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One of the big challenges that we have to overcome as speakers is that we tend to think that if we don’t get the audience to understand EVERYTHING that we know about the subject that we are speaking on, then we have failed as a speaker. That is an impossible standard to live up to, but it is what most of us have in mind when we are designing our presentations.

For most people, we begin to design our presentations by thinking about everything that we know about the subject, and then trying to catalogue that information either on paper or into a PowerPoint slideshow. Once we get everything written down, the next step is to try to figure out how to get ALL of that information into the timeframe that we have for the speech.

This type of preparation makes it very difficult for your audience to come away with a concise understanding of what you covered, and makes it extremely difficult to deliver. (By the way, it makes you BOOOOORING too.)

One of the things that we know about the human mind is that we like to compartmentalize things, and the brain likes to focus on just a few key pieces of information at a time. So instead of trying to pack your presentation with a ton of data, focus on just a few key items at a time.

The brain can comprehend one item pretty easily. Two items are not so tough to remember. Three items give a balance between variety and precision. Four or five items in one sitting are okay, but make it more difficult to retain the information. Once the information that you are covering exceeds five key points, it will be extremely difficult for your audience to remember the items that you covered. Since that is the case, limit your talking points to just a few key concepts, and then back up those key points with data, stories, analogies, etc. to add some meat to your presentation.

If you have a lot of information that you HAVE to present to your audience and it is critical that the audience remembers the information, then it’s a good idea to give them the information in bite-sized pieces. A good way to do this is to take breaks from time to time to limit the data that is being delivered in one sitting. For instance, if you have ten things to cover in a morning meeting, cover three points and take a ten-minute break. Then come back and cover three or four more points, and take a ten-minute break before coming back and finishing the talk. When you design your presentations this way, you’ll get your audience to retain much more of the material that you deliver.

If you are limited on time, and you have to deliver a bunch of data, then you have to manage your expectations. Your audience is much less likely to remember the information, so you might want to prepare a handout with a summary of the data. Regardless, realize that no matter how good of a presenter that you are, if you data dump on your audience, they will be fairly distant from you and likely to be bored.

In public speaking, less is more!

Presentation skills are very important in organizations and leaders make presentations all the time to board members, employees, community leaders, groups of customers, etc. It is possible to make or break an organization from a presentation and so top leadership should strive to have the best presentation skills.

List and prioritize goals

Listing and prioritizing the top goals that you want to accomplish with your audience is the most important of all presentation skills. You may think you know what you want to accomplish or what you want to say in your presentation, but if you’re not clear with yourself and others, it is very easy for your audience to completely miss the point of your presentation.

Be clear

Being clear about who your audience is and about why is it important for them to be in the meeting is important since members of your audience always want to know right away why they were the ones chosen to be in the presentation. You should therefore make sure that your presentation makes this clear to them from the start.

Design openings and closings

This is one of the most neglected of the important presentation skills. The presenter should design a brief opening, about 5% to 10% of the total time presentation time, to present goals for the presentation, clarify the benefits of the presentation and to explain the overall layout of the presentation. A closing should also be designed and it should also be about 5% to 10% of the total time presentation time, covering a summary of all key points from the presentation.

Keep time

This is one of the most important of the negotiation skills, but many people think that the longer their presentation takes the more its effect will be. Well, this is not so because people often get tired when a presentation goes on for longer than they had expected.

Effective delivery

Effective delivery means that you observe presentation skills such as maintaining eye contact with the audience so that they can feel like you are talking to them personally, varying the speech to prevent monotony and making sure that the audience doesn’t notice you looking at your notes for too long.

Other presentation skills include setting a clear tone such as hopefulness or teamwork among others from the onset and setting aside a Q&A session after the presentation.

I’ve always loved the rush of being onstage. I am probably one of the few people who looks back fondly on Easter and Christmas programs at church or school plays in elementary school. I even survived that momentus Easter Sunday I stood on the small stage in the basement of our family church in Steelton, Pennsylvania and realized by the look of maternal horror on my mother’s face that I had begun reciting my sister’s Easter poem instead of my own.

You guessed it: I had learned both our poems by heart….

When I first moved to Germany I worked as an EFL teacher in front of an adult audience for several years. My first professional presentation, however, came back in the late 80′s when I got a job working for a company that developed international brand names for new products, services and companies. The first client meeting I attended was held in English, so – without really warning me beforehand – our managing director decided that I – as the native speaker – should present our proposals to the client. Of course I was nervous! But the natural performer in me kicked in and I put everything I had into making those brand name proposals comes to life – and laid a further cornerstone for my future as a passionate presenter and accomplished presentation skills trainer.

