The 7 Deadly Sins of Public Speaking

7 Deadly Sins of Public SpeakingDo you do any kind of public speaking in front of a LIVE audience?

This could be in-person, running an online webinar or a conference call…

…either way, you may have some sort of public speaking fear where unknowingly you commit the 7 deadly sins of public speaking.

A couple of weekends ago I attended a workshop in Florida and was privileged to hear from Curtis Broome who is a master at public speaking and he shared with us these sins so we can avoid them in the future.

If you are currently living in these sins of public speaking, this is your call to repentance! 🙂

7 Deadly Sins of Public Speaking

  1. GOSSIP: I once saw a picture in my early years that has been forever embedded in my mind. It was a row ten sets of hands from different people and each of them had passed thick, black tar from hands to hands. The message: “Gossip. Don’t pass it around.” It’s dirty and very difficult to get off the skin sometimes even causing it to tear and may take a long time to heal/repair…if at all. Gossip can tarnish yours and others reputation and isn’t attractive at all.
  2. JUDGING: “I love to be judged by others especially when they don’t know anything about me!” – Said No One Ever! If you’re a Christian or have read the Bible, you may be familiar with the verse: “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgement ye judge, ye shall be judged…” Let’s face it, it’s very easy to judge others. Not only can you gain a false preconceived notion about others it also prevents you from truly getting to know your audience that then prevent you from truly helping them.
  3. NEGATIVITY: Someone recently told me of an experience they had where they heard a speech from a well-known person (best-selling author and success business person) where their speech was full of negativity about the state of the world and the economy and how it left a black cloud over the audience that could be visibly seen on everyone’s faces and body language. Being positive is so much more influential and motivating that negativity ever can be. Be positive and your audience will respond in kind.
  4. COMPLAINING: I have a 6-year old boy and he literally complains about everything 99% of the time…especially when we ask him to do something. He mopes, weeps, wails and it drives my wife and I crazy! It takes everything inside me not to give him a swift kick in the butt. Complainers are weak and reeks of immaturity. Do yourself a favor and leave complaining out of your speech and take personal responsibility for your own life. You can’t change how people with act, react or respond – when you change, everything else changes for you.
  5. EXCUSES: Finding excuses is another form of weakness that lacks personal responsibility. Be honest with yourself and your audience and avoid having and spreading the disease of “Excusitis.” If you messed up, fess up. If you aren’t doing what you know you need to do, make a decision to change and start now leaving all excuses on the table. It may take sacrifice, but sacrifice brings blessings.
  6. EXAGGERATION: We have all most likely embellished in our storytelling (i.e. spreading our arms out wide saying, “I caught a fish ‘this big'” when it was just a few inches. Sure we may feel like we have to exaggerate to inspire more people, but what happens if you’re ever called out on it? It makes you incredible and you may walk away with your tail between your legs embarrassed and shamed. Good luck from that point on in getting anyone to trust you again, which by the way is the most difficult to gain back.
  7. DOGMATISM: Believe it or not, this word has nothing to do with dogs. I actually had to look this word up in the dictionary. It means , “the tendency to lay down principles as incontrovertibly true, without consideration of evidence or the opinions of others.” It’s also a way of thinking that is stubborn and narrow-minded, often because of prejudice and bigotry. So you can probably see how incorporating this into your public speaking is a big no-no. Always have a coachable attitude and have a willingness to learn and be open-minded to other possibilities.

You just got done reading about the 7 Deadly Sins of Public Speaking and hope that you got something out of it. Most of all, I hope that this information brought to light of maybe some things that you may be doing in your speeches that are doing nothing but hurting yourself.

Below is an awesome TED Talk on how to speak so that people want to listen to what you have to say.

TED Talks – Public Speaking Tips

Curtis Broome also talked about how your voice is your instrument and how you need to learn to play it…

…I started playing the violin in the 4th grade. It wasn’t something that I “just picked up” and definitely wasn’t an overnight sensation. It took hours and hours of practice and progressively learning things line up line and precept upon precept to get to the point of proficiency.

Plus it’s something that consistently needs to be practiced to remain proficient. When I go through long stretches of time playing my violin I’m a little rusty! It takes some time get back in the swing of things to get back to the level I was previously.

TED Talk – How to Sound Smart

These are just a couple of my favorite TED Talks on public speaking, and I encourage you to search YouTube for many others that will help you when talking to LIVE audiences.

Did This Help You? If so, I would greatly appreciate it if you commented below and shared on Facebook.

Evan & Kristel Scoresby

Evan Scoresby’s Marketing Tools
Skype: evanscoresby
Email: evan.scoresby@gmail.com

“I teach principles in mindset, marketing and online wealth solutions!”

PS: Just curious, would you be open to a side project that wouldn’t interfere with what you’re currently doing? If so, take a look at this and let me know what you like best about it my emailing me at evan.scoresby@gmail.com.

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