Ten ways trainers and speakers go wrong …

What not to do

  1. Starting by apologising and highlighting their own faults
  2. Fixating on tiny fluffs, while ignoring or denying they do things they could improve on
  3. Not making eye contact with the audience; looking at the floor, over their heads, talking to the flipchart, the powerpoint, their notes…
  4. Talking too fast without pauses
  5. Talking in a monotone
  6. Panic breathing from the chest, producing a squeaky little voice
  7. Twisting hands, hiding hands, flapping hands about
  8. Pacing about or always speaking sitting down
  9. Not listening to questions
  10. Going on too long