Once Again: Quick Tips on Presentations

1. Always check out the room ahead of time. If something presents a problem, get rid of it.
2. Never dim the lights.
3. Know your goal.
4. Know your core message.
5. If you think of a gimmick that is particularly clever, eliminate it.
6. Large audience: PowerPoint might be needed but don't have a large number of slides.
7. Use large font on the slides. No more than three bullet points.
8. Small audience: No PowerPoint. Just use a flip chart or a white board. Have multi-colored markers.
9. If you are teaching, take questions throughout the presentation.
10. Any presentation that lasts several hours should have a 9 or 11 minute break on the hour.
11. Why the odd break times? Because people will check their watches and will be more likely to return on time.
12. Aim for the mid-level of knowledge. That avoids the impression of talking over their heads or down to them
13. Practice. Practice. Practice. Then stop. You can be over-prepared.
14. Have a conversational tone.
15. Don't focus on putting yourself at ease. Put your audience at ease.
16. You don't need to be smooth. You need to be effective.
17. Each presentation is a learning experience. Later on, jot down what you noticed or what you might change.