Thread by @DevLinguistic

I've been a simultaneous interpreter for 6+ years now

In that time I got to work with over 250 international speakers live

I've seen first-hand what makes or breaks a speech

Here are 5 things that will doom any presentation and how to avoid them

{Thread]

1. Speaking too fast

A common sin among many speakers

There are many reasons to be tempted to talk as fast as you can:
• you naturally talk fast
• to cram in more content
• to be done with it (if you're nervous)

But it is actually counterproductive

Why is it bad?

The audience has a harder time understanding you. They'll get tired sooner and stop engaging/paying attention

You are also more likely to misspeak, use filler words, or sound unclear

Result: You say more, they understand and absorb less

How to avoid it?

✅ Be mindful of your pace
✅ Take a deep breath before starting
✅ Focus on quality of content instead of quantity
✅ Plan your presentation well and practice timing yourself

2. Not knowing your audience

Finding out WHO you'll be presenting to is a key part of preparation. . .

But many speakers overlook this

They either have a standard presentation they use everywhere or assume who they'll be speaking too

Why is it bad?

Different audiences have different expectations

Think of beginners and experts in a topic. One group is familiar with jargon, the other is not

You need to know how to address them as well: formal? informal? casual?

Dude or sir?

How to avoid it?

✅ Talk to the organizers
✅ Research the event beforehand
✅ Ask about who will be attending
✅ Talk to other speakers or to participants
✅ Try to find videos of past editions of the event

3. Using busy slides

This is one of the most common offenses

Slide decks that use:
❌ Small fonts
❌ Walls of text
❌ Poor contrast
❌ Images as background

If your topic is complex, you might feel tempted to fill up your slides

You imagine it will help people understand better and learn more

But again, this is counterproductive

Why is it bad?

-They are hard to read
-They are tiring and overwhelming
-They split your audience’s attention between listening to you or reading

Result: people either do not listen, do not read, or completely disengage

How to avoid it?

Keep your slides clean:
✅ Use short sentences
✅ Use few bullet points per slide
✅ Do no use background images
✅ Spend <2 minutes on each slide
✅ Having more slides instead of more text per slide

4. Being monotonous

You could have discovered the secret to eternal life. . .

or how to turn coal into gold. . .

No matter the topic you’re sharing, if you lack variety in tone and pacing, you’ll bore your audience to tears

Why is it bad?

People’s attention span is short.

If you speak on a monotone, people will disengage

The same happens if you speak on a single pace: you'll lose your audience

Result: If you do not add variety, you’ll see them pick up their phones and ignore you

How to avoid it?

✅ Vary the pace
✅ Use emphasis and pauses
✅ Practice using vocal variety
✅ Create moments for interaction (ask questions/”show of hands”)

5. Deciding to wing it

There’s nothing wrong with speaking off the cuff. . . if you can do it well

The problem is most people overestimate their skill for improvising

Or even worse: they prepare a presentation and decide at the last minute to speak about something else

Why is it bad?

-You put a lot of pressure on yourself
-It's harder to deliver quality content, easier to get lost
-You might disappoint the audience by changing your topic/style

Result: your audience doesn’t get what they want, you don’t deliver all you can. Everybody loses

How to avoid it?

✅ Stick to what you prepared
✅ Deliver what your audience came to see
✅ If you do want to speak off the cuff, develop the skill first
✅ Use your prepared presentation at least as a basis to start from

Do NOT try to learn how to improvise “in the real world”

To recap, here's what you should avoid:
1. Speaking too fast
2. Not knowing your audience
3. Using busy slides
4. Being monotonous
5. Deciding to wing it

Remember: you're speaking to be understood. So make it easier for your audience

Thank you for reading this thread

If you found this useful:

1. Retweet the first tweet in the thread
2. Follow me @devlinguistic for more advice on speaking and communication