Below are some helpful tips for better presentations from Pitch Perfect by Bill McGowan:
- Keep it short. After 10-18 minutes the listener loses interest. President Obama’s inauguration speech was 18 minutes. Hardly a coincidence.
- Display delight. Even if you need to fake it. Be enthusiastic. Be warm in your delivery.
- The audience is usually rooting for you. “You’ll never get to your destination if you stop to throw stones at every dog that barks.” – Winston Churchill
- Resist the urge to “backspace” as you speak. E.g. It was 10 years ago, wait a second it was 5 years ago …” Don’t sweat the details.
- Cut out the minutiae. When in doubt, cut more out. Be the most brutal editor.
- Start with your best material. Start with a concise and compelling statement.
- Convey certainty with words, eye contact, posture and tone of voice.
- Talk slowly. The slower you talk, the more control you have over your words.
- Vary your delivery. Vary pitch (high, low), pace (speed), and projection (volume)
- Develop decisive start and finishes.
(Views are my own and do not represent the views of any organization.)
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