Are you making these 6 public-speaking mistakes?

We’ve all sat through awkward and boring presentations. The speaker probably was making at least one of these common mistakes.

Whether you’re giving a speech to an audience, making a presentation to a client, or heading up a meeting, chances are you’ll have some nerves. Public speaking opens the door to public mistakes, which put your status at risk. Humans are hardwired to want to be accepted—it’s an ancient survival mechanism—and that makes speaking up a stressful exercise.