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Like most of my tips articles this article will sometimes seem to state the obvious be believe me, these are all mistakes I’ve seen made in presentations by eminent speakers!

1. Do make sure you have not only prepared what you want to say but also practiced saying it, preferably to a small audience (family and/or friends). That way you will ensure your talk doesn’t run over time (or come in under time which can also be embarrassing!)
2. Know what’s expected of you – make sure know how much time you’ve got, whether that includes question time, whether the preferred format is questions throughout or at the end etc.
3. If possible know your audience – what questions might they ask? Are they likely to be for or against the points you’re making in your talk?
4. Do use slides but don’t use PowerPoint as a crutch! Use the slides to show key points in a succinct format rather than showing your talk word for word!
5. Don’t paste graphs or diagrams into PowerPoint without checking that they will actually be readable as a slide.
6. Aim for about one slide for every two to three minutes of speech, or even less, unless your presentations is particularly visual e.g. on an arts subject
7. Keep any slides you do use uncluttered.
8. Don’t overuse animation – words ‘flying’ in from above, one side etc. Some of this can be very effective but too much is distracting and irritating to the audience
9. Try to use slides more imaginatively than just bullet-pointing what you’re saying, although within limits such bullets can be a useful summary.
10. Make sure you know what audio-visual equipment will be available at the venue you’re speaking at and how they want you to bring presentation materials e.g. CD, floppy, email in advance, on your own laptop

“Genius, a power that dazzles humans, is oft but perserverence in disguise.” H. W. Austin. I would also add the word ‘preparation’ to that quote from one of Britain’s successful tennis players back in the 30s.

Often the difference between a successful presentation and an unsuccessful one is the level of preparation that comes before. So it is imperative you prepare, and indeed very important when attending an interview or presenting to a prospective client.

You may be familiar with the Dragon’s Den, the tv series which has entrepreneurs present their business plans and ideas to already highly successful business men and women who form a panel of judges deciding on whether to invest in the products/services being shown to them. Well, i had a thought about what was the main difference between those that got what they came for, which was the investment of cash into their business and those that did not do so well.

And you probably guessed, those that managed to get the cash they needed were those that had prepared thoroughly before coming onto the show, making sure they knew their business inside and out, numbers included. After all, if you are going to ask for an investment of £100,000 or more, it makes sense to prepare in advance.

There is no difference when attending a job interview or when making a speech in front of an audience, the differentiating factor is the preparation. You must do your research, find out about the customer, as I have said in the past you are the product, a solution to their problem, and so how can you solve their issues if you do not know what it is. How would you react if you went to see a doctor, and he/she without asking you or knowing your problem or at least attempting to identify the problem the doctor just by sheer looking at you suddenly gives you a written prescription! Would you be doubtful of such act? Of course you would.

Any interviewer is not going to be impressed and is going to have doubt in you if you have not done your research about them, if you do not have an idea about their business, their problem, their issues, what they do etc etc…You see, as we use to say a few years ago when i worked in the financial markets industry, my boss back then would say, stoploss, stoploss, stoploss as this was important for investors to take heed if they did not want to lose their shirts trading in the risky business of the stock market. And so, I will coin something similar, you may have heard this before, but success in an interview or any presentation is down to 3 things: research, research, research. Nothing more, nothing less.

I myself have noticed the difference in my presentations, in the early days when I made a speech to an audience i did not prepare as perhaps I should have done, and my performances in my opinion have not been up to what I would have liked. But since I have begun to put more work and preparation into my research and presentation I feel I have got more confident, amazing how this works, and there is another tip for you, confidence comes from preparation.

So when next you have to make a presentation of any kind, make sure you have done your research beforehand and you too will soon notice the marked improvements in your new found confidence.

Your transitions, well planned and strong, will add a smoothness and professionalism to your presentations that will wow any audience.

What is a transition?
A transition is used when we change from one state to another, from one thought/idea to another, from one topic to another, and from one method to another – in other words, a transition serves as a bridge for change. It can be smooth and effective. Or, it can be jarring and ineffective. Transitions need to be well planned and rehearsed, so that they help our listeners receive the full benefit of our presentations.

Why should we use transitions?

• Our listeners aren’t as familiar with our material as we are. Transitions serve as guides and bridges between the directions we are going.
• Participants are often busy and distracted. By using smooth and effective transitions, we can grab their attention, lead them into each new area with ease and help them to latch onto our whole message.
• When we move to a new thought or topic, a listener may still be thinking about our last statement. A well-placed transition will give him or her time to catch up.

When, where and how do we use transitions?

• The first and most important transition is our opening. We must transition our listeners from their daily lives, their conversations with others and their present concerns into paying attention to us and what we have to share. If we don’t make a striking first impression, we often lose them for the rest of the presentation.
• Don’t say anything for several seconds. Give them some time to settle down. Then, start with a compelling story, a meaningful quotation, an interesting question to start participants thinking, or a startling statement.
• If you have a sufficient amount of time you may start with an ice breaker. Just keep in mind that some participants may not be ready this early on to take part in an ice breaker, while others will be delighted, so choose carefully.
• The next transitions should occur between important points, thoughts and/or topics. These transitions can be as simple and straight-forward as, “And that brings me to the next point.” Or, they can be much more creative which takes prior planning. I love to use stories that relate to the next topic and I usually say, “Before I get into the next point, let me tell you a story.”
• Depending upon the time allotted and type of presentation, you may designate a question and answer period. Even in workshops, I feel that all of our transitions and strengths can be ruined if we let participants continually interrupt us. I have learned to tell my listeners/participants that, “There will be time for questions, so write them down as I go along.” Make sure that you know how long you have for questions and answers and plan a clever way to transition everyone back to your presentation when the time is up.
• The final, and important, transition is the close of your presentation. Consider the most important thought, idea and/or action you want your listeners to leave with. The closing should never give the impression that you have just run out of time and need to rush. So, have a rehearsed, memorized and strong, strong closing prepared.