Bad Public Speaking Examples
Bad public speaking examples are plastered all over the Internet. We only
have to look to politicians and other celebrities to find some of the worst
public speeches, often served up to excuse themselves of their misdeeds.
Take for example Mark Sanford’s confession of his untimely disappearance from
the public eye when he visited his Argentinean girlfriend. His 18 minutes of
rambling left him looking like a teenage boy caught by his parents. The South
Carolina Governor’s facial expressions betrayed him in front of the camera as he
tried to talk his way out of trouble. You can see him squirm at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntUHXeKt54E .
President George W. Bush is notorious for his bad speaking, almost to the point of embarrassment. His speeches are packed with pauses, ums and ahs. Even though I'm certain this was edited to make him look bad, take a look at George in this YouTube video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=le_o4fHvtRc
What makes these bad public speaking examples bad, the speech or delivery? It varies from one speaker to the next. Here are some tips to make sure you don’t join the ranks of bad public speakers.
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Sometimes the main factor in a terrible situation is bad timing. Be sure you know what is happening just before and after you are scheduled to speak.
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Your audience must be able to see and hear you if they are going to accept what you have to say. One speaker bombed when he held his props in front of his face as his presentation was videotaped.
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Be prepared to deal with hecklers. Don’t confront or challenge them. Most often they are trying to have fun or show they know more than you do.
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Check out the room before your presentation. Streamers, balloons or tall table decorations can distract your audience members.
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Be sure all equipment is working properly. Imagine how one very inexperienced speaker felt when he had to leave the room in the middle of his presentation to find batteries for the remote control for the projector.
So what does make a bad speech bad? Lack of preparation, failure to seek coaching and very unfortunate circumstances.
