Perfection

Ambitious people with high expectations of themselves want their presentations to go well. For many of them, this includes a hope for a perfect delivery. But spoken language naturally has some rough edges. When a speaker’s delivery is too smooth, it’s less effective because it seems less natural. People respond to genuine people.

Of course, you should prepare thoroughly, know your audience, and know what you are talking about. But during a presentation, there will be some moments that are not perfect. You may forget what you were about to say, get stuck in the syntax of a sentence, or stumble over a word. That's okay — but only if it's okay with you.

In those moments of imperfection, if you turn your attention inward to criticize yourself, you break your connection with your listeners, and they become distracted from your message.  If, on the other hand, you embrace your imperfection as a fundamental part of who you are and not some aberration or shortcoming, you won't be surprised or disappointed when it arrives, and you can keep your focus where it needs to be – on your listeners and on your message.