2. Guide to
Presentations
• The basic checklist
• Elevator pitches-making
your case in 30 seconds
or less
• Stage fright
• Visuals
• Making it conversational
• Connecting with your
audience
• Presence and its
importance
• Inspire!
Adapted from Harvard Business Review Guide to Persuasive
Presentations
3. Basic Checklist
The elevator speech
The question your
presentation answers
Open creatively
End with a call to action
Eliminate anything
extraneous
Rehearse
Know your technology
Get ready
4. Avoid Common
Mistakes
• Reading form notecards or
script
• Hiding behind a podium
• Ignoring time limits
• Going off topic
• Not knowing audience
• Failing to grab attention
• No road map
• Bad visuals
• No passion
5. Stage fright
• Preparation is key
• Focus on individuals in
audience not the whole
• Re-think your physical
symptoms
• Avoid rigid rules—be
flexible
• Think before you speak
• Most people don’t
notice your fear
6. Visuals
• Avoid death by powerpoint
• Keep power point slides simple
• Limit
colors, fonts, backgrounds, ani
mation
• Choose appropriate visuals
that reinforce your story or key
points
• One page handouts that
simplify your points and can be
used for notes are useful but
don’t make them a distraction!
7. The best
presentation are
conversations…
• Present points that require
interaction/responses:
• Jokes
• Ask for affirmation/confirmation
constantly
• Elicit feedback repeatedly and at
main points,, not just at the end
• Share anecdotes and invite your
audience to do the same!
• Turn the presentation into a
two-way dialogue
• Accept critiques, challenges
and qualifications
8. Connect with the
audience
• Connection is based upon trust
• Once an audience trusts a
speaker there is a bond
• Bonds are developed
kinesthetically
• Kinesthetic is the awareness of
where you (presenter) are in
relation to others (audience)
• Trust-based since it depends upon
things like empathy (putting
yourself in listeners shoes)
• Helps you answer questions like
why should audience care or
even listen to you
9. Presence
• Intangible
• Key: Being comfortable
• Expressive
• Theatrical; There is a
performance side to presenting
• Connect with audience;
Cannot be one way
communicator and develop
presence
• Authentic=Honest=Trust-based
• Best things to do: Establish eye
contact and move
10. Does your
presentation
inspire?
• Inspire=call to action
• Does your presentation
motivate listener to do
something?
• Are you authentic, sincere and
committed?
• Enthused?
• Meet needs of audience
• Give them one thing to do and
repeat that thing several times
• Memorable
phrasing/soundbite
