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A Dozen Tips for Presenters |
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| Home | 1. Who’s
out there? The number one rule of every presentation is understanding your audience. Before you develop your outline and materials, determine who your audience is, their reason for attending your presentation, what information they expect to walk away with, and why your presentation is important to them. The more you know about your audience the more successful your presentation will be. 2. Check it out Have someone review your presentation when it’s done. Once you’ve worked on it for awhile you’ll begin to overlook even the most obvious errors. Have someone edit it for grammar, spelling (spell checker won’t flag the difference between "hear" and "here"), organization, flow, and continuity. Peer review is good for reviewing the accuracy of the information. 3. Tell ‘em and tell ‘em again As often as you’ve heard it, it’s still good to remember to tell the audience what you’re going to talk about, then tell them, and then tell them what you talked about. 4. Between here and there One way to help your audience understand the connection between your main presentation points is through transition sentences. Transition sentences are short comments that carry the audience from one point to the next. A good transition is like an internal summary; it summarizes what you just covered and briefly explains how it relates to the next topic. Write transition statements in the margin of your presentation so you don’t forget. 5. Are we involved? Ask questions of your audience. It keeps them alert, thoughtful, involved, and observant. Asking questions also helps you judge if you’re giving the right level of information. 6. What’s that you say? Answer questions from the audience effectively. Always rephrase a question asked of you. It helps the questioner know that you understand the question and helps those who might not have been able to hear the question. And, if you don’t know the answer to the question, say so. Also, if people ask you a question and you promise to get back to them, make sure you write down their names and phone numbers. 7. Get the picture? Use pictures instead of words when possible. But don’t try to pack tons of information into one picture. Try using illustrations that build in complexity from slide to slide. Try to keep your slides simple. If possible use the services of a graphic artist to help you use color effectively and to simplify your slides and pictures. 8. Winging it Your slides are not a substitute for a well-written script. Create your outline, write your script, have it edited, and rehearse it before the day of your presentation. 9. Lost in the forest Try to keep the big picture in your audience’s mind. Don’t let them get lost in the trees. Periodically stop and refer back to the "big picture". Explain where you are in the overall organization of your presentation. 10. Visual crutches When using graphs, tables, and charts, make sure you’re using them to clarify not "snow" the audience. Some graphs, tables, and charts can be difficult to see. Make sure you have paper copies available. And, don’t speak to every aspect of the chart, just the critical information. And remember, they’re "visual aids" not "visual crutches." Use them as a supplement to your presentation not as a substitute. 11. Fired up Let your enthusiasm show. Nothing sells your presentation and yourself better than communicating your enthusiasm. Audiences recognize and appreciate a presenter who presents with passion. If the audience can recognize your belief and confidence, that will add to your credibility and to your message. 12. The last shall be first Try writing the summary first. Most people remember no more than five key presentation points. When you begin writing the presentation, start with the last slide. That's right, when you’re ready to create your presentation, forget the details for a minute, forget the presentation's organization, and instead write out your conclusion or summary slide first. If you do it right, it will emphasize the most important points you plan to make. Other places for help Presentation Tips on the Internet http://www.ljlseminars.com/monthtip.htm Books about Presentations Power Presentations by Majorie Brody and Shawn KentMaking Successful Presentations by Terry C. SmithSay It With Charts by Gene ZelaznyHow to Prepare, Stage, Deliver Winning Presentations by Thomas Leech |
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