There is much advice out there for giving presentations, yet most of it focuses on new ideas and what you have to do if you're presenting. They very rarely tell you what NOT to do, not necessarily out of avoiding negativity but more to teach someone how to present if they've never done it before. In business and at work, the chances are that you've already presented, but you want to know what can detract, spoil or otherwise make your presentation go less smoothly. These are the presentation "sins", and here's what they are and how to avoid them:

1. Not practising or preparing enough

You've heard it before - "prepare to fail, if you've failed to prepare". A lack of preparation will stick out like a sore thumb. You will lose the attention and respect of those you're presenting to very quickly if you come across as not knowing what you're talking about. We've all had the times when our minds have gone blank, but if there's nothing to fill that gap, it can be painful for both you and the listener. Prepare everything, and rehearse - doing a talk for the first time in front of an audience is a big ask, so make it easier on yourself by doing it in front of a mirror, some friends, or even the family dog as practise! You may feel foolish, but it will help you a lot.

2. Notes!

This one may surprise you. We just love having notes when we're presenting. Yes, but these should be in the form of crib sheets or short reminders on cards, not the whole thing, word for word. You won't have an auto cue, after all. Longhand notes have various disadvantages - your eyes will be glued reading them rather than actually looking at the people you're presenting to. It gives your hands something to hold, and how many of you have noticed that someone is shaking with nerves because their notes are rustling and jiggling in their hands? If you're prepared your presentation, you should be able to do it in an almost "off the cuff" style, which is the most effective art in presenting.

3. Over reliance on technology instead of skill

This is slightly similar to the reliance on notes. PowerPoint can be wonderful if it's used to display the "chapters" of your talk, or perhaps data, pictures or graphs that you need to refer to but don't want the hassle of handing out. What it shouldn't be used for, is to put your whole presentation on it verbatim. The audience will just read it instead of listening to you. Also, try to avoid anything too clever - it may look "cool" to have each slide wiggling, flying, popping and banging on the screen, but after a few clicks it will be come a distraction or worse, a laughing point. The focus of the presentation should be you, and the technology an aid, not a crutch.

4. Staying still

Too many of us present as if we're a robot or a statue, frozen into place by the stare of an audience. It's understandable, and scary, but your body language won't be inviting them to listen to you, they'll just feel your pain as you stand there, looking frightened. Try to loosen up a little, use hand gestures, walk around the room a little. "Own" the space you've been given. If an audience has to follow you around the room, they are more likely to stay involved in what you're saying, too.

5. Not looking up

This is similar to staying still - if you have notes, you'll be staring at them, and many of us will look at anything except all those pairs of eyes. It's scary, but eye contact with your audience is one of the oldest tricks in the book to engage them and give a quality presentation. Don't stare at the floor, the door, or fix your gaze on something beyond your audience. Look at them. You're talking to them, after all, and they will appreciate being made to feel like it!

6. Altering your voice

Our voices are rarely in their natural state during a presentation. We speed up, we slow down, we do more "ums" and ers" than you can count. This is where preparation can help a great deal, as well as rehearsing. Remember to pause, too - and don't rush it all out. We all hate it, but try recording yourself speak and see what you can do to improve - we rarely do it in the moment. A little self-analysis will go a long way to improving your speaking voice and style.

7. Forgetting the follow up

The presentation is over, and you're exhausted but relieved. At this point we usually want to escape the room as quickly as possible, but remember that the end of the speech isn't really the end of the presentation! Don't forget the follow up - you may have handouts, and you will want to take questions from your audience, and remain in "presenting" mode until they are over. Then, and only then, can you relax, pat yourself on the back, and run some feedback on yourself, too. How many presentation sins did you commit, and how many can you avoid next time? With a bit of knowledge on how we slip into them, your next presentation should be truly angelic!