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14 Dos and Don’ts for an Effective Presentation

Renderforest Staff

16 Jun 2021

7 min read  

Giving a presentation can be stressful. There are just too many balls to keep in the air: an effective opening, audience engagement, body language, visual aids, anxiety management. The list goes on. 

On a positive note, public speaking and presentation skills can be learned and refined. That’s why we put together a list of 14 dos and don’ts that will help you deliver a killer presentation. If you already have your presentation idea and are wondering how to effectively develop and deliver it, this article is for you.

Let’s jump right in and explore the basic rules of making and giving a presentation.

Focus on the Key Message

From the very beginning, the audience should feel that your speech is leading to something important. This is what will spark their curiosity and keep their attention focused. 

Of course, to achieve such an effect, you should actually have something important to communicate. Otherwise, your audience will feel like they wasted their time (and would be right to think so). The material you present should resemble an arrow with a clear point, not an unending loop of words that leads to nowhere. 

But having something worth telling is only part of the job. You also need to make sure that your entire presentation is woven around that key idea. From beginning to end, your core message should be your guiding light. Each sentence should move the audience closer to it, and by the end of the speech, leave them with a sense of illumination.

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Plan the Structure

Planning your speech beforehand is the only way to avoid getting sidetracked. As you think about your message, try to structure it in a way that makes its delivery most effective for the audience.

So, how do you structure a presentation? Consider both the logical and emotional implications of your structure. First, you want to give your listeners enough background information to help them get better acquainted with the topic, but not so much as to get them bored. Once all the need-to-knows are out of the way, make a seamless transition to your main message and start laying out your arguments in a convincing way.

Also, think about the emotional effect you want to achieve in each part of your presentation. The best way to go about it is to capture your audience’s attention right off the bat, which is often considered to be the hardest part of giving a presentation.

“How do I begin a presentation?” is a question you’ve surely asked yourself.  Once you’re done introducing yourself, you can jump into the presentation with a story or an intriguing question. Then, build suspense throughout the speech and release it at the end with a well-grounded closing statement.

Tell a Story

How do you present a topic? As human beings, we’re attracted to stories. This is why we go to the movies, read fiction and, yes, become all ears when hearing gossip. Thus, it’s always a good idea to begin your presentation with a story or even spice it up with one in the middle. This can make all the difference between an engaged and indifferent audience. 

Need some proof? Watch this TED talk and see how the presenter wins the audience over in less than 3 minutes using the magic of a personal story (admittedly, a relatable one).

Keep a Conversational Tone

Many first-time public speakers try a bit too hard to make their speech expressive. As a result, their presentations appear showy and even pompous to the audience.

To prevent this, simply use a conversational tone. Feel like you are communicating your message to individual people, rather than a large alien audience. This will not only ease you up but will help the audience connect to you as well. 

After all, when you really look at it, you are talking to individual people, not their aggregation.

Remember the Takeaway

What is the one thing you’d wish the audience to take away from your speech as they leave the room or the auditorium? Define it in a single phrase or sentence, using straightforward, accessible language, and present it at the end of your presentation. Keep that takeaway in mind when planning your speech, and put a special emphasis on it during the wrap-up.

Source: TED talk by Angela Lee Duckworth

Time your speech.

There’s probably a specific timeframe within which you should complete your speech. Even if it’s not rigidly set, the audience will have certain expectations as to how long your presentation will take. 

Therefore, it’s important to plan beforehand the approximate time your speech should take and set a timer during rehearsals. If your presentation lasts longer than expected, make sure to leave the inessential parts out. 

As you memorize your material, your speech will get smoother and faster. This will also shorten the time required for it. Thus, before making any adjustments to the length of your script, rehearse it a few times.

Do Your Rehearsals  

Practice your speech as many times as necessary to build confidence. This is not to say you should memorize every single word or sentence, but you should know exactly what you need to cover at every point. 

When you’re confident enough about your speech, there’s one less reason to be nervous during the presentation. You can now relax and focus on building rapport with your audience.

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Perhaps, the worst thing you can do during a presentation is to read your script. Even glancing at a paper or screen far too many times is distracting enough. What’s more, your audience will find it difficult to connect to your message, as it will all feel mechanical and staged.

The solution? It’s fairly simple: rehearse, rehearse, rehearse.

Don’t Rely on Slides

A slide should never be the main source of information for the audience. Use it as a mere extension that makes your speech more engaging or credible. Always keep in mind that your audience needs to learn from you , the speaker, not from your slide.

It goes without saying that you shouldn’t stuff any slide with text. Or include so much information (whether textual or visual) that your audience gets overwhelmed and stops following your speech. When it comes to slide design, minimalism is your best friend. 

To know if you’re relying heavily on your slides or not, ask yourself this question: “Will my presentation still make sense without the slides?” If the answer’s no, then you should rethink your script. But, there’s also a fun side to this. When you free your slides of the burden to inform, they can now be used creatively and even enhance the effect of your speech.

Notice how the presenter in the video shown above only turns to slides to highlight or demonstrate a point she made. And if you remove all the slides? The presentation will be just as complete and impactful.

