Small Business

How to Give Great Presentations

By Rick Broida

Updated on: March 20, 2008 / 12:17 PM EDT / MoneyWatch

Big sales pitch, product launch, or press conference coming up? Banish your fear of public speaking with MSN Careers' six tips on giving stellar presentations. A couple highlights:

Slow down and relax. When presenting, try to maintain a moderate pace -- not too quick or too slow. Start in a calm, measured way and articulate your words clearly so they are easily understood. Take natural pauses when appropriate and don't forget to breathe. You'll also appear more personable and relaxed if you avoid reading verbatim from a script and smile from time to time. Along the same lines, don't use jargon or acronyms with which your audience may not be familiar -- it can be both confusing and frustrating for them.
Recover when necessary. Slip-ups happen. If you suffer a presentation snafu, don't panic. Take a deep breath and focus on keeping your composure. Do your best to get back on track as soon as possible. If it's a matter that could take a few minutes to resolve, such as a technical glitch or a spill, suggest a quick "intermission."

My own advice: Don't forget to smile