12 Presentation Tips for Speakers

Speaker Presentation Guidelines & Tips

Speakers make every effort to deliver memorable presentations. Their challenges include looking and sounding polished and professional while keeping their audience focused on their talking points.

While on stage or in front of their audience, the speaker must concentrate on things like keeping eye contact with their audience, interjecting humor to keep the audience engaged, and a host of other public speaking procedures. With a well prepared presentation, the speaker can focus on these other important aspects of their delivery.

A speaker’s presentation slides should enhance their talking points and not overpower them.

Here are a dozen presentation tips to help you look like the professional you are:

• Limit the Length of Time the Slide is viewed. Leave your slide up for no longer than one minute while you deliver your speaking points. If you leave the slide up longer than that you risk boring your audience. Once their mind starts to wander, they are no longer listening to you.
• Limit Text on Slides Your slides should capture your most important point or topic that you are talking about at that time in the presentation. Try using no more than 6 lines of text on your slides. Slides that are text heavy present a few problems, such as:

a) The text may not be easily read if you cram too much information or several lines of it on your slide.

b) And if you have too much information on one slide, you will probably leave the slide up longer than you should while you cover all of the points you are trying to make – See Tip #1.

• Limit the Number of Slides in your presentation. Your audience is there to hear what you have to say. If your presentation consists of too many slides, your audience will likely get confused or bored.
• Easy to Read Slides. Your presentation slides should be easy for your audience to read, no matter where they are in the room.

• a) Headings should be in a large point size – at least 32 to 40 is the standard used

  b) Text should be in a San Serif font like Arial and be in a 24-32 point size

• Create Impact with Images Spark interest with images, graphs and graphics, illustrations, or other visuals like cartoons to emphasize your point but use them sparingly. Remember to use your own images and graphics or purchase royalty free stock images to avoid copyright infringement.
• Make it More Interactive Use Mind Mapping tools to make your visuals more interactive. Experiment with other applications to create presentations that will keep your audience captivated.
• Use Process Visuals Process visuals can help you create dynamic slides that showcase your Intellectual Property. Remember these models or charts should be clear and easy to follow. If they are difficult to read or too complex, you’ll lose your audience’s attention. The point is to help your audience follow your communication; not to impress them with your brilliance.
• Embed Video into your presentation slides from You Tube channels or a video that’s stored in your computer files. Use to interject some humor into your presentation or as a demonstration.
• Design your Own Theme There are many themes available but the design may not work with your topic or your brand. It may be difficult to format with your images and text. And someone else may be using the theme you’ve chosen for their speaking presentation. Be Creative!
• Record Your Rehearsals Practice your speech with your presentation slides and videotape your rehearsals. You be able to see where adjustments are needed before you get before your audience and you’ll be able to see the areas of your delivery that you need to improve.
• Make it Interactive by asking questions. Sure, you can have a Q & A session at the end of your presentation. But some speakers are very effective at keeping their audience engaged by asking questions throughout their presentation.
• Handouts and Leave Behinds – Should you use? Which is best? The answer is… it depends on the type of presentation and your style. Here are some suggestions to consider:

• a) Audience Handouts – Give them a only few pages that contain your most important speaking/topic points instead of a copy of all of your slides. If you give your audience your entire presentation in a handout, you may find many of them flipping pages back and forth during your speech, which is not a good thing. You’ve lost them at that point.

  b) Consider a Giveaway URL displayed on the last slide of your presentation. This can be very effective because it not only directs them to your website but it also helps you build your list when they sign up for your freebie. Make sure your Giveaway content is something your audience will perceive as VALUABLE! Leave this last slide up during the Q & A session at the end of your presentation to give everyone time to jot down the URL or to snap a photo of it on their smart phones.

  c) Leave Behind You might consider leaving behind a small promotional item that has your key points on it, your logo, contact info, website URL, etc. An example would be a bookmark.

  Memorable presentations are important to your success as a professional speaker. Minor details overlooked during your final edit of your PowerPoint slides could be an embarrassment while you are in front of your audience. The details involved in preparing or editing your presentation points and slides, travel arrangements, discussions with Meeting Planners can distract you from your other important activities.

  My Clever Assistant can help you create sizzling presentations and assist you with many of the other administrative or coordination tasks professional speakers face. Contact me today to discuss your needs.