PRESENTATIONS TIPS – 13 DO’S & DON’TS.

"Too often I have been trapped in presentations that were painfully overlong, over serious, under organized, and so on. And, I have been guilty of all of the above." Carolyn Tallent

DOPlan & Prepare, Plan & Prepare, Plan & Prepare, Plan & Prepare!Make sure your presentation is relevant, simple and to the point.Find out as much about your audience as possible before the event.Talk to your audience rather than at them.Set aside 10 hours of preparation per every hour of presentation.Familiarise yourself with the venue and equipment before the event.Use simple, direct sentences.Use animation, sounds and special effects sparingly.Wear appropriate clothing for the audience and event.Give your presentation a beginning, middle and end.Provide handouts – at the end of the presentation!Make sure that people at the back can hear you and that they can see the text on screen.Define what the audience should know, understand and feel as a result of the presentation.

“If you don't know where you are going, you will probably end up somewhere else”. Laurence J. Peter

DON’TForget to Plan & Prepare, Plan & Prepare, Plan & Prepare, Plan & Prepare!Use someone else’s material unless you are entirely comfortable and familiar with it.Memorize the presentation parrot fashion.Panic!Use too many visual aids.Use jargon or inappropriate language.Fill your speech with irrelevant detail.

Apologise to the audience for your lack of speaking experience.Mumble or hesitate.Lose sight of the time!Change the tone of voice too often – this can sound false.Wear anything that will distract the audience.Forget to smile!