During my 15 year career in advertising, I presented in front of national and international audiences on a regular basis. Because of my reputation as a strong presenter, I was soon asked to put together a workshop on presentation skills for junior and mid-level staff throughout the Middle European region. In my naive quest to cover all the bases, the written module became a virtual laundry list addressing such pressing issues as preparing for the meeting, taking notes for your presentation, writing your presentation, editing your presentation, creating your charts, what visual/audio aids to use, etc. All worthy topics to be sure!

When I began actually conducting the workshop, though, I very quickly discovered three essential facts:

1. You can get a lot of great theoretical information on presenting from any decent book on the subject (or – in the meantime – online),
2. BUT: Most people have no idea how they look when they present
3. AND: Most people – even in the communications industry! – receive little or no direct feedback on their personal presentation performances.

Unbeknownst to me then, these simple discoveries became the seeds that eventually germinated into my Authentic Presentation Personality(TM) workshop series. The Authentic Presentation Personality(TM) workshops are designed to provide people with the opportunity to actually see themselves present, and – via 360 degree feedback – give them realistic insight into the impression they make on an audience while they present. In addition, they receive personalized tips on how to improve their unique impact as a presenter on a mission to sell their Big Ideas. In the meantime what began as one single mosdule hasd been based on my own experience in the workshops as well as the feedback from participatns, I’ve experienced so many resounding AHAs! during my workshops by people who have either seen some unknown side of themselves while presenting or – better still – see the huge improvement sometimes even the slightest modification in their behavior can cause that they could truly be made into a book unto themselves.

One day in the (very near) future maybe?

Of course, nothing can take the place of a LIVE opportunity to practice your presentation skills. In the meantime, though, I would like to leave you with something I share with my workshop participants:

8 Myths Standing between You and Your Authentic Presentation Personality(TM)

• “I’m not a good presenter”!

To quote American presentation trainer, Diane DiResta, “Life is a presentation”! If you ever doubt your skills as a presenter, remember the enthusiasm, wit, pathos and involvement you bring to stories you tell to your friends and family. Consider what habits/traits you have while communicating in your personal life that would enrich your business communication style and make it more authentically you.

• “I’m too nervous to be a good presenter!”

Most people deal with nervous energy before a presentation. Good presenters learn to tap into the energy that is being set free to better transport the enthusiasm and conviction they feel about their ideas!

• “I either have to memorize my presentation or read everything from my charts!”

Memorizing your presentation makes you inflexible for audience interaction, and – believe it or not – your audience can already read. That’s why it’s best to keep your charts brief and memorize the concept and “flow” of your presentation. That way complicated charts don’t distract from what you are saying, you express yourself naturally while presenting, and you can easily react to any questions or comments the audience makes.

• “I have to cover as much information as possible during my presentation!”

Concentrate on your essential message and adapt it to the timeframe available to you. People have limited memory spans, and it’s easier for them to remember what’s important (for them and for you!) if you don’t overload them with facts they already know or nonessential details.

• “I have to darken the room so people can see my charts better!”

People have come to your presentation to hear what YOU have to tell them. They can’t do that very well if they can’t see your face while you talk, or fall asleep in a darkened room.

• “I hate the fact that I move around so much when I present”

Dynamic, purposeful movement energizes you – and your audience! Remember that you’re not restricted to a space the size of a sheet of paper when you present. Use as much of the room as you feel comfortable using. Approach audience members! Point to charts, visuals, models. The more interesting you are to look at while presenting, the easier it is for your audience to pay attention.

• “I use my hands too much when I talk!”

Pay attention to dynamic speakers when they talk! Their hands dramatize and accentuate what they have to say. Of course, it’s distracting for your audience if you are swinging and waving your arms without rhyme or reason. If, however, you use meaningful gestures to emphasize your story, it will enrich the effect of what you are saying.

• “I can’t think if I am looking at someone!”

Yes, you can! Looking directly at individual members of your audience helps strengthen the relationship between you and them. They realize you are talking to – and not just at – them. It not only flatters them, it also keeps them listening more attentively. And it lets you see if everyone understands what you are saying, or if someone needs additional information or wants to make a comment. If you lose your train of thought or feel uncertain about something, simply look at someone who is encouraging you nonverbally. That’ll help relieve your stress, so you can continue with confidence!