10 Common mistakes and misconceptions about speechmaking

Written by Judy Hunt

1. Fear of failure. If you are sincere in your attempt, you have succeeded already.
2. Trying to be something you are not. To be successful you must be you.
3. Attempting to copy someone else's style, and not developing your own.
4. The belief that you need to be perfect.
5. The belief that your audience will be overly critical. You are your own worst critic.
6. Forgetting your goals during preparation. Are you entertaining, informing, etc.
7. Attempting to cover too much ground in the given amount of time. Choose a few main points and stick to them.
8. Trying to overcome too many speaking faux pas in one speech.
9. Incorrect preparation. That is, spending too much time on the wrong things (i.e. too much time memorizing words, not enough time developing ideas).
10. The belief that speaking in front of a group of persons MUST be stressful, it does not need to be.

Return to the top of the page.