughout their presentations.

Make a Positive Impression

While these aren’t the only possible mistakes to make when making a presentation in a business setting, they are big ones – and they’re far too common. Take care to avoid these mistakes and follow important best practice tips for delivering effective presentations any time you find yourself in a public speaking situation. You’ll be on your way to making a positive impression on your audience and accomplishing your objective for speaking!