Episode 10 5 Speaker Mistakes That Keep You From Getting Paid (And How to Avoid Them Like a Pro)

In this episode, Deborah breaks down the five biggest mistakes that trip up new speakers—and exactly how to avoid them so you can own the stage and get paid for your brilliance. If you’re serious about stepping up your speaking game, you don’t want to miss this!

Timestamps & Highlights

(00:00) Welcome and intro – Why new speakers stumble and how this episode will help you fast-track success.

(01:22) Mistake #1: Trying to sound like someone else

•   Copying another speaker’s style backfires. Deborah shares how to embrace your quirks and own your unique voice.

(02:46) Mistake #2: Death by PowerPoint

•  Overloaded slides lose your audience. Learn how to keep your visuals clean, clear, and impactful.

(03:35) Mistake #3: Ignoring your audience

•  Speaking is a two-way street. Deborah explains how to engage, read the room, and adjust on the fly.

(04:38) Mistake #4: Not practicing out loud

•  Why rehearsing in your head isn’t enough—and how to practice like a pro so your delivery lands.

(05:05) Mistake #5: The kitchen sink syndrome

•  Don’t try to give everything in one talk. Focus on one clear message with no more than three supporting points.

(07:15) Final takeaway – The one-question test to check if your talk is truly memorable.

(07:41) Closing – Share the episode, subscribe, and help more speakers stop speaking for free and start getting paid.

Links & Resources

• Subscribe to Booked, Banked, and On Stage so you never miss an episode!
• Share this episode with a fellow speaker who’s ready to level up.
• Leave a review—your feedback helps us reach more speakers like you!

Transcript

Unknown: 0:02

Hey, hey, my spectacular speakers. Welcome back to book faith and on stage, the podcast that helps you get booked, get paid and earn the stage like the Pro that you are. I'm Deborah Northcutt, your speaker, support concierge. And today we're talking about something every speaker has tripped over those sneaky little mistakes that new speakers make, and most importantly, how you can avoid them so you can fast track your success. We're talking about the most common mistakes new speakers make, and trust me, I've seen them all. The good news every single one of these mistakes is completely avoidable once you know what to look for. Now, before we jump in, you know what time it is. Hit that subscribe button right now. If you're serious about avoiding these rookie mistakes and getting paid to speak, I'm dropping wisdom like this every single week, and you don't want to miss a beat before we dive in. I've got three quick asks for you first hit that subscribe button so you never miss an episode. We're here every week giving you real, actionable strategies to help you go from free gigs to paid stages, all right, spectacular speakers. Let's dive into mistake number one, and this one is a doozy, trying to sound like someone else. You know what I mean. You watch that TED Talk, see that speaker at a conference, and suddenly you're trying to copy their style, their gestures, even their voice. Let me tell you right away. Now, audience can sniff out in authenticity a mile away. Early in one of my speaker days, she tried to model herself after a speaker she admired. I'm talking about a speaker that I know whose name was Angela. Angela wore the same type of suit she used her signature hand gestures. She even mimicked her pacing. And you know what happened? She bombed big time because the speaker she admired wasn't her. She was trying to force it herself into a mode that wasn't her tip to avoid this. Embrace your quirks, your audience connects with you, your stories, your voice, your way of connecting. Instead of asking, How can I sound like that speaker? Ask, How can I show up more like me on stage? And while you're soaking that in, don't forget, if you're enjoying this episode, please leave us a review. Your reviews help more speakers like you find this show and it means the world to me. All right, let's move to mistake number two, death by PowerPoint. Raise your hand if you've ever sat through a presentation where the slides were crammed with paragraphs of text, tiny charts and enough bullet points to fill a novel. Yeah, we all been there, and guess what? It's a surefire way to lose your audience. Slides are meant to support your message, not be the message. The more cluttered your visuals, the harder it is for your audience to follow you, and what happens when they're too busy squinting at your slide, they stop listening to you. Now, here's how to avoid that. Keep your slides clean, one main point per slide. Use high quality images that evoke emotion or clarity, remember you are the presentation, not your slide deck. Let's talk about mistake number three, ignoring your audience. And I don't mean you're up there turning your back on them, but maybe you're so focused on delivering your perfect speech that you forgot that there are living, breathing humans in the room. Speaking is a two way street. If you don't read the room, engage or adjust, you're going to lose them. Now, here's a tip, build moments of interaction into your talk. Ask a question, pause and wait for nods or reactions. Make eye contact and be flexible if the energy in the room shifts, shift with it. Another common pitfall, not practicing enough or practicing in your head instead of out loud, let me tell you what sounds good in your mind doesn't always land the same way. When spoken, you want to feel your talk in your body, record yourself, watch it back, no matter how painful it may be. Notice your filler words, your pacing, your energy. Great speakers aren't born. They're rehearsed and the. Mistake number five. All right, spectacular speakers, let's dive into the last mistake. Mistake number five, trying to cram your entire life's work into 145 minute keynote. I call this the kitchen sink syndrome, and it's epidemic among new speakers. You got so much valuable content, so many insights, so many stories that you think I need to give them everything or they won't get their money's worth wrong. So so wrong. Here's what actually happens when you do this, your audience gets overwhelmed, confused and walks away, remembering absolutely nothing. It's like trying to drink from a fire hose. Nobody wins. The fix is simple, but not easy. Pick on core message, fun, transformation. Fun, big idea that you want your audience to walk away with. Think about the most memorable TED talks you've ever seen. They don't try to solve world hunger, climate change and relationship issues all in 18 minutes. They focus on one powerful concept and drill it home with stories, examples and actionable insights. Now here's my three point rule, every talk should have one core message supported by no more than three main points. That's it. Three points, not 13. And here's a reality check, if your audience can't explain your main message to their spouse over dinner that night, you failed. It doesn't matter how brilliant your content is, if it's not memorable and actionable. So before you go and step on any stage, ask yourself, What's the one thing I want every person in this room to remember, six months from now, build your entire talk around that one thing and watch your impact skyrocket. There you have it, five of the biggest mistakes I see new speakers make, and how you can steer clear of them on your journey from free to paid gigs Now, which one of these hit home for you today? I'd love for you to share with this episode with a fellow speaker who needs to hear it. That's my final ask today. Subscribe, leave a review and share this episode. Let's help more speakers, stop speaking for free and start getting paid. Thank you for spending time with me, on book, faith and on stage until next time go out there and own that stage.