Quick Tips on Presentations

I've developed these guidelines over the years and they work very well:

• It is better to have too few PowerPoint slides than too many and, if the audience is small, it is better to have no PowerPoint at all.
• If you can't skip the jargon and deliver your message in plain language, you don't really know your subject.
• Make sure that your presentation answers the "frequently asked questions" of the average audience member, not those of a person who is obsessed with the topic.
• Design your presentation to reach the most skeptical member of your audience but only up to a point. Some people can never be satisfied.
• Give a short break every hour and use odd numbers such as 9 minutes or 11 minutes. The odd times will cause people to check their watches.
• Keep it short but allow plenty of time for questions.
• Pay attention to the room environment. It is better for room temperature to be on the cool side than too warm.
• Gauge your style to the size of the audience. The smaller the size, the more informal the tone.
• Keep up the pace, but slow down to pick up stragglers.