Speaker Tips

Ten Pointers to a Great Presentations Source: Various articles from the Internet

• Developing the Pitch Start with your main point of view and a handful of take-aways. Then build a storyboard around that one slide per thought. Keep the number of slides down and allow a few minutes per slide.
  
  
• The Icebreaker Start with something to break the tension (yours and theirs): a welcome gesture, engaging or humorous anecdote, graphic or video, or some combination. Keep it relevant and appropriate. Don't tell a joke.
  
  
• The Old Axiom Old advice, but it works: First tell the audience what you're going to tell them, then tell them, then tell them what you told them.
  
  
• Don't Read the Slide Know the pitch cold (without having to look except for a brief cue) and speak in your own words. If you (rarely) want the audience to read what's on a slide, look at it and read silently along with them.
  
  
• Engage the Audience Ask questions. If they don't respond, try offering an answer and asking for a show of hands or ask easier questions. Make the audience part of the experience.
  
  
• Be Accessible Don't stand behind a podium. Use a wireless mic if needed. Get close to the audience and move from place to place while maintaining eye contact, but only from time to time. Do not bounce around like a ping-pong ball.
  
  
• Pause for Effect and Emphasis Practice being comfortable with silence for two or three seconds. It's the most dramatic way to make a point. Avoid ahs, uhs, and other fillers of uncomfortable silence - they're annoying and detract from your presence.
  
  
• Make Eye Contact But only for a few seconds per person. Too short and you'll fail to engage - too long and it becomes uncomfortable. Don't bounce your eyes around constantly.
  
  
• Use Hand Gestures They’re engaging and interesting. But when you're not, keep your hands at your sides. Don't fidget, hold onto things, or put your hands in front of you, behind you, or in your pockets. Avoid nervous habits.
  
  
• Don't Block the Audience's View Don’t step in front of the screen or block it from view, except for the occasional walk-across. Gesture with your hand, but don't touch the screen. Don't use a pointer unless you must.