Don’t Use Fancy Slideshows

How a good presentation should look like? Nowadays, there are lots of advanced presentation software and screen-sharing tools one can use to “wow” the audience. The problem with them? “Wowing” your audience with something as trivial as slides is hardly why you’re making your speech. The fewer distractions there are in your presentation, the better. Keep this in mind, and avoid using anything showy. 

Don’t Talk Too Fast (or Slow)

While presenting, it’s recommended to maintain a consistent pace that’s neither too fast nor too slow. Talking fast might cause unnecessary tension in the audience, and excessively slow speech is sure to annoy them.

While different people naturally speak at different paces, it’s still something that can be worked on and modified with enough practice. You can refine your pacing during rehearsals until the preferred pace is second nature to you.

Don’t Forget Backup Slides

You’re about to start your presentation, but the internet connection is too slow, and your slides won’t load. On top of it, you didn’t follow our advice about not relying on slideshows. What do you do?

Well, if you’re considerate enough, you will have a USB flash drive with backup slides. Next time you feel like forgoing this little step, recall this scenario.

Don’t Neglect Body Language

The way you move your body on stage tells a story. And if that story is incoherent with the one you’re telling with your words, disharmony arises. Imagine a speaker is talking about peace and tolerance, yet their every movement is abrupt, hasty, and aggressive. Sure, this might be the result of nervousness, but would you still be able to connect to their message? The answer’s likely to be no.   

When rehearsing your speech, don’t neglect body language. Practice standing tall, keeping your hands open, and your movements relaxed. Avoid pacing on the stage during your presentation, as it may distract or, worse yet, annoy your listeners. 

Check out this TED talk by Emily Esfahani Smith. Pay attention to how her empathetic facial expressions and open hand gestures help to reinforce her message.

And, of course, don’t skip eye contact. Instead of glancing over the entire audience, pick a few individuals from different parts of the room, and establish your eye contact with them. This little trick will help you feel like you’re speaking to one person at a time. And that’s far more manageable than speaking to everyone at once.

To emphasize a point, sometimes, what you need is not words but their absence. Take a pause after you ask a question or make a strong statement. Spare your audience a moment to think, reflect, and ponder. Or leave a gap of silence right before you present something exciting to build suspense and anticipation.

No one expects you to go on talking for 10-15 minutes without a pause. Take a few seconds once in a while to breathe. Draw in deep breaths to collect your thoughts and calm your nerves if the situation calls for it. This is one of the most effective ways to relax when presenting.

These were the things good presentations include. Hopefully, you’ve learned enough from our tips and are now ready to get to work. Delivering effective presentations is not an easy task, but definitely, one that’s worth the effort. If you’d like to create a presentation for your speech or even online platforms, give these customizable templates a try.

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Written by Brent Lacey on July 5, 2020 . Posted in Early Career and Young Professionals , Practice Management .

17 “Do’s” and “Don’ts” for Giving a Great Presentation

Public speaking is the #1 fear for a huge percentage of people .  It’s above the fear of dying for many people.  How can you think about giving a great presentation when you’re worried about even giving a basic presentation?

I’ve been doing public speaking events for over a decade, but it definitely wasn’t an easy journey.  It’s hard to get comfortable talking in front of groups of 10 people, let alone a hundred or a thousand.  Still, this is a skill that you can learn and even master with some study and practice.

Let’s look at some major “do’s” and “don’ts” for creating a great presentation.

11 “Do’s” for Giving a Great Presentation

1. believe that giving a great presentation is a learnable skill..

Giving a good presentation is a learnable skill.   Even true introverts can give excellent presentations.   In fact, introverted people actually tend to plan better presentations though they may be more afraid to give them.  Extroverts are more likely to “wing it” but are more naturally comfortable being on a stage.

Both approaches have value, but both have their pitfalls.  Learning to give a great speech isn’t like putting a hammer to a nail.  It’s an organic process, and it takes time to get good at it.  But, through practice and repetition, you can be an amazing presenter !

2. Prepare for the presentation!

It takes a tremendous amount of work to make something appear effortless.  My general rule of thumb is to allocate 45-60 minutes of preparation time for every 5 minutes of speaking time .  So, for an hour-long presentation, I may prepare 10-12 hours ahead of time.

One important question is whether script the entire speech.  It depends on what you’re speaking about, but it’s generally advisable to not script 100% of your remarks.  It’s good to rehearse but not “sound rehearsed.”  Outline the presentation, make notes of any stories you want to tell and major points to drive home.  But, it’s not critical that you script every single word.

You can also prepare by having great-looking slides that will impress your audience.  That will give you more confidence going into the presentation.

3. When you’re with your peers, it’s ok to “speak your geek.”

Know your audience!  If you’re speaking to a group of colleagues, you don’t need to “dumb things down.”  It’s good to speak in layman’s terms with patients and audiences who are unfamiliar with your work.  However, with peers, feel free to use technical jargon that’s widely understood.

4. Use stories to transform your communication.

Listeners will only remember data 5% of the time, but they’ll remember stories 60% of the time .  That’s because stories are how we naturally communuicate !  Our brains are wired to think that way.

Listen to the podcast episode with Nancy Duarte to learn the formula for creating the most memorable story.  

