Introduction
Think about the worst presentation ever experienced by you or someone you know. What do you remember about it? Do you remember the topic? Your answer is most probably no. Everyone wants to* deliver a great presentation, so we have ways to help you avoid giving the worst presentation ever of your career, as you’ll see later. First, let’s look at some examples of terrible presentations.
What is the worst presentation you have ever seen?
There are so many examples of the worst presentation ever you can find both online and in real life. These examples show some of the worst presentations ever; some of which make the whole slide painful to look at or read. Can you point out the reasons why each one fails?
5 examples of terrible presentations
The tragic overuse of visual aids
The slide has an overlay of text on images showing the topic of the presentation. While* using visual aids is good, it requires a lot more tact to pull off than this worst presentation ever.
Overcomplicated graphs and charts
This slide tells you everything and nothing at the same time. Whatever the graphs are meant to portray is lost in the overwhelming number of charts in the slide.
Too much information
All this text packed into one slide cannot be easy to read. If the audience has to read everything on the slide, there is no need for a presentation.
No one can read this
This is what happens when people go overboard with fancy fonts. How can anybody be expected to read this while listening to the presentation?
Splash of color
Using bold colors is a great move – as long as you don’t pack them all into a painful collage. The colors have no contrast, and thus, the slide is impossible to read.
What makes a presentation terrible?
Several factors go into what makes the worst presentation ever terrible. Now, there are specific rules you have to follow when creating a presentation, and we will get into that. First, let us look at some of the things that ruin a presentation – you might recognize a few of them.
Ten things that make a presentation bad
1. Emotionless and stiff delivery
One mistake many people make is delivering it in a flat, monotonous tone. You need to show some emotion during a presentation, so you don’t lose their attention. Speak with passion and enthusiasm to keep their attention on you.
2. Lecturing instead of presenting
When you’re explaining something, it is very easy to fall into a pattern of talking down to your audience. It is one fast way to lose the audience’s attention. Your tone has to be polite but engaging instead of condescending. The worst presentation ever shark tank viewers know are usually lectures.
3. Blending all your points
You need to have a central topic. And you have to stay on the theme throughout, with your closing statement tying up the central message neatly. If you speak with no defined points, you will give your worst presentation ever.
4. Avoiding eye contact
Eye contact is a way to get people to focus on you, especially when they don’t know anything about you. If you avoid eye contact with the people listening to you, you can quickly lose their trust. People want to listen to those they trust, and if you seem unsure, it will be harder to pass your message.
5. Not relating to the audience
Many people jump into a presentation without knowing their audience. You need to anticipate their needs, expectations, and questions before you go in to present. Otherwise, you can be saying the right thing to the wrong person.
6. Overdoing your slide design
Your slide design is one of the first things that can make your presentation the worst PowerPoint presentation ever, so don’t mess it up. Be careful, so it doesn’t look tacky and unprofessional. It should reflect the topic and theme.
7. Being too formal
Being formal in the right situation is great, as long as you don’t become stiff and robotic. In the wrong situation, however, you can come off as boring, and ruin your presentation.
8. Using bad body language
Body language is as important as your spoken language. You can use it to pass across many messages. So, when you have poor body language, you pass the wrong message.
9. Trying too hard
Very few things turn people off than a try-hard. Keep things natural, and be your confident self. Trying too hard is a symptom of unsureness, and it can make you lose favor with the crowd.
10. Making inappropriate jokes and comments
Humor is a great way to connect with your audience and create rapport, but it has to be done right. If you introduce jokes at the wrong place or time, your presentation can become the worst presentation ever very quickly. Study the audience and know when to be serious and when to be funny. Also, keep your jokes clean.
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How do you deal with embarrassing moments?
Everyone has embarrassing moments *sometimes, but it’s how we handle them that makes the difference. Have you recently embarrassed yourself on stage by delivering the worst presentation ever? Well, that’s not the end of the world for you. There are several ways you can get over those embarrassing situations.
