| Where do you start with the presentation? Well, | | | | are a waste of time if people either can't see |
| first find out the title and the key points you are | | | | them at the back of the room or they haven't |
| expected to address. It is very important to find | | | | time to read them during a presentation. Don't put |
| out who else is talking and what they are going to | | | | too many bullet points on each slide, consider |
| talk about. You want to make sure that you do | | | | using diagrams or photographs instead of words if |
| not cover exactly the same ground as someone | | | | they convey your message, because they are |
| else, otherwise the audience will just get bored. | | | | much more effective. |
| Determine how long you are going to be asked to | | | | Practice what you are going to say and check the |
| talk for as this will help you to work out if the | | | | presentation before the day, especially if |
| time you have means you can only give an | | | | someone else has prepared it. There is nothing |
| overview or whether you are required to give an | | | | worse than standing up in front of an audience |
| in-depth presentation of your topic. If you only | | | | with a presentation full of typing errors or slides in |
| have time for an overview then identify what | | | | the wrong order. |
| you must say, what it would be good to say and | | | | Most important of all believe in what you are |
| the points that you will address only if you have | | | | going to say, because lack of conviction comes |
| time. | | | | over to the audience immediately in a |
| Try to think about how many slides you will have | | | | presentation. People will forgive beginners nerves |
| on a PowerPoint style presentation. If you are not | | | | but they will struggle with a presentation that |
| comfortable with the technology design 3 or 4 | | | | lacks personal belief or one where the presenter |
| slides that are general and will cover several | | | | just reads from the slides parrot fashion - well |
| themes so you don't need to change them that | | | | they could have read it as a handout themselves! |
| often. If you are using slides or overheads limit | | | | Show that you care about the topic and |
| the technical data as you don't want the slides to | | | | remember practice makes perfect. |
| be too busy. Remember graphs or data tables | | | | |