Every presentation is more memorable with stories.  In fact, stories may be the only parts of your presentation that anyone remembers.  One thing you can do is build a “story library” for yourself.  Basically, that’s a collection of 10-20 stories that are memorable/impactful to you that you can pull out and use in a variety of different presentations when the need arises.

5. Develop a good “pre-talk ritual.”

Immediately prior to your presentation, what are you doing to get yourself ready to go up on stage?  Some people like to “pump themselves up,” and others prefer to “calm themselves down.”  I’m more of a calm-yourself-down kind of presenter.

If I’m presenting at a conference, for example, I like to sit in on the presentation right before mine and just listen.  I shut my brain off and don’t think about my presentation at all.  It’s helpful for me to be calm and just relax.  Otherwise, I find that I “get in my head” too much and I start getting anxious.

I know other people that prefer to listen to some Rocky music and box an imaginary punching bag.  Whatever your needs, pick a pre-talk ritual that helps you get in the right frame of mind so you can go out on that stage and crush it!

6. Follow the structure of a great presentation as outlined in Nancy Duarte’s podcast episode.

Jump to 19:52 to hear Nancy eloquently express the formula of a great presentation.  This is backed by thousands of analyses from the greatest speeches in history.

7. Use repetition, familiar phrases, imagery, and metaphors to help transport the audience.

If you’ve ever listened to Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, you’ll hear him use a lot of references that would have been familiar to his audience.  These references include Scriptures, hymns, and cultural references.

He also used repetition to great effect.  The phrase “I have a dream” appears 8 times in his speech.  That repetition made the speech more memorable and helped transport the audience to a new plane of comprehension.

8. Have the right level of emotional appeal to fit your audience.

Passion and emotion are good, but it needs to fit the “mood” of the audience to some degree.  You’re probably not going to do well giving a eulogy if you’re yelling and pumping people up like it’s halftime at the Super Bowl.

Emotional appeals are good and can help audience members  feel  the weight of your words in a more high-impact way.  Just make sure to “read the room” as you consider how to bring emotion into the presentation.  Sitting in the presentation before yours can be a great way to gauge how the people in the room are feeling.

9. Use your presentation to translate to real growth in your business.

If you’re doing public speaking, what’s the point?  That is, what value does the speaking engagement bring to your business?  If you’re just in it to make money or get some experience, that’s fine as far as that goes.  But, a speaking engagement could be more valuable in propelling your business growth forward.

Are you going to a conference ?  You can network with other presenters and look for opportunities to collaborate.  You could meet the attendees and perhaps earn some new clients.

Speeches can also help establish you as a thought leader.  If your speech is being recorded, a great presentation can even be an opportunity for free promotion.

Whatever your plan, be intentional!  If you get invited to speak at an event, take that opportunity and use it for real business growth!

10. Use a speaking coach.

I haven’t used a speaking coach before, but I’ve definitely been considering it since my interview with Nancy Duarte .  Even the most seasoned veterans can benefit from coaching.

A good speaking coach can show you how to change your inflection, insert pauses and places to emphasize your points, and help you craft the structure of your speech.  You might not be able to afford one when you’re first starting out, but it’s worth considering if you’re going to be doing public speaking on a regular basis.

11. Use data to support your presentation.

Data are important to support the validity and authority of your talk, but you’ve got to weave it effectively into the story structure.  Don’t just spout random bits of data with no context.  Offer the data as supporting evidence within your story narrative.

6 “Don’ts” for Giving a Great Presentation

1. don’t be the hero in your story..

Always be the guide in your story !  The  audience is the hero.  You don’t want to be Luke Skywalker!   You want to be Yoda!!  The hero is the lead character in the story.  If you make yourself the hero, the audience who already thinks of themselves as the hero sees you as competition in the story.

If you play the guide instead, the audience looks to you to help them solve their problems.  Always be the guide, not the hero!!

2. Don’t be afraid to speak “off the cuff” occasionally.

I don’t generally advise “winging it,” but sometimes a little extemporaneous speaking is called for.  This is where the “story library” idea can come in handy.  You may be able to tell the same story in a variety of settings and emphasize different aspects of the story each time.  This strategy can give the feel of spontaneity but with the confidence of you generally knowing what you’re going to say.

3. Don’t create slides in a “linear fashion.”

When you’re creating a slide deck, don’t just do it in a linear fashion (e.g. slide 1, slide 2, etc).   Start with the “guiding light” or main central point, and then every slide serves to drive home that central point.  You should be constantly driving your audience towards that central point.  All slides support that central point because it may be the only point your audience remembers.

4. Don’t read directly off the powerpoint slides.

I have gotten up and left in the middle of lectures when the lecturer was reading directly off the slides.  It’s so boring!  I can read faster than they talk.  They aren’t saying anything new by the time I’m finished reading, so I’m ready to move on to the next thing.

Powerpoint slides are fine, and you can even use it as a sort of teleprompter, but just don’t read directly off it!  Did you know you can hit the “B” button to turn your screen black or “W” to turn the screen white?    Then, you could use the powerpoint as a teleprompter and the audience doesn’t see it.

Put one central point on each slide and use it as a way to jog your memory for what you want to say.  You can have a couple of hundred slides with only one point or image per slide and it’s better than having 20 that are jam-packed with too much info.

