Public speakers are everywhere, and no matter how hard I try to take time off from my focus on presentations skills, some of the topics I’m most interested in are often served up through this medium. So even when I’m on vacation I’m watching and listening to presentations. This summer was no exception.
At the top of my personal interest list these days is the health of our oceans. While on vacation near the Atlantic Ocean my husband and I sought out forums and lectures focusing on this topic.
Did you know that the plastic pollution in our oceans is a disaster in the making that not only affects the health of all marine life but our own health as well? Are you aware that 2 million plastic bottles are used in the U.S. every 5 minutes, and 60,000 plastic bags are discarded in the U.S. every five seconds? What happens to the majority of all that plastic? It is consumed by marine life and hence by us, washed up on our shores, and can end up in one of the 5 gyres in our oceans.
Here are some facts from the 5 Gyres website:
- The short-term convenience of using and throwing away plastic products carries a very inconvenient long-term truth.
- These plastic water bottles, cups, utensils, electronics, toys, and gadgets we dispose of daily are rarely recycled in a closed loop.
- We currently recover only 5% of the plastics we produce. What happens to the rest of it?
- Roughly 50% is buried in landfills, some is remade into durable goods, and much of it remains “unaccounted for,” lost in the environment where it ultimately washes out to sea.
Alarming information, isn’t it? The Plastic Pollution Coalition states that, “Disposable plastics are the greatest source of plastic pollution. Plastic bags, straws, bottles, utensils, lids, cups and so many others offer a small convenience but remain in the environment forever.” In order to do whatever I can to help this situation, I’ve taken the REFUSE pledge and am following the “4 Rs” of sustainable living: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
In addition to the alarming information being presented, I have to confess that some of the speakers’ presentation skills also gave me quite a fright! During one of the talks, my husband, who is schooled in public speaking awareness thanks to yours truly, leaned over and asked, “Did he really say that?” Glad I wasn’t the only one noticing the how and not just the what.
So here, culled from the speakers I heard on my vacation this summer, is a list of public speaking disasters to avoid:
- Don’t tell us how awful you are as a public speaker. We’ll probably figure that out for ourselves soon enough, and you take away the surprise by dwelling on it at the beginning.
- Don’t ask us to look at your grandmother’s rear end as in, “See that large rear end? That’s my grandmother.” Really?
- Don’t show us a distracting made for Hollywood video of your mug, even if you are good looking, especially when you are trying to focus our attention on the serious topic we all came to hear. Remember, it’s about the audience, not the speaker.
- Don’t go off on an irrelevant tangent about your kids and then ask wistfully, “Why am I telling you this?” when answering a simple yes/no question. Unless it’s relevant to your message, we don’t care.
- Don’t tell us you’re in a rush to leave because you have another speech to give in a nearby town and have to cut ours short. After hearing that we will be thinking, “Are they a more important audience than we are?” Even though you want us to think you are so in-demand that you double booked yourself, we know you’re only “almost famous.”
- Don’t say, “What’s that slide doing up there? Oh, that was for my last presentation to the Governor. Yes, I spoke to the Governor about this topic.” What we hear is, “Look how important I am. Too bad you didn’t get invited to that event.”
Vacations are meant to take us out of our routines, provide new experiences, teach us important lessons, and offer up unexpected pleasures. But even with the newness vacations can provide, there is still the satisfaction that wherever you go, some things never change. Public speakers and speaking opportunities are everywhere, so remember this: when you’re presenting, you can never take a vacation from the best practices that make for a great speech.
September 1st, 2013 at 7:28 pm
That’s why it’s a good idea to watch as many speakers as you can, no matter what level they’re on. You can learn from the good ones AND the bad ones.
Note to self: leave out the picture of grandma’s rear end
December 15th, 2014 at 2:39 am
Cost effective, functional and comfy, this is an excellent selection for your intermediate school or senior
high school pupil. We evaluated numerous knapsacks to find those
with the most effective equilibrium of fit, quality, comfort,
and various other attributes. We checked each backpack in a “tumbler”
to view just how well each would certainly withstand normal usage (as well as possibly abuse).
Sales of knapsacks in the U.S. totaled $1.31
billion in 2008, baseding on the Travel Goods Association. These are such unique knapsacks.
January 2nd, 2015 at 9:57 am
There are many simple things that can be done for taking good care of them.
Call or e-mail the medical center or clinic to check prices if you’re able to do so.
After you have provided this person with your information the two of you will book a time for a free home eye test that
is convenient for you.
January 3rd, 2015 at 8:38 am
Podiatry has been a usually unfamiliar medical sector
for several years. Houston attorneys are people
who are licensed to practice law in Texas and who provide
legal counsel to clients, helping them to get the best legal
services. The socks are usually sweating until you are wearing them to your feet.
January 3rd, 2015 at 4:41 pm
About Houston Foot and Ankle Care: Owned and operated by Dr.
The discipline of this “delinquent” is left to Judge
Ford, who suspects Turtle is protecting someone but doesn’t say anything.
Between the podiatrist, the gastroenterologist,
the cardiologist, the nephrologist, the rheumatologist…someone is bound to
find something wrong with you.
