I’m sometimes asked to share a concise overview of my in-depth presentation skill workshop content for a brief conference breakout session or a professional association meeting. So, if you’d like the 30,000 foot view of my Top Ten Presentation Delivery Best Practices, read on …
Remember that your audiences only know what they see and hear. Perception is Reality! Everything you say and do can project your credibility, competence and confidence … or detract from it.
- Eye Contact – maintain Eye Contact with one person at a time for 8 – 10 seconds or a complete sentence. Then, move in silence to a new person in a random manner. During your silent move, take a breath and think of what to say next.
- Notes – refer to your notes or the screen when you need a reminder of what to say, but don’t talk while doing so. Only talk to faces in the audience.
- Expression – maintain a relaxed Facial Expression and smile appropriately to project confidence and passion.
- Pace – maintain an audience-friendly delivery pace by slowing down and pausing longer and more often at ‘punctuation marks’ in your content. Also, use the pauses to look at notes and breathe. Avoid ‘vocalized pauses’ – the ‘ums’ or ‘ahs’ that can really annoy your audience.
- Vocal Energy – speak louder and with more inflection than in routine one-to-one conversations to project confidence and credibility. Vary your volume for emphasis and impact.
- Gestures – keep your arms at your side in a relaxed ‘neutral’ position and then gesture frequently above your waist. Avoid hands in pockets, ‘fidgeting’, hands behind your back or together in front. Don’t count on your fingers or hold notes in the hand you gesture with most often.
- Posture – stand comfortably straight with your knees slightly bent; feet shoulder width apart and your weight evenly balanced on both feet.
- Movement – stand still unless you have a good reason to move. Avoid rocking or swaying back and forth or shifting weight. Move in silence. Don’t walk in front of the screen.
- Handling Questions – listen intently to each question without interrupting. Repeat or rephrase it as needed. Answer briefly. Avoid commenting on the questions.
- Visual Aids – minimize holding the remote or a laser pointer. Write on a white board or pad or change visuals in silence. Don’t block the audience’s view of screen or board.
If you need a more detailed reminder of the concepts, strategies or techniques behind any of these brief summaries, go to the article archives of the ETC website and search by topic area. Or, call me with a specific question.
So, until next month … go Deliver with more Power and Success!