5. Don’t use the podium as a crutch.

Move around the stage!   It projects confidence and keeps the audience engaged.  The best way to feel comfortable moving around the stage is spending a lot of time preparing the presentation beforehand.  Then, you’ll feel more confident breaking away from the podium.

6. Don’t be so afraid of public speaking that you never give it a try!

Public speaking is a genuine fear for a lot of people, but it’s so much fun!  You can do it!  Just give it a shot!

Final Thoughts

Public speaking isn’t an innate talent, and it’s not limited to extreme extroverts and “naturally charismatic” people.   Anyone can learn to be a public speaker.   If you’re worried about how it’ll go, start small.  Join the Toastmasters or similar club in your area.  Get with a speaking coach.  Read, study, and learn the tips and techniques of the best speakers.

Then, start looking for opportunities to speak to others.  Start with yourself, your friends, and your family.  Move up to local clubs and organizations, then gradually step it up from there.  There’s so much value in being good at public speaking, and I think it’s worth it to step out in faith and try!

Further Reading

• Listen to the companion podcast episode with Nancy Duarte
• 5 Big Mistakes Physicians Make with Social Media
• What Makes a Great Physician Leader?  10 Lessons from a Surgeon General.

Please leave a comment below!  What’s your top tip for someone interested in public speaking?

Full Disclosure: Some of the links to the resources listed above may be affiliate links, which means that I will receive a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. But it doesn’t cost you anything extra—it’s just a way to show you appreciate what we do here. Thanks for this.

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• Presentation Design

Presentation Do’s and Don’ts: What You Need to Know

Camille del Rosario

Giving a presentation can be a nerve-wracking experience, especially if you’re not fond of public speaking. Luckily, there are ways you can improve your talk and give maximum value to your listeners. Your public speaking skills — like speaking clearly and minding your body language — are important. But you also have to complement this with good and effective presentation design .

There are a lot of things that you can do to improve your presentation design and delivery method, from using attention-grabbing images and PowerPoint graphics to enhancing interactivity with the audience. In this article, we list all the important do’s and don’ts when giving a presentation to amplify the value that listeners will get from your pitch.

Presentation Do’s 

1. plan the structure.

You might have a lot of information you want to share with your audience. The first part of your preparation should be planning your structure.

• You can’t deliver a huge load of information at once, so create an organized guide for you to follow throughout your talk.
• Start with providing your listeners with background information about you and the topic.
• Next, highlight your main message or key point and then supplement it with data-based arguments backed by verified sources.
• Finally, plan your concluding thoughts or CTA to maximize your presentation’s impact.

With all the points that you need to make, it’s easy to get sidetracked and lose your train of thought. If there’s one thing you can take away from these tips, it’s to never give a presentation unprepared.

2. Use the Rule of Thirds

Have you ever seen a presentation deck so rife with information that it becomes too much? There’s a reason minimalism is good practice when designing your slides. If there are too many things going on on your presentation deck, you run the risk of distracting your listeners and overloading their brains with too much information.

Generally, you should keep it simple by using centered or symmetrical layouts. But sometimes, your content doesn’t allow for a strictly symmetrical layout. Your slide may end up looking unbalanced or unfinished.

Using the rule of thirds is a good principle to counter that. Imagine that your slide is divided into three equal parts vertically and horizontally. Place text, images, or other objects on each section of the grid to make the slide as balanced and aesthetically pleasing as possible. This helps you align the objects in your deck in a way that’s easy on the eyes and gives room for white space.

3. Use Negative Space Generously

Negative space is the “blank” part of a design — no elements whatsoever. But just because they’re blank doesn’t mean they don’t serve a purpose. Negative space, also known as white space, is an important functional element of your design. They help clear up the layout so that the audience’s eyes are drawn only to the most important parts.

Using negative space will greatly improve your audience’s ability to absorb and retain information. It’s a common beginner design mistake to fill up every corner with text and graphics, but don’t give in to the temptation!

4. Think Twice When Choosing Stock Photos

Overcrowded layouts and big blocks of text are off-putting for audiences. If you saw walls of text in a PowerPoint presentation, most likely, you wouldn’t be motivated to read every single line from start to finish. That’s why you need to add attention-grabbing visuals.

When adding visuals to your presentation, stock photos are a good resource. But make sure that you maintain a selective attitude when using them. Instead of settling with the first photo that pops up after a query, conduct a more specific search and find photos that are relevant to your topic.

Images have been shown to increase retention by up to 24%, so adding them to your presentation will keep your listeners engaged. Try to keep the text as minimal as possible and instead incorporate more images or visuals that are captivating, high-resolution, and relevant to your presentation.

5. Choose Your Fonts & Colors Carefully

The fonts and colors you use in your presentation deck can make or break its ability to engage your audience and provide important information. In line with keeping your slides simple, choose fonts that are readable and use only colors that are easy on the eye.

Make sure your color choices are on-brand — or at the very least, relevant to your topic. Pastel colors and monochromatic palettes are a trendy choice these days. So are neon elements on dark backgrounds. But as long as they provide enough clarity and contrast, it’s totally your choice!

