Ten Rules for Presenters

I do a lot of presentations around the country and I really enjoy being in front of an audience. I can ascertain within minutes if my audience is with me and feel compelled to keep them engaged while delivering my message because there is nothing worse than sitting through a bad presentation. We’ve all been on the receiving end of a poorly delivered program.

Matt Homann who writes for The (Non) Billable Hour blog gave these ten essential tips for presenters that I applaud.

1.  The greatest gift you can give your audience is a passion for your material. If you don’t care for it, they won’t care for you.

2.  Your audience’s attention is a lot like your virginity. You only get to lose it once.

3.  PowerPoint is always optional. A great speech doesn’t improve when accompanied by slides in a dark room.

4.  If PowerPoint makes it easy to do, you probably shouldn’t do it. Avoid bullet points, clip art and cheesy animated transitions at all cost.

5.  The number of words on a slide is inversely proportional to the attention your audience will give it.

6.  Your slides are not your script. The purpose of PowerPoint is to help others understand your material, not to help you remember it.

7.  Never read your slides. When you do, it suggests to your audience you think they’re incapable of doing so themselves.

8.  The average person remembers just three things from your presentation. Great speakers make certain everyone remembers the same three things.

9.  Unless your presentation tells a story, the audience won’t care about the ending — they’ll just pray for it.
 
10.  Never underestimate the impact a great presentation can have on your audience or your career. Being prepared serves both of them well!