Nobody likes boring presentations. Even worse, boring presentations don't provide any value to viewers. If you're giving a talk or a presentation, don't bore your audience! Just follow some advice from Garr Reynolds and his Presentation Zen method.
Realize that your presentation is an opportunity to tell a story and impart some knowledge. Don't make people do the work of trying to figure out the purpose of your presentation. Tell them what it is.
Don't give it all away. This is perhaps the most important piece of advice: don't put your entire presentation, word for word, on the PowerPoint slide. Pick out the main points and then do the hard work yourself and speak semi-extemporaneously (you'll need to memorize a little). You can't ask the audience to get down in the trenches with you--they want a succinct presentation with key points illustrated on the screen in front of them, so give them that.
Bring some design to your presentations. No, you don't have to be a graphics guru, but try to stay away from using the cartoonish images that came with your laptop. That's a sin. Try iStockphoto, which usually has some good options that can add visual interest to your presentation. And while this does make more time, it's better than polluting your screen with massive quantities of text. People want to be enlightened, not overwhelmed.
Make transitions seamless. You don't want to look like you're doing a lot of work to make your presentation or you'll make the audience tired, too. One of the easiest ways to make flawless transitions in your presentations is by purchasing an Apple Remote if you've got an Apple laptop, or a mini slide changer if you've got a PC. Seems like a no-brainer, but I see a lot of presentations where people forget to do this and fumble around as they move through the presentation.
For more advice, watch the Presentation Zen video, part of the Google Talk series, below.
Resource, tips and tricks
- Control PowerPoint or Keynote with Apple Remote - My favorite is Remote Buddy
- Tiny wireless remote for PCs
- Know your audience before you get there, ask questions
- flickr and Google Image Search for free images
- Learn from Nancy Duarte, she teaches TED presenters
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