Effective 15-minute presentations - Cheat Sheet

Cheat sheet for giving effective short presentations aimed at live audiences.

1. Effective 15-minute presentations – Cheat Sheet
Following the rules put down in this cheat sheet will not
automatically make you a great presenter. A better one,
possibly. It will help you bring your point across – if you
are willing to put in the effort. There is no magic.
General Rules
#1If you cannot do it without your slides, you
cannot do it with your slides. A presentation is you
communicating something to an audience. If you cannot
do it without that crutch, it is a bad presentation. Re-
work it until you can or drop it entirely. Some
presentations are not worth giving.
#2Respect the time. Nothing you have to say is
important enough to go over time. In particular not for
your audience. This rule has no exceptions, and you're
not one.
#3A good presentation is a lot of work. After the
inspiration comes a lot of sweat. For short presentations
that is mostly removing the superfluous. Corollary: If you
are not willing to put in the work needed, do not expect
to give a good presentation. In this case, better leave it
be.
#4Most of what you find interesting is not – for
your audience. Cut all of the terribly interesting things
you want to say in 15 minutes in half. Rinse and repeat.
#5Practice your delivery. A big mirror helps.
Preparation
Before starting a presentation you should ask – and
answer – at least these questions:
 Who is my audience?
 What is the message I want this audience to
remember?
 What is the interest of this audience in my presentation
and what are their expectations?
 Now that I know all of this, how do I tell a story that
conveys my message? In four sentences.
Slides
#1For 15 minutes use four slides. The titles of
your slides tell your story. In four full sentences. The
slides explain that story. Additional material belongs in
an appendix.
#2The first slide must capture peoples'
attention. Not, I repeat, not the last one.
#3The last slide you show carries the message
you want your audience to remember. In the title. This
message is elaborated in the body. There is nothing on
this slide that does not tell your message. This is what
you want people to remember. Corollary: Do not use a
"this is the end" slide, such as a slide saying "Thank
you!", "Amen." or "Gosh, it's over!".
#4Every slide contributes to your presentation,
as does all their content. If you can remove a slide or
content without losing important information, do it. If
you have to skip slides in the presentation or only talk
about a part of them your preparation was insufficient.
#5Never, ever, have a slide that introduces
people that somehow participated in something or
other or have a cousin who did. Nobody is interested in
a recital of names of other people.
#6Do not try to be funny on slides. It is a
distraction from your message, and it will not work.
Oratory Recipes
#1Silence is golden. You probably know how to
start talking. Learn how to stop. You audience will thank
you. Corollary: When in doubt, do not say it. If you are
the type of person that is not in doubt, use a stopwatch.
#2Tell a story. People like stories. Stories are easy
to remember. There is nothing worse than forgetting what
you were going to say. Corollary: Every story should
have a point. Make sure yours does.
#3Face your audience. You may have a beautiful
back, but a presentation is not the occasion to show it.
Corollary: Know your slides by heart. Know your story
by heart.
#4Talk to your audience. You look at people when
you talk to them, right? Look at individual people in your
audience, and not always the same, either. Talk to
everybody.
#5Do not repeat yourself over and over again.
Give your audience credit for being intelligent and
attentive. They will appreciate it.
#6The first 10 seconds must capture peoples'
attention. Start with a bang, not a whimper. Convey
enthusiasm in voice and posture, and in the way you
greet your audience.
#7Be enthusiastic about your topic. Enthusiasm
is catching. So is boredom. Corollary: If you are not
enthusiastic about your topic, do not present it.
#8It is all right to be funny, if you actually are.
If you are not, don't try it in a presentation. The best you
can hope for is to be embarrassing.
#9Never say "This is very interesting." If it is,
your audience will cotton on without the pointer. If it is
not, or – heaven help – everything else in the
presentation is not, you are better off not drawing
attention to the fact.
#10Speak the language. You do not have to be
perfect, but you should be fluent. If you are not, practice.
Version 1.0 – Feb 2009 - Jan Schrage