When it comes to fonts, go for the simplest choices. But your font doesn’t have to be boring! A great way to tell if a font is appropriate for a presentation is to do a size test. If a font is easy to read at a very small size, then it’s workable. (But that’s just a test — in your actual presentation, remember to keep your font sizes big and friendly!)

6. Let Your Passion Shine Through with Storytelling and a Conversational Tone

Even if you’re speaking about a formal or technical topic, it doesn’t mean that you can’t be casual in your presentation. People appreciate listening to someone who’s human and who they can relate to, making story-telling a valuable skill in public speaking. Stories also help people retain information better!

Engage your audience by telling a story that’s related to your main point. You can start your presentation with a backstory or capture attention halfway through. And while you’re story-telling and providing value to your audience, make sure that you’re showing them how interested and passionate you are about the topic at hand.

7. Use Audience Engagement Strategies

As much as possible, you want to keep your audience engaged from start to finish. Aside from adopting the best practices in speech delivery and presentation design, you may also want to make your talk more interactive. Here are a few ways you can do this:

• Involve your audience in the conversation. Ask them questions every couple of minutes or tell a short story or two to keep their eyes and ears on you.
• Make eye contact with your audience and pay attention to your own nonverbal cues like gestures, posture, and facial expression.
• Rehearse and time your speech. It’s easy to lose track of time during a presentation, so make sure you know how much of your audience’s time you’re taking by conducting a timed rehearsal. As a bonus, this will also help you gain clarity about the flow of your talk or even help you anticipate questions and reactions.

Information is not hard to come by, especially in the digital age. Your audience can easily get access to and learn about the topics you’re going to talk about from other resources. So what makes your presentation special? In the end, there’s still nothing that can compare to hearing it from a professional who can deliver this information in a more intimate and engaging manner.

8. End Your Presentation With a Key Question or Call to Action

You can’t always guarantee that your audience will remember everything you discussed in your presentation. So it’s important that you identify your main point — the one thing that you want to leave your audience with.

So before presenting, make sure you’ve identified “the one idea to rule them all.” Summarize what you discussed in a single statement, which can be in the form of an insight, question, or action. Doing this will get your audience thinking and allow them to appreciate what your presentation was really about.

Presentation Don’ts

1. don’t use too much text.

You’re not writing a book — your slides are meant to be observed for several seconds with minimal effort from the viewer. You have a limited hold on your audience’s attention. Don’t risk being boring via information overload and keep text at a minimum.

For more complex information, use short sentences divided into three to five bullet points per slide. You can also use data visualizers like charts and graphs, but remember to simplify these as well by only using a few variables at a time.

And if you really want to provide lengthy content, consider providing your audience with presentation aids like printed handouts or links to digital documents that they can study at their leisure after your presentation.

2. Don’t Just Read the Slides Out Loud

If your slides contain absolutely everything you want your audience to know, then what are you there for? Trust us — you don’t want your audience sitting there thinking, “This could have been an email.” Make the most of their time by making your presence valuable.

Giving a presentation is more than just about relaying information. It’s also about engaging with your audience by provoking wonder, emotion, interest, and action. Your presence is needed to lend credibility and authenticity to the information you’ll provide. So refrain from reading your slides out loud! You’re a human talking to humans. Make your front-and-center moment matter.

3. Don’t Talk Too Fast or Too Slow

If you’ve ever attended a talk where the speaker spoke too fast, you were probably tense the whole time only to end up without a single takeaway from the presentation. Or if the speaker spoke too slowly, you might have found yourself dozing off halfway through.

Speak at a moderate, conversational speed to help your audience understand you clearly. Don’t forget to modulate your pitch and volume. It’s okay to get excited — but don’t let emotion get in the way of your delivery. Even when you’re at your most passionate, avoid bellowing, screeching, or whispering.

Basically, clear speech is a matter of avoiding all extremes. You can do it with practice, practice, practice!

4. Don’t Overuse Charts and Graphs

Charts and graphs are valuable visual cues that help you express important numbers or statistics — but there is such a thing as overusing them. Sure, your audience will be able to absorb information from one to two charts, but if you use them more than ten times in your entire presentation, for example, the chances of your audience being able to understand and retain that information are slim.

Again, if you really think your audience should have a truckload of information at hand, then email or print out the relevant documents for them. If you manage to capture their genuine interest during your simplified presentation, they are more likely to seek out additional information later on.

5. Don’t Use Hard-to-Read Fonts

Your audience will rely on your presentation to guide them through understanding the topic you’re discussing. Make sure that your points are readable and clearly state the key points. You don’t have to use the most aesthetic font available. Stick to basic and easy-to-read options.

Broken fonts can really ruin a presentation, so here’s a little secret. For maximum portability, use easily accessible web fonts like Google Fonts . This way, you’ll be able to have access to them no matter what device you use to present — all you need is an internet connection.

6. Don’t Use a Low-Contrast Color Palette

Contrast is one of the main principles of design. It can be expressed in different ways — through size, shape, texture, and most commonly, color. Contrast helps establish hierarchy, effectively informing viewers what they are looking at.

With low contrast, it’s difficult to tell the difference between two colors that are side by side. The highest contrast possible is black and white, which is why many presentations simply use black text on white backgrounds (or vice versa).

