10 Tips for a Great Presentation

Another great post from Church Leaders Intelligence Report on great presentations. This time, they offered “10 Tips for a Great Presentation” by Steve Tobak. Here they are:

Connecting with an audience, communicating your vision and passion for your message, can be a beautiful experience. It's also a rare opportunity to make an impression that might impact the listener's future. It can either be a gateway or a roadblock to spiritual growth. Remember these tips:

1. The pitch. Start with your main point of view and a handful of take-aways. Then build a storyboard around that, one slide per thought. Keep the number of slides down and allow only a few minutes per slide.
2. The icebreaker. Start with something to break the tension (yours and theirs): a welcome gesture, engaging or humorous anecdote, graphic or video, or some combination. Keep it relevant and appropriate. Don't tell a joke.
3. The old axiom. Old advice, but it works: First tell the audience what you're going to tell them, then tell them, then tell them what you told them.
4. Don't always read what's on the slide. Use the slides for brief cues and speak in your own words.
5. Engage the audience. Ask questions. If they don't respond, try offering an answer and asking for a show of hands, or ask easier questions. Make the audience part of the experience.
6. Be accessible. Don't stand behind a podium. Use a wireless mic, if needed. Get close to the audience and move from place to place while maintaining eye-contact, but only from time to time. Do not bounce around like a ping-pong ball.
7. Pause for effect and emphasis. Practice being comfortable with silence for two or three seconds. It's the most dramatic way to make a point. Avoid "verbal static" like ahs, uhs, and other fillers of uncomfortable silence; they just detract from your presence.
8. Make eye-contact. But only for a few seconds per person. Too short and you'll fail to engage; too long and it becomes uncomfortable.
9. Use hand gestures. They're engaging and interesting. But when you're not using them, keep your hands at your sides. Don't fidget, hold onto things, or put your hands in front of you, behind you, or in your pockets. Have a trusted friend observe your rehearsal to point out nervous habits.
10. Don't block the audience's view. Don't step in front of the screen or block it from view, except for the occasional walk-across. Gesture with your hand, but don't touch the screen. Don't use a pointer unless you must.

Adapted from Steve Tobak, bNet, 12/22/08

Remember, you weren't born with this ability; it takes practice. Be patient with yourself. Finding your own style where you feel comfortable comes with experience.

What tips can you offer that help take your presentation from good to great?