January 18th, 2015 at 8:14 pm
Acute back pain and sciatica can be one of the most common reasons that can cause you months of sleepless nights due to lower back
pain, pain in the buttocks, and in some parts of your feet.
Inhale as much air as you conveniently can while you lift your
hands upwards. Just about every person i have spoke to about how to relieve back
pains say the same thing,lie flat on your back and do nothing.
January 28th, 2015 at 5:53 am
Everything is very open with a precise clarification οf the challenges.
It ԝas гeally informative. ϒour website iѕ ѵery սseful.
Thank уou for sharing!
January 28th, 2015 at 11:38 am
ӏt’s very trouble-free to find out any matter on web аs compared to textbooks,
as I found thiѕ article at this web page.
January 29th, 2015 at 3:39 pm
Hello, its goօd post гegarding media print, աe all be
aware of media іs a fantastic source ߋf faϲts.
January 29th, 2015 at 9:48 pm
I’ll immediɑtely seize үοur rss as I can not to find
youг e-mail subscription hyperlink օr newsletter service.
Dօ you hɑvе any? Ƥlease let me knoա in order that I may subscribe.
Thanks.
January 29th, 2015 at 10:44 pm
Hi friends, nice article аnd pleasant arguments commented Һere,
I am genuinely enjoying Ƅy tҺеse.
January 29th, 2015 at 11:17 pm
Thanks designed for sharing ѕuch a fastidious opinion, piece of writing iѕ good, thats why i have read it fully
January 30th, 2015 at 3:35 am
Great article.
February 18th, 2015 at 6:56 pm
The third and final opportunity is the affiliate program.
There’s a high competition in every field nowadays.
You can easily punch your competitor by pushing there products down and get your
website on the first page and it is only possible with latest
internet marketing tactics.
February 20th, 2015 at 8:19 am
Marketing is so incredibly scary when you don’t understand
it. Customers also have access to a library of online resources
including a vast number of tutorial videos, in person seminars, and phone support providing
detailed information about every step in the process of creating a highly-effective
marketing campaign. There are two main steps you will need to take when planning your online marketing efforts.
March 3rd, 2015 at 9:41 am
Obviously, you will need at least a follow-up series for each one of your marketing
campaigns, but this is something many newbies don’t realize.
Internet Marketing Advice For Beginners And
Newbies. They can update the customer with their new product by sending them an email.
March 15th, 2015 at 2:32 am
I know this website provides quality based content and extra data, is there any other web page which provides these stuff in quality?
March 17th, 2015 at 4:25 pm
Your pupil is what regulates the amount of light that enters.
Colors add personality to your frame and make them fashionable - so don’t be afraid to
try out new colors with newer styles. The website is
a place where you can buy the sidewinder style of the Wayfarer brand.
March 23rd, 2015 at 6:54 am
Asking questions are truly good thing if you are not understanding something totally,
however this paragraph offers fastidious understanding even.
March 23rd, 2015 at 6:17 pm
Marvelous, what a weblog it is! This web site presents useful facts to us, keep it up.
April 5th, 2015 at 12:15 am
Implying that any details associated to the provider should be kept private and never publicized to the
re-seller’s clients. The problem with not printing on both sides
is that people you give your one-sided business cards to are most likely going to write on the
blank side and then end up in the trash, or their own contact
details are written on the back and given to other people.
You can easily punch your competitor by pushing there products down and get your website on the first page and it is only possible with latest internet marketing tactics.
April 29th, 2015 at 4:16 am
Additionally, your skin should be flawless and perfectly powdered - no shine.
The particular Ultra violet coatings don’t change the
look of the eyewear lenses. The website is a place
where you can buy the sidewinder style of the
Wayfarer brand.
April 30th, 2015 at 8:46 am
Hello there! I could have sworn I’ve beenn to this web site before but after going through a few of the posts I realized it’s
new to me. Regardless, I’m dewfinitely delighted I found
it and I’ll be book-marking it and checking back regularly!
June 22nd, 2015 at 4:29 am
It’s impressive that you are getting ideas from this post as well as
from our argument made here.
August 28th, 2015 at 8:09 pm
Listed here are a couple of the major causes that this kind of loan product can supply you with
the comfort you require. Rate These kind of financial products are generally rapid to acquire.
However, the way of repayment is different from loan provider to loan provider,
it is rather specific.
August 29th, 2015 at 10:34 am
So if you need money to take care of a financial emergency - it is easy to find a loan for your requirements at these online loan matching companies.
Another consideration is that you want to read the fine print when you schedule online
biology college courses. These types of computer financing programs will
allow you to receive most of the new high speed desktop
or laptop computer systems, even if you have no credit, bad credit, unemployed or have filed
for bankruptcy.
September 16th, 2015 at 4:23 pm
Known as Queen Mary and Westfield College until 2000 is a constituent college of
University of London. A specific individual is evaluated with all the style of devices and tools they got, and this is applicable to everybody; also
a cosmetic dentistry specialist. I have given all my hygienists the opportunity to be better
and all of them have chosen to give me an excuse on why they can’t.