Make your next presentation, better!

1. Make it shorter. Even if you think you are boring, keeping it short helps. It’s good for you. It’s good for listeners. It serves the purpose. It reduces your chances of mistakes. It saves you from exaggerating or overcommitting or getting carried away.
2. Build clarity. What it is for? What will change if your presentation works well? Who will it impact the most? What new course of action will people take because of your presentation? If you think this is too much to know before giving presentation then why do you care about giving a presentation anyways?
3. Take the spotlight. If I have to, I can prove that PowerPoint have negatively affected our presentation acumen. It’s perhaps the worst thing that has ever happened to presentation. It takes away the spotlight from you as the presenter. It gives an excuse for not showing up and generously offering your wisdom or insights. Keep the spotlight. If you have details worth sharing, write them up, print them and give it to the audience after the presentation.
4. Sing, Dance, Swear [Don’t]. If you are presenting for a circus, first 2 are exempted. If not, trust me, presentation is not a time to practice these 3 things. But don’t take me wrong. It’s important to keep it human, but not too human.
5. Be Totally Present. If you think you can do it by hiding behind a podium and not offering your personal presence, don’t bother to give a presentation — just send a memo. The reason you’re giving a presentation is that your personal presence, your emotion, energy and human touch add value. Don’t listen to any 5 or 7 points advice for your next presentation if that format doesn’t match the best version of you.

Top secret: the best presentation that you will ever give is your next presentation. Don’t hide. Don’t postpone it. Show up. Make it worth it.

Special Gift: Here is the e-book for you: Speak like a Champion.