The Eight Most Frequent Mistakes People Make In Front of crowds and Cameras

Mistake 1: Underestimating the importance of Public Speaking in your career.
Don't wait, your time will come. If you want to lead the company, you should never underestimate the importance of public speaking. You will be judged by the way you handle the hot seat. The judgement day isn't six months before they decide to make you CEO. Judgement days happen all along the way. Be Ready long before you have to be ready.

Mistake 2: "Winging" important speeches, presentations, or media interview.
Winging a presentation is a bad idea most of the time. Not many people can do it. Even if you are comfortable in front of an audience, your presentation must be organized, and your points must be crisp. Don't get me wrong: there are times and places when you have to or should wing it. You should be good on your feet, but you should never go into a formal presentation without preparation. You should thnk about what you want to say, prepare and practice. At the CEO level, clarity is king. Respect yourself and your audience by taking time to think it through before you get there.

Mistake 3 : Leaving it all to the speechwriters.
Give the access. Answer questions. Offer ideas. Get involved. You will get what you deserve: a speech that sounds as if it's coming from you.

Mistake 4 : Not answering The question
You need to answer the questions. Answer honestly, even it's not what everyone wants to hear. Candor is essential to leadership whether you are running for office or running a company. Take tough questions head on. Earn the respect of your audience, even if you know they will disagree with you. People can handle the truth. Not answering the question is a surefire way to get into hot water.

Mistake 5: Forgetting the audience.
You cannot speak and be lacking in common courtesy. You meust never, ever forget your audience. Your audience has given up time to sit and hear you talk. You cannot give them back their time. You can only thank them for giving it up and make it worth their while. As a speaker, you have an obligation to use their time well.
The best way to make sure you remember the audience is to find out what they want to know. Make a call, talk to some people who know the audience, and learn how your talk could be valuable to them. Do your homework and you will be appreciated for valuing your listener's time and making the event worthwhile.

Mistake 6: Blowing the easy questions.

Mistake 7 : Not knowing when to hold'em and when to fold'em.
How do you quit while you're ahead? First, time your speech by standing up and delivering it - not by sitting and reading, which takes less time. When you get into the room, be ready to improvise. Tune in to the crowd. If your sixth sense tells to you that you have been up there too long, you probably have. Pay attention if someone approaches the podium and starts to give you the eye. Few people will criticize you for giving a speech that is too short.

Mistake 8 : Forgetting the humor.
Speaking is a lot like horse raing - you have to get off to a good start. Don't forget the humor. You don't have to be brilliant. Audiences want to laugh and they want to have fun. Don't be afraid to give humor a try.