4 Reasons Overperformed Presentations Are a Turn-Off

There are lots of reasons presentations might come off overperformed. Maybe the presenter has a bad case of nerves and practiced one too many times in their hotel room. Maybe someone read an article about how gestures and movement can help a speaker connect with their audience but couldn’t distinguish between not enough and too much—like Goldilocks looking for her porridge. Here are 4 main reasons why overperformed presentations are a turn-off.

1. They’re too “sales-y.” Overperformed presentations sometimes make me feel like I’m watching an infomercial on the home shopping network. The speaker is concerned less with their message and more about hype and self-promotion. Performances should create excitement—but so can good relevant content. Don’t you try to wow your audience with style alone.
2. They are inauthentic. Many times the overperforming person we see on stage bears no resemblance to the person off-stage. This may work for actors who want you to forget who they are inside a role, but may not be so great for speakers who want to build trust and rapport.
3. They are not relatable. If you want to transform your audience, they need to believe they can implement what you are telling them.  Too much overperforming can make an audience feel discouraged. How can they hope to attain their own transformation if they can’t relate to you?
4. Finally, overperformed presentations are a turn-off because they don’t feel tailored to that specific audience and their needs. That is doing a disservice to your audience and your role as a speaker. If you want your audience to care about your message, aim for connection rather than overperformance.

If you want to learn what kind of presentations you’ve been giving and how to better communicate during them, let’s chat!

Author: Robyn Hatcher

Robyn Hatcher, is a dynamic keynote speaker, communication expert, author, thought leader and award-winning actor. Robyn transforms the careers of business leaders and the culture of organizations, through customized corporate programs, private coaching, and interactive, content rich presentations. Using her 15 plus years in the entertainment industry and her experience as a certified Neuro Linguistic Programming practitioner, she inspires. She invigorates. She leaves you with tangible skills you can apply the very next day. In 2018, Robyn appeared on Good Morning America speaking about the “#metoo” movement and was named one of the '21 Leaders for the 21st Century' 2019 by Women's eNews! View all posts by Robyn Hatcher