Ignore the Lectern and Other Tips to Give a Great Presentation

Each year, the RefComm® team discusses not only what great content we want for the upcoming conferences but how to help the presenters deliver that content in the most concise and powerful way possible. We suggest formats and edits. We meet with the presenters and make suggestions to focus the content. The goal is to maximize their impact on stage. Sometimes it helps – sometimes it doesn’t.
Recently, one of our team found an interesting post on LinkedIn. In his post, Steven Leaney from Adelaide Australia, lists 14 tips that he has learned from his many years of presenting. His tips are great and worth a look as you prepare your next presentation for RefComm or any other presentation for that matter. Enjoy!

• People remember the first 5% and the last 5%. In the middle 90%, they only remember how they felt.
• Don’t obsess over slides. The best presenters don’t use them.
• Rehearse until it’s in your DNA (Rule of Thumb = spend 10X longer rehearsing than the actual presentation).
• Don’t worry if you don’t present exactly how you planned. Nobody knows what you planned.
• Give the first 20 seconds as much impact as possible. Thank people later.
• Embrace nerves. It shows you are thinking about getting it right.
• Ignore the lectern. Step out, gesture, and be natural.
• You will sweat. It might be nerves or hot lights. Think about that when choosing your wardrobe.
• If you want to be great at presenting, you need to first be bad at it. Present a lot and get the bad ones out of the way.
• It’s not about you. It’s 100% about the audience. No exceptions.
• Presenting is an art, not a sport. You will never win. You will never be perfect.
• Breathe. Don’t speak on the inhale. Talk on the exhale. It will sound better.
• People won’t mind if you finish early (except maybe the organizers). Everyone will care if you finish late.
• Own the whole stage.