10 Things NOT to allow your speakers say or do

“I won’t kill you with PowerPoint.”

It’s meant to be funny. It’s not and now they’re thinking about being killed by PowerPoint. The mood has shifted.

“I’ll just speak for a few minutes...”

They won’t. They never do. And now the audience knows it.

“I’d love to go into this in more detail but I don’t have enough time”

It pretends to be humble but sounds instead like they had something better to say but didn’t get the chance, like they’re annoyed with the organiser for not giving them more time. Your audience now feels they’ve missed out.

“I think I’ve gone over time. Sorry MC. MC is throwing me the eye and isn’t happy with me”

If they’re talking about the time, they’re not talking about the topic. This kind of self-commentary is more distracting than endearing. Better to just stick to the time and keep it out of the conversation.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t really have time to prepare.”

No one needs to know that. It’s not an apology, and it feels like a let-down from the start.

“I know this is a busy slide and you probably can’t read it, but…”

If they know the audience can’t read it, why is it there? Ask for simple, clean visuals in advance.

Make an overly long introduction about their business, career, or origin story

Give them a one-minute intro limit. You’re offering them your platform to deliver value, not a marketing slot. One minute is enough for the speaker’s introduction of themselves.

Read slides word-for-word

It’s not a safety net. It’s a surefire way to disconnect from the room. Check out the slides in advance and have a chat if it seems like there is too much text.  

Use any kind of swear word

Even if the speaker thinks it’s funny or harmless, swear words rarely land well, especially with a diverse public audience. It undermines professionalism and can alienate attendees. Keep it clean.

Make surprise sales pitches

If speakers start selling a product or plugging a service out of nowhere, your audience will feel blindsided. Make expectations very clear upfront: if selling is now welcome, let the speakers know.