TEN STEPS TO AN EFFECTIVE PRESENTATION
1. Know your audience. What are their needs? How much do they know about your topic?
2. Speak with a purpose. What is it that you want to say? What exactly do you want
your audience to do, think, act, or consider?
3. Plan ahead. Before speaking, know your starting point, your next way-station, and
the next, and be quite sure you know where you are going to land at the end.
4. Stay loose. Great formality is neither appropriate or necessary. Whenever possible,
and within the limits of good taste, include some humor in your presentation.
5. Avoid technical jargon. Keep it simple and concise.
6. Speak with and not to your audience. Include them in your presentation as much as
possible.
7. Compare the unknown with the known. If your audience is not familiar with your
specific topic, be sure to compare it with something they are familiar with.
8. Speak up! Project your voice so that it can be heard at the back of the room. If
using a microphone--DO NOT overdo it. Too much amplification can play havoc with
hearing aids.
9. Be enthusiastic. If you don't believe in your topic, then neither will your
audience. Of course, you need not use a cheerleader approach, but when you observe
members of your audience falling from their seats, fast asleep, it's a good sign that
you need to increase the energy level of your presentation.
10. Remember, what you say might indeed be very important, but it is how you say it
that shall ultimately be used by your audience in deciding what is or is not, for
them, important.