But plain black and white presentations can get really old, really fast. Using a more diverse color palette will add interest to your presentations. Just make sure to amp up the contrast by using dark colors on light colors and light colors on dark colors.

7. Don’t Use Too Many Effects

One of the exciting features of presentation software is your ability to add transition effects to your slides. While these were fun in high school, they’re not necessarily at home in formal pitch decks and corporate presentations.

Using too many effects can distract your audience and deter them from absorbing the more important points of your presentation. Keep the dazzling effects to a minimum and make your slides as simple as possible.

8. Don’t Use Irrelevant and Low-Resolution Images

Stock or custom images are a very good way to keep your audience engaged, but you have to make sure to use good-quality images that are actually relevant to the topic at hand.

Using blurry, pixelated, or low-quality photos will set you up for a negative impression. And irrelevant images make it pretty obvious that you didn’t spend enough time on your deck. Weird or off-topic image choices can really impact your credibility. Fortunately, there are loads of creative resources available online today, many of them free or affordable.

Ready to Put Your Presenter Hat On?

These tips will definitely help you position yourself as an expert in your subject matter. You don’t need to be a graphic designer to create truly engaging presentations that are easy on the eye.

But we know that the fear of public speaking is one of the most common phobias — this means that for most people, having to design and present slideshows can feel like a little too much work! So if you need a boost, we’re here to help. With Design Pickle’s Presentation Design services, you can win over your audience with engaging, well-designed, and on-brand presentation designs that stand out from the competition. No sweat!

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Oral Presentations: Do’s & Don’ts

• Be organized! The more organized and focused your presentation is, the more relaxed you’ll feel.
• Breathe! It helps you relax.
• Don’t try to cover too much material. Remember you only have 7-10 minutes.
• Do speak clearly, slowly and at an appropriate level for your audience.
• Use vocabulary that is appropriate for your audience. If you use new vocabulary, make sure you explain it and write it on the board.
• Do make eye contact with all members of your audience.
• Do move around.
• Do use hand gestures.
• Do allow the audience to ask questions at the end of your presentation.
• Don’t read your presentation. You can use short notes, but reading a presentation is unnatural; also, it makes it very difficult for your audience to follow.
• Do practice your presentation with a partner or in front of the mirror.
• Do remember to thank your audience and introduce the next speaker.
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College classroom presentations and public speaking: 10 dos and don’ts.

BY KATE LARSON

Public speaking is a skill that’s valued by employers the world over, which is why many courses at university include presentations as part of their assessment criteria.

While some might assume presenting in front of your classmates is easier than a room of strangers, in many cases, it’s not. To make sure you’ve got the confidence to put your best foot forward, we’ve compiled a list of ten essential presentations dos and don’ts.

Even the most confident of public speakers should never wing a presentation. Rehearsing will make you feel more comfortable with what you’re presenting, which will, in turn, stop you from freezing in front of your classmates.

Use Imagery

Human brains process images 60,000 times faster than text. Therefore, you should always try to present your findings in an aesthetically-pleasing presentation that visualizes numerical data into charts. If design isn’t your thing, try using a free online presentation maker such as Flipsnack. Presentation tools such as these allow you to add sound, images, video, and other media to slides using a simple click and drop format.

  Reduce the Word Count

Each slide you create should focus on communicating one point. The written content on that slide should support what you’re about to expand on orally. Although there isn’t a limit on how many words you should use per slide, a good rule of thumb is that it shouldn’t take longer than ten seconds to read. Keeping to this rule will allow your classmates the time to take in the information before you begin talking. It will also give you a brief moment to compose yourself between slides.

Get Your Classmates Involved

One easy way to capture the attention of your classmates (and teacher) is to ask them questions during your presentation. These questions can be broken down into two main categories: rhetorical and interactive.

Rhetorical questions aren’t designed to elicit a verbal response from a listener but will keep them engaged in what you’re telling them. Some examples include:

“How many times have you thought about…?”

“How many of you have gone…?”

Interactive questions, one the other hand, encourage verbal participation from an audience. They should, however, be close-ended. Otherwise, you may find yourself listening to an array of responses, or, worst of all, none at all. Some examples include:

“Out of these options, which is your favorite?”

“By a show of hands, how many of you agree with this opinion?

Keep Eye Contact

Eye contact is what connects you to your listeners. It creates the impression that you’re confident in what you’re presenting. If you’re not looking at your audience, they’re not looking at you. When that happens, it’s easy for their concentration to drift.

Speak Too Quickly

Nerves have a profound effect on the speed in which we talk. Professor Raymond H. Hull explained in his 2017 book, The Art of Presenting: Your Competitive Edge, how fast talkers can reach speeds that exceed the brain’s natural ability to understand what is being said without concerted effort. Although there isn’t an overnight cure to speaking too quickly, recording yourself and listening back is a good way of comprehending just how easy it’s for listeners to take in what you’re saying.

Forget Your Personality

Don’t worry if you’re not naturally confident or charismatic. These aren’t necessarily prerequisites for a good presentation. What you do need to be, however, is relatable and honest. Your audience needs to feel a human element in your presentation so that they feel a connection with you, and consequently, your presentation.

