What is one of the most commonly made presentation delivery mistakes? It's a mistake we've all seen, from sales pitches to keynote speeches and every type of presentation imaginable - a presenter reading his/her presentation to the audience. 

At best, this is ineffective. At worst, it's offensive and insulting.

Why is this insulting? For one thing, this shows limited (or no) preparation and rehearsal. In addition, it can demean the audience; inferring that they aren't smart enough to read it themselves.

Why is it ineffective?  Because an audience quickly learns that the presenter is adding no value, and begins to read the presentation themselves. Now they are simply reading a collection of bullets, and missing the real message. When an audience reads the presentation, it usually means the presenter has lost them.  

Why does this happen? Usually it's because the presenter isn't prepared - they didn't do their research, someone else wrote the presentation, they didn't have time to rehearse... Perhaps they lack confidence in their ability to deliver the message effectively, so they revert back to reading the bullets. Or maybe they don't have passion for the opportunity.

What should a presenter do instead? First, remember that a presentation isn't a random set of bullets, it's a story that presenter gets to craft and deliver. They should write the presentation themselves, keep the bullets short and simple, build a story with additional facts and anecdotal information; rehearse the presentation and deliver it with confidence and enthusiasm. It's a little more work, but the payoff is huge.