- Don’t dwell too much on the situation
These things happen, so the worst thing you can do is dwell on them and let them affect you. Accept that they happened and look for ways to keep them from happening again. For example, if you forgot parts of your speech, you can prepare better next time or carry some flashcards to help.
- Talk to someone about it
Talking to a trusted friend or family member can help you with the embarrassment. It can also change your perspective on things after hearing from someone else. You would be surprised by how many people believe they have given the worst presentation ever.
- Learn to laugh at yourself
When you know how to laugh at yourself, it is easier not to take yourself too seriously, it can help you think positively and learn how to go easier on yourself.
- Look for a teachable moment
If you see every situation in life as a teachable moment, it can help you put things in perspective. Next time you feel embarrassed, look for the lesson in that situation and learn from it, to not fall into that situation again. You can also learn from others, like the worst presentation ever shark tank shows on TV.
How to avoid the fear
It is very normal to feel fear before a big presentation, especially if you don’t do it often. The fear of public speaking is one of the top phobias among adults, and everyone is scared of giving the worst presentation ever. But there are ways you can get over that fear and speak a lot more confidently in public.
Helpful tips for getting over your fear of presenting
1. Prepare adequately beforehand
Practice is important because you don’t want to go in front of your audience and mess up your speech or forget important parts of the speech. You have to practice at least a few days before your speech.
When you prepare adequately, you feel more confident in your stance, and this confidence can help drive away some of the fear you might have had. Practice your speech right before your presentation so you can make last-minute adjustments.
2. Find out the root of the problem and take care of it
As with other phobias, your Glossophobia may come from past trauma or another psychological problem. Some people associate presentations with embarrassing events from their past, some have low self-esteem, and some might have legitimate reasons to be afraid of delivering their worst presentation ever.
Whatever your reason, you have to* find out what it is and deal with it. If you’re lucky, you may be able to handle them yourself. Make a list of your worries and find a solution for each one. Otherwise, you can talk to a professional to guide you through it.
3. Think positive thoughts
If you have bad thoughts towards your speaking engagement, try to get your mind positive before your presentation is meant to start. You can do that by meditating, doing some breathing exercises, and getting rid of the negative thoughts in your mind. Try to visualize yourself, giving a good presentation and not the worst presentation ever.
4. Organize your speech
When your speech is properly organized, you will be a lot less nervous. Create a plan of action and organize everything to the minute. Before you start, check all your props and aids, and make sure they are in place. Go over your speech and arrange your flashcards accordingly. Check your PowerPoint slides themes and designs.
5. Make sure you know what you’re talking about
No matter how good your speech is, you won’t feel confident unless you know it well. People make the mistake of memorizing the lines of the speech without really understanding them. Then, if someone asks a question they didn’t prepare for, they panic.
You need to understand your presentation’s topic well enough to talk about it in your own words. The confidence that comes from knowing something can overshadow whatever doubts and fear you had before, and you won’t worry too much about giving the worst presentation ever.
How do I calm my nerves before my speech?
The closer a big presentation is, the more nervous you will be. Even accomplished speakers, like the people who give the worst presentation ever shark tank shows, deal with some nerves before a big presentation. However, you need to get rid of them before you deliver your presentation, so they don’t turn out to be your worst presentation ever.
Ways to calm the nerves before a big talk
- Practice your speech
The importance of practice before any speaking engagement cannot be overemphasized. You can rehearse your speech a few times before you’re due to speak, and that can help you relax a little. You can practice anywhere, as long as you’re comfortable.
Practice your speech with Orai. Get feedback on your tone, tempo, confidence, and conciseness
- Get to the venue earlier
Lateness only helps to compound your nerves and leave you disorganized. Make sure you get to the venue earlier than your allocated time so you can relax for a few minutes and gather yourself.
