1. Not preparing enough

You need to know your message – and you need to make sure it’s consistently bridged to.

2. Ignoring the audience

You need to factor in who you are talking to and what they are interested in.

3. Being too verbose

No one likes to be talked at, or hear endless jargon that means nothing to them.

4. Ineffective use of visuals

People like pictures. Use those that are relevant and support your story.

5. Too much text

Your audience needs to focus on you. Not the essay in your PowerPoint.

6. Lacking in emotion

Use quotable language – words like superlatives and adjectives would go down a treat.

7. Avoiding eye contact

The same way to engage anyone in a conversation – body language and eye contact play a big part.