Read Your Slides Aloud

This follows on from the last point. Simply reading aloud what is written on your slides points to a lack of preparation. Worst yet, it’s boring. Using physical cue cards to jot down the important pieces of information to convey for each slide is the easiest way to overcome this problem. Write small hints that will help to jog your memory when presenting. Remember, you shouldn’t just repeat what is already on your slide; you need to expand on it.

  Try to Be Funny

Humor that reads well on paper doesn’t always translate well to speech. Unfortunately, a joke that lands flat on its face could see your confidence plummet and affect the rest of your presentation. For those reasons alone, it’s best to leave humor out of your presentations until you become more confident in public speaking.

Forget to Prepare for Questions

Q&A sessions are common at the end of a presentation. If your lecturer has asked you to prepare for this, try to envisage the types of questions you may be asked and prepare some appropriate responses.

Kate Larson is a college student and aspiring blogger, who has a strong interest in the environment and personal well-being. She enjoys travelling and reading, as well as writing novels.

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Presentation Training Institute

A division of bold new directions training, the do’s and don’ts of giving a presentation.

Preparing a presentation is not an easy task. It can be quite a challenge to compress a million ideas into a concise and powerful presentation. What adds to the challenge is finding a way to present the material so that it connects with the audience. Even the most knowledgeable people can lose their audience due to inadequate presentation skills. The good news is that presentation skills can be learned and refined. That’s why we have put together a list of do’s and don’ts that will help you deliver a more dynamic and effective presentation. 

The DO’S of an Effective Presentation: 

* Practice and Rehearse: We have all heard that practice makes perfect and a presentation is no exception. If you really want to deliver a great presentation it requires a great deal of practice and rehearsing. Practice in front of family, friends, or colleagues and invite them to provide helpful feedback. It can even be helpful to record yourself so you can see what areas could use improvement. 

*Start with a Catchy Opening: You only have one chance to make a good first impression so you want to capture your audience’s attention right away with a catchy opening. Try using a meaningful quote, a startling statistic, or even a personal story to grab your audience. Audiences will decide in those first few minutes whether or not they will pay attention to the rest of your presentation so you need to hook them right from the start. 

*Make Eye Contact: Eye contact is extremely important in order to connect with your audience. 70% of communication is in your body language so it’s important to maintain eye contact throughout your presentation. 

*Slow Down and Speak with Emphasis: Speak slowly and clearly and enunciate your words so your audience can understand what you are saying. Pause briefly between points, giving your audience time to absorb what you are saying. You also want to use inflection to add meaning to your message. This is a great way to emphasize key points and emotions. 

*Use Visuals: A picture is worth a thousand words so illustrate your points using pictures, charts, graphs, or videos. Not only does this increase your audience’s understanding, but it makes your presentation more interesting. 

*Engage Your Audience: Make your audience feel part of the presentation by engaging with them as you speak. Ask questions, take a poll, play a game, or encourage your audience to interact with you in some other way. This helps keep their attention and increases the energy level in the room. 

The DON’TS of Giving a Presentation

*Don’t Read from Your Slides: It’s perfectly acceptable to use a slideshow in your presentations, but you should never read directly from your slides. The text on your slides should be short and concise and serve as a guide for your speaking points. 

*Don’t Read from a Script: You will sound like a robot and miss out on opportunities to connect with your audience. This will prevent you from making eye contact and it makes the presentation feel very impersonal. 

*Don’t Talk Too Fast: It’s easy to begin speaking quickly when you are nervous but speaking too quickly makes it difficult for the audience to understand you, let alone absorb the information. 

*Don’t Fidget with Your Hands: Avoid fidgeting with your hands while you are speaking. Not only is this extremely distracting, but it lets the audience know that you are nervous and it can take away from your credibility. 

*Don’t Use Filler Words: Avoid saying words like “um†or “and†when you are speaking. Practice pausing and thinking in your head instead of using unnecessary filler words. 

*Don’t Pace Around: Try not to pace around the stage when you are talking, as this can be distracting and annoying to your audience. Move around the stage, but do so with purpose. 

9 Dos and Don’ts of Presenting

Henry Caplan explains what you should and shouldn’t do during your next presentation.

1. Do – Manage your nerves

Often our nerves are internalised. There is always a difference between our perception of ourselves and how others see us. Sometimes this perspective can help with nerves as well.

So seek out feedback from people you trust when practising, but during your presentation take your time and try to enjoy your moment; chances are you don’t look anywhere near as nervous as you feel.

Remember, trying to deny nerves makes them worse. You can use nerves as energy.

2. Don’t – Use filler words

Many presentations begin with ‘so… um…’ and we all have moments where a filler creeps in. They take up space and they make us look unprofessional or unprepared, even when we’re not.

Instead of saying ‘errr…’ as you move to the next point or answer a question, take your time and take a breath if you have to. Silence for a couple of seconds is more powerful than a ‘well, er, anyway…’ ever will be.

3. Do – Move your hands but not without purpose

Failing to move your hands during a presentation is a sure way of making you look stiff and nervous.

I recommend starting with a relaxed one hand over the other about at the belly button in front of you. This is hands at rest; a fixed position when we want to be still.

Next position is hands in motion. You can have quite an impact when you use your hands to illustrate a point. Then when you complete a gesture, back to hands at rest.

