MNGT 4701: Strategic Management: Presentation Tips & Tools

Use the Microsoft Office Libguide for a Powerpoint presentation that includes:

• animation
• videos
• audio

1. Get Practice - Rehearse your presentation multiple times before giving in in front of an audience. It will make you more confident and competent when you need to approach the podium.  Remember you can reserve the Presentation Lab.
2. Less is More -  Avoid creating a "script" of your speech on each slide by using keywords rather than sentences. Too many photos or graphics can distract the audience.  Do not use clip art!
3. Slow Down – Nervous and inexperienced speakers tend to talk way to fast. Consciously slow your speech down and add pauses for emphasis.
4. Eye Contact – Match eye contact with everyone in the room.
5. 20-20 Rule – Another suggestion for slideshows. This one says that you should have twenty slides and the presentation should last no more than 20 minutes. The 20-20 Rule forces you to be concise and to keep from boring people.
6. Don’t Read – This one is a no brainer, but somehow Powerpoint makes people think they can get away with it.  Not only is it distracting, it shows you don’t really understand your message, a huge blow to any confidence the audience has in you.
7. Project Your Voice - Nothing is worse than a speaker you can’t hear. Even in the high-tech world of microphones and amplifiers, you need to be heard. Projecting your voice doesn’t mean yelling, rather standing up straight and letting your voice resonate on the air in your lungs rather than in the throat to produce a clearer sound.
8. Breathe In Not Out – Feeling the urge to use presentation killers like ‘um,’ ‘ah,’ or ‘you know’? Replace those with a pause taking a short breath in. The pause may seem a bit awkward, but the audience will barely notice it.
9. Come Early, Really Early – Don’t fumble with powerpoint or hooking up a projector when people are waiting for you to speak. Come early, scope out the room, run through your slideshow and make sure there won’t be any glitches. Preparation can do a lot to remove your speaking anxiety.
10. Don’t Apologize – Apologies are only useful if you’ve done something wrong. Don’t use them to excuse incompetence, apologize for your nervousness or a lack of preparation time. Most audience members can’t detect your anxiety, so don’t draw attention to it.

Adapted from "18 Tips for Killer Presentations" at www.lifehack.com