Simple guidelines for a professional presentation

Presentations can be intimidating, but with good practice and the right materials you can perform without a hitch. These guidelines will walk you through the whole process from brainstorming to delivery.

Whether you use software, an overhead projector, or a flipchart, presentations are all about employing the material effectively. Before you begin to make slides or other visual materials, work out your presentation on paper. Make rough sketches of your ideas and consider the following points:

• How long will you be talking?
• How many slides or pictures will your presentation need to contain?
• What photographs, graphs, or other visuals do you intend to use?

Only put the headline information on your slides. For example, if you've got three points, just give the headings. While you speak, expand on the information on your slides. That way you'll avoid the presentation faux paux of just reading out what's on the slides.

Use alliteration and acronyms to bind your points together. A slide that says "Strategy, Security, Sanity" is punchier than one that says "Have a plan, try to make sure it won't go wrong, and use your head when you implement it."

• Turn any statistics into a chart or diagram, with minimal labeling, and then explain what it means as part of your speech.
• Make the visuals as large as you can: a graphic can never be too big.
• Use the "theme" feature of many presentation programs to give a unified visual look to design elements like colours and fonts. Use the software to add video and audio — but do so sparingly.
• Keep clips brief, and use them to illustrate your point rather than as a substitute for speaking yourself.

• Write out your entire script and rehearse it so that you know exactly how long your presentation lasts.
• Speak clearly and slowly. Don't waffle, and never mumble.
• If you're nervous about public speaking, try to remember that people won't be able to tell if you make a mistake. Just keep on going!

Whether you're a seasoned presenter or just getting into it, there's always something you can improve. Use these tips to keep on progressing and to craft effective presentations that everyone will remember.