The Evil Speaking Family: What Not to Do While in Front of an Audience

You’re standing in front of a large audience, about to give the pitch of your life. All the investors, lawyers, and big company representatives stand among the crowd. The spotlight shines on you, and you feel the crowd settle down as they turn their eyes and ears to you. You open your mouth, and suddenly you’re not alone on stage. You’ve got three siblings taking up stage space with you, and they’re going to bring you down.The Evil Speaking Family - There is a family of tones and words that you need to avoid at all costs. They are things you need to know about, as they will only bring you down during your two-minute pitch.Sister Inflection - This is the evil step sister who never knows what she wants. “Inflection” is the act of raising your voice at the end of the sentence. It makes every statement sound like a question. The classic situation is when entrepreneurs state their monetary amount and accidently use inflection. Without inflection, you might say, “I need five hundred thousand dollars.” If you are not confident, your answer may come out more like a question than a statement. Instead, you will say, “I need five hundred thousand dollars?” Most people use inflection and don’t even know it. Be confident; speak without a tone increase at the end of the sentence.Brother Deflation - This is the shy brother who ends every sentence with a dud. “Deflation” is the act of lowering your voice or tone towards the end of a sentence. It makes your sentence fall flat, and oftentimes volume decreases as well, so people have a hard time catching the end of the sentence. This can ruin an otherwise great presentation, right at the end. End every sentence with a bang, and keep the projection of your voice and the pronunciation of your words sharp till the last breath.Sister Sorry - The sorry sister who always apologizes. Do not apologize! Ever. When you apologize, it brings the audience’s attention to the fact you actually messed up. Instead, if you just work right through your mistake and don’t acknowledge it, the audience will never know and you’ll be better off because of it. If you flub, or get tripped up, keep on moving forward. Never say the word “sorry” on stage. You are better off smiling, staying positive and moving through the rest of your presentation or pitch.Remember, you only have two minutes to make the perfect pitch to your audience. Take heed of these tips to make them count!#youcandoit