Guide to Effective Presentations
d. Rehearsing & Delivery
•The best time to rehearse is the day or evening before, not a couple of hours before, and the best place to rehearse is in the actual room. Rehearsing a speech in a small office is not the same as standing up in front of 100 people in a hotel ballroom or classroom.
•Due to varying processor speeds of computers, practice your slide transitions for proper timing.
•Whenever possible, set up your equipment well in advance to allow adequate time to resolve any unexpected issues such as lighting, power, seating and audio.
•Thoroughly check every piece of equipment you bring along. Make sure you have fresh batteries in your remote controls and laptop computer. Fully charge your computer’s battery before the presentation and connect your AC adaptor for added safety.
•Make sure you are completely familiar with the control panel on your projector and remote controls.
•If you are using a microphone, check it out before hand and walk around to see where you might have problems with feedback. Avoid standing in these problem areas during your presentation.
e. Presentation Tips
• Before beginning, visualize yourself delivering an outstanding presentation.
• Know your speech, memorizing at least the first three minutes of your presentation will allow you to focus on your rhythm and pacing.
•Speak to early arrivals to help you build a rapport with the audience and make you feel more comfortable.
•Do not be overly dependent on your visuals by reciting what your audience is already reading. Know your material well enough to be able to deliver the presentation with ease. Use your visuals to emphasize keypoints.
•Be sure to project your voice clearly and use eye contact to maintain audience attention.
•Do not wait until halfway through your presentation to get your point across. If you wait and try to create a
•Keep your audience’s attention. As most people only focus for 15 to 20 minutes during a
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