I am not a fan of holding a pencil, pen, notes, clicker, clasping a podium. It tends to either be distracting or deaden our energy.

The only question I ever ask around hands is… Are you moving them with purpose? A sure-fire way to know if you are moving with purpose is if a gesture has an end. If not, you’re probably fidgeting.

Can you have your hands by your side? Absolutely, as long as they are not behind your back, in your pockets, flailing around or clasping onto something for dear life.

4. Don’t – Visualise your presentation going badly

It can be very easy for some people to get caught up in thoughts of their presentation going badly, and because they become preoccupied by their own fears, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Try to focus on what you’re saying and what’s coming up next, but if you start to become self-conscious remember to take your time and find your position, and that it’s probably going better than you might fear. Resist the desire to analyse your progress whilst still giving your talk.

5. Don’t – Panic if you make a mistake

If you need to reiterate a point you perhaps garbled or gave incorrect information for, calmly correct yourself and don’t apologise; apologising is unnecessary, wastes time, and can make you look weak.

6. Do – Humanise your audience

If you can ask a question as you set up, you are already building the relationship and establishing rapport. By humanising your audience, you can also manage nerves. Sometimes even starting a talk with a question can create a response that helps you focus outward and reduces nerves.

If you build the audience up in your mind as a room of brutal critics, and fail to recognise that they’re human and have flaws and worries of their own, you risk overloading your nerves and failing to reach out to them.

7. Don’t – Let your guard down

Especially relevant after your presentation has finished, relaxing is good but letting your guard down with a ‘thank God that’s over, I hate public speaking,’ sort of phrase won’t do anything for your professional image.

The credibility of your presentation can be severely damaged if you become too friendly with the audience or reveal things you shouldn’t afterwards.

They don’t need to know how nervous you were. Relax and remember you’re still presenting until you leave the room.

8. Do – Ask questions

The question and answer session is easily forgotten at the end of a presentation, but is vital to demonstrating your knowledge and settling any problems. Answering questions clearly can really give the audience the sense that you know what you’re talking about.

The final Q & A is important, but it’s also good to ask questions throughout the presentation. This keeps the audience engaged and can be a useful tool if you forget anything or need a moment to find your place.

Henry Caplan

9. Do – Enjoy it

It’s a tough call for many people who dread giving presentations, but try to enjoy it! You’ve got a room full of people listening to you!

If you are too nervous or can’t enjoy it, try to learn from it, and just think – next time you’ll be a little bit better.

With thanks to Henry Caplan, an Interpersonal Skills Consultant at Working Voices

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The digital classroom, transforming the way we learn

Articles and "Free lesson plans on the go"

Teaching the Do’s and don’ts of presentations!

Many students are are working on oral presentations as a way of the final assessment these days. They are usually started off by a presentation. Many of my students have been reading of notes they brought with them. That is the difference between those who get an A and those who don’t. Because if you really know your material, you are avoiding the don’ts automatically. I’m including the points from the article found at Educational Technology and Mobile Learning here.

Lesson plan

In groups of 2 read throught the do’s and don’ts and look at the infographic. Together make a presentation where you give advice to students preparing for their exam.

The key Do’s of presenting:

• Practice your presentation
• Introduce yourself to the audience
• Maintain eye contact with the audience
• Use props, handouts and videos for added interest
• Always ask if the audience has any questions

The key Don’ts of presenting:

• Talk at a steady speed, not too fast or too slow
• Avoid reading from your slides at all costs
• Try not to pace up and down due to your nerves
• Avoid saying ‘um’ within a sentence
• Try your best not to fidget with your hands

I’m also including the infographic, created by  Walkerstone ,

Please include attribution to walkerstone.com with this graphic.

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Dos and Don’ts for Your Oral Presentation

• Keep to the time limit at all cost!
• Always look at your audience.
• Always try to speak rather than read from your notes.
• Speak loudly and clearly and try to maintain eye contact with your listeners. Make regular breaks of 3 seconds.
• Give your listeners the chance to ask questions (you could tell them beforehand whether you would like them to keep their questions until the end of the presentation or whether they can ask in the course of it).
• the most important points (but not your whole presentation!),
• all the sources you have used,
• perhaps important quotations or examples,
• an image or information you think is vital.
• Always spell-check the handout.
• Use visualising materials, e.g. mind-maps, tables, transparency, pictures, film sequences,...
• Remember to entertain your audience, keep them active and awake, e.g. by discussion questions, small activities, provoking statements,...
• Always practice in advance.
• Be on time for your presentation, check and prepare all the technical devices you need before class starts.
• Remember: Next time, you are in the audience so treat your listeners in the same way as you want to be treated.
• Don’t ever exceed the time limit.
• Never turn away from your audience
• Don’t read from your text, speak freely.
• Don’t mumble, don’t speak too quickly.
• Don’t look down, don’t fiddle around with something (e.g. your hair or a pen) ;-).
• Never download material from the internet when preparing your handout without acknowledging it: write your own text.
• Don’t send your audience to sleep.

-> For some general guidelines:

Presler, Gerd und Jürgen Döhmann: Referate schreiben – Referate halten. Ein Ratgeber. München: Fink, 2004.

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DO`S AND DON`TS OF ORAL PRESENTATIONS

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