From start to end: The soft-side of presentations

About two months ago I posted an article titled, "Some tips on presentations." On that blog entry I focused on prep activities, slide design considerations and other tips to use before you present. With this post, I would like to write about some tips on the actual delivery of a presentation.

Grab your audience's attention. Particularly at the start of your presentation. Tell them why it is important to them (the subject) and what you want to achieve (the objective.)
Determine to make your presentation come across as more of a dialog than a lecture. Try to generate interaction with your audience.
Give your introduction and summary slides with a blank screen. Focus the audience on you.
Exude confidence in what you say. Know your material inside-out.
If you are not comfortable or do not have genuine feelings for what you are saying, you shouldn't be giving the presentation.
Make eye contact with members of your audience. Focus in on their body language for clues to how they are receiving your presentation. This also personalizes it.
Make sure you display positive body language. No folded arms, hands out of pockets, do not nervously hold your hands and don't sway from side to side.
Relax and be natural with any gestures you use. People can tell when they're forced.
When using gestures, keep them shoulder height and above. If you are listing out points, show it on your hands (e.g., one, two, & three.)
Speak more loudly and project your voice. Don't yell! But if you are like me, you'll need to ensure you are clearly heard by everyone in the room.
Talk more slowly than when you are having a conversation. Pause... People need time to digest what you are saying. As a speaker this may feel uncomfortable, but it comes across better. What says more than words? "No words!" (Follow that link if you are in the mood for a short comedy skit.)
When answering questions unrelated to your current slide, use the B key (in PowerPoint.) If you don't know what that does, try it out (hint - it will blank the display.)
Be prepared to change the pace of your presentation every 15 minutes or so. This keeps people awake.
Do not compete with your slides, if there is a lot of text, give the audience time to look at it before you start talking.

These are some simple tips you can use the next time you have to give a presentation. Some of them will come naturally to you while others you will need to work on. In the meantime, I suggest you view presentations given by Steve Jobs, Bill Clinton and Lawrence Lessig.

In closing this post, I'll leave you with a quote that dove-tails with my request that you deliver a dynamic, interactive presentation.