The Ten Commandments of Great Presentations

Whether it’s a group of 10 people in a boardroom or an auditorium filled with hundreds of people, giving a presentation is no easy feat. It can be overwhelming and intimidating to speak publicly in front of a crowd. Nonetheless, the ability to effectively communicate your message is critical to your success as a presenter. Follow these ten commandments and you will be well on your way to giving a successful presentation. 

1. Thou shall focus on the audience.

Think about how you feel when you attend a presentation. The presenter is taking up your precious time- time that you could have spent at the office, with your family, or working on other projects. Therefore, understand what your audience has given up for you and make sure your presentation is tailored to their needs. Invest time preparing a worthwhile presentation so they feel their time was well spent. 

2. Thou shall not mumble or apologize.

Oftentimes when we get nervous, we tend to apologize to the audience in order to gain sympathy or understanding. For example, you may have heard, “I was up all night with a sick child,†“I was just told about this presentation a few days ago,†or “I am battling a bad cold.†In reality, all you are doing is telling your audience to be prepared for you to make some mistakes. This immediately establishes a negative atmosphere and causes you to lose credibility with your audience.

3. Thou shall not rely on PowerPoint.

While slideshows and other presentation software can be a useful addition to your presentation, it should not be the main focus of your presentation. PowerPoint is simply meant to supplement what you are saying. Never read from slides, but rather use them as a visual aid to further elaborate on your message. 

4. Thou shall make eye contact with the audience.

Staring at your notes or reading from a slide prevents you from making eye contact with your audience. The best way to connect with your audience is to establish eye contact with them. Throughout your presentation, be sure to maintain eye contact with various audience members to keep them engaged and to personalize your presentation. 

5. Thou shall not fidget.

There is nothing more distracting than a presenter that fidgets with their hands, constantly shuffles their notes, or gets trigger happy with their slideshow remote. Gestures and body language should be purposeful and meaningful. 

6. Thou shall interact with the audience. 

Audience interaction is critical to your success as a speaker because it keeps the audience engaged and involved in your presentation. Involve your audience by asking questions, asking for a show of hands, inviting them on stage, or playing games with them. 

7. Thou shall speak with passion. 

If you want your audience to be passionate about your topic, then you must first model that same enthusiasm. Avoid speaking in a monotone voice and speak with vigor, excitement, and inflection. When you are passionate about the information, your enthusiasm becomes contagious. 

8. Thou shall be entertaining. 

Don’t bore your audience with endless data. Instead, entertain them with personal anecdotes, stories, and even humor. When information is presented in a way that is entertaining, it becomes memorable for the audience. 

9. Thou shall know your surroundings. 

You need to know ahead of time if you will be presenting in a boardroom, an auditorium, a banquet hall, or a conference room. You need to learn as much as you can about your surroundings. How much space will you have? How many people will be in attendance? What kind of lighting, sound, and audio visual equipment will you need? Where will your audience be sitting? Knowing this information ahead of time will help you feel more prepared and confident when it comes time to present. 

10. Thou shall not exceed the allotted time. 

If you are asked to speak for 30 minutes, your presentation needs to be exactly 30 minutes. In most cases, people do not want to give more time than they agreed to, so you will end up offending your audience if you exceed your time limit. You also don’t want to steal time from the next presenter. Time restrictions are given for a reason so be respectful of that and do not exceed them.