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Presentation Checklist

You owe your audience and yourself a good presentation, but creating an effective presentation takes planning and practice. Here are some pointers:

Start preparing early; don't wait until the last few days to prepare

• prepare it early, let it rest a little bit and come back to it
• practice your entire presentation-including your slides
• if you can practice it before a group of colleagues or friends
• Timing is everything!
  • Practice your presentation OUT LOUD and time each section
  • Notate in your materials:
    • Length of introduction
    • Mid-point
    • Conclusion
    • Time for Q&A
  • Avoid rushing the end of your presentation because you spent too much time lingering in the middle

Think about Your Audience:

• who are they and why are they here;
• what are their interests;
• what do they know; what do they want to know; what is a worthwhile investment in their time

Be clear about your purpose:

• are you informing or persuading;
• tell them what you are going to do, tell them, tell them what you told them;
• what do you want the audience to know, feel, or believe afterwards

Use an Effective Introduction:

• orient the audience; explain why it is important; set the tone,
• establish a relationship between the speaker and the audience; establish credibility;
• avoid weak introductions such as apologies, jokes, rhetorical questions

Organize your presentation clearly and simply:

• prioritize topics and allocate time accordingly
• stick to only 3-5 main points;
• have a well thought pattern (examples are problem/solution, chronological, cause and effect, topical);
• use transitions to move smoothly from one point to the next

Use supporting materials to flesh out main points

• use examples, statistics, expert opinions, anecdotes

Compose for the Ear, not for the Eye:

• use simple words, simple sentences, markers, repetition, images, personal language ("You" and "I")

Create an Effective Conclusion:

• summarize, set final image, provide closure; don't trail off, don't use trite phrases
• don't just present data or summarized results and leave the audience to draw its own conclusions
• you have had much more time to work with your information than your audience; share your insight and understanding and tell them what you've concluded from your work

Sound spontaneous, conversational, enthusiastic-

• use key phrases in your notes so you don't have to read, use the overhead instead of notes;
• vary volume, don't be afraid of silence, don't use fillers like "um"...
• Practice, Practice, Practice

Use Body Language Effectively:

• relaxed gestures
• make eye contact
• don't play with a pen or pointer,
• don't block visual aids

Use Visual Aids to Enhance the Message:

• PowerPoint presentations and transparencies must be designed and used properly in order to be effective
• use visuals to reinforce and clarify, not overwhelm;
• keep visual aids uncluttered; use titles to guide the audience
• if you use tapes or disks, make sure the equipment is compatible

Reference: Dunn, K. 2000. Train the trainer: Effective presentation skills for Facilitators. San Diego: Gateway Computers, Inc.