- Watch other presenters
You can watch presentations by other orators online to get some tips and to help you relax. If you’re a part of a group, you can watch the other presenters go before your turn. This helps to focus your nerves, and you can learn a helpful tip, so you don’t deliver your worst presentation ever.
- Get used to your environment before the presentation
Take some time and observe the environment where you will present. You can watch the people, pick up on the atmosphere, and get used to it before your time to present. If you don’t feel at home, it can make you deliver your worst presentation ever.
- Engage in self-care before your speech
Selfcare is very important, especially before a presentation. You can practice self-care in many ways, depending on what relaxes you. Some people like reading a book, some prefer walks, and some like meditating. Find the one that suits you and relax your nerves.
Avoidable mistakes people make on PowerPoint presentations
- Packing too much written text on one slide. Your slide can only take a certain amount of text before it becomes the worst PowerPoint presentation ever
- Using complicated diagrams and graphs that the audience cannot understand easily
- Using unnecessary transitions and animations. It’s a slide and not the worst PowerPoint presentation ever
- Breaking the flow of the speech
- Burying the significant information instead of centering it at the beginning of the presentation
- Using bad contrasts, like white text on pale colors. You need the text and background colors to contrast
Differences between a good presentation and the worst presentation ever
| Good presentation | Bad presentation |
| A good presentation has main points that tie the presentation together from start to finish | The worst presentation ever is disjointed, dull, and generally ineffective and holding the audience’s attention |
| A good presentation comes with good quality visual aids that are effective in passing along the message of the presenter | The worst presentation ever has either no visual aids or poorly used visual aids. The visual aids don’t work well with the presentation |
| A good presentation uses well-placed humor and personal stories to engage and entertain the audience | The worst presentation ever is boring and tedious to follow, leaving the audience tired and uninterested in the speaker |
| A good presentation is delivered with* clear and concise text and speech that anyone at a fifth-grade level and above can understand | The worst presentation ever is delivered using complicated and verbose grammar that makes it hard for the audience to follow along |
Things you should never say during your speech
- ‘I don’t know.’
If you don’t know the answer to a question thrown at you during a presentation, offer to get the answer later. Saying you don’t know makes you look unprepared.
- ‘I think.’
Instead, say what you want to say directly. Saying ‘I think’ before making a statement can make you sound unsure of its validity.
- Wrong statements
Every statement you make during your presentation has to be based on facts. Back them up with studies and statistics. You don’t have to state all your references, but you should have them for anyone that asks. This is a problem found in the worst presentation ever shark tank puts on TV
- Filler words
Filler words are crutches that muddle up your speech and make it sound broken. When you rely on filler words, you start to sound unsure and uncertain of what you’re saying. They can also* distract your audience and dilute your message.
- ‘Do you have any questions?’
It doesn’t engage your audience, and it can sound so cliché. Instead, guide them towards asking questions and let them know you will be open to taking questions after your presentation.
Do’s and don’ts of presentations
| Do’s of presentations | Don’ts of presentations |
| Do use readable fonts and simple animations and transitions | Don’t overuse fancy fonts and animations |
| Do place text on plain backgrounds only | Don’t place text over pictures |
| Do take your time and speak in a measured tone | Don’t rush your speech |
| Do speak in simple and clear sentences | Don’t use overly complicated words and jargon |
| Do use correct body language and gestures | Don’t use bad body language and gestures |
| Do keep your presentation interesting and engaging | Don’t bore your listeners with a dull speech |
| Do talk to your audience directly without looking back at your slides | Don’t read from your slides |
| Do include relevant and high-quality visual aids | Don’t fill your slides with irrelevant visual aids |
Conclusion
Many examples of bad presentations exist, like the worst presentation ever shark tank has brought to the TV screen. But nobody wants to be the one delivering the worst presentation ever. With the tips in this article, you can avoid that and also give the worst PowerPoint presentation ever!
Still, confused? No worries, get over your fear of public speaking. Download Orai now and start practicing.
