I am of the belief that the majority of people can improve their presentations dramatically by focusing on eliminating bad habits and presentation skills more than seeking to add anything on. How often have you come out of a seminar and overheard someone say, “Wow, she was great! Did you see how effectively she used her hand gestures?” That said, here are some ideas to help you become a better speaker.
1) Keep it simple
• Speak naturally
• Make eye contact
• Do not do crazy things with your hands
• Do not do much more than speak, i.e. managing props etc.
2) Be impassioned
3) Balance the format of your information
4) Build the relationships beforehand if possible
5) Get the audience to participate at varying levels if effective
6) Show, do not tell. That is, use stories, not facts and figures
7) Get rid of distracting idiosyncrasies
8) Do not misinterpret people’s actions and get discouraged
9) Know your material
10) Never, ever, go overtime
