Most people spend hours preparing their presentation and planning everything they are going to say down to the very last detail. That’s because most people dread the idea of public speaking and a script gives them a sense of security. While a script can be an important tool for remembering important information, there are times…

There is a great deal of debate over how long presentations should be. We have probably heard that “shorter is better†but this isn’t necessarily true. A five-minute presentation could bore you to tears if the speaker isn’t interesting just as a two-hour presentation can leave audiences wanting more if the speaker is engaging. The…

Whenever you are giving a presentation it should be expected that you will receive questions from the audience. Questions are an integral part of any presentation and they should be. Not only are questions a good sign that your audience has been paying attention, but they also give the audience an opportunity to raise issues…

When you are delivering a presentation, you need research to back up your claims. Your audience is not going to accept everything as fact just because you said it. Rather, they need to see various types of evidence to support your claims. That’s where supporting materials come in to play. The purpose of supporting materials…

We have all heard our fair share of presentations. After all, a presentation is simply the transfer of information between two or more people. This means work meetings, sales pitches, school speeches, and church sermons are all classified as presentations.  However, the delivery of a church sermon will differ greatly from that of a CEO.…

Let’s be honest…no one goes to a presentation just for fun. Audience members attend presentations with certain expectations. Their time is valuable, and they want to feel like the presentation is worth their while. Therefore, as presenters spend time carefully selecting their material, they need to spend an equal amount of time ensuring the presentation…

A presentation should last as long as it takes to adequately deliver your message. Furthermore, you need to make sure you adhere to any specific time restrictions. For these reasons, it’s important to know how long your presentation will last so you can plan accordingly and ensure you are not boring your audience to tears.…

Sound and visual aids are a powerful tool that can really enhance your presentation. Words, images, and sounds presented in various forms can appeal to audiences more than just spoken words. In addition, sound and images can help to capture audience interest, illustrate main points, and make a more powerful impact. Images give audiences a…

Chances are many of us can’t remember the last time we didn’t yawn at a conference, talk, or presentation. Perhaps you didn’t get enough sleep the night before or it’s been an exhausting day, but there’s a better chance you are bored to tears. Whatever the reason, yawning is never a good sign for a…

Pre-Presentation: What to Provide Participants with in Advance One of the most critical components in delivering a successful presentation is engaging the audience.  Many presenters spend a great deal of time focusing on how they engage audience members during the presentation, but engagement actually begins before the presentation even starts.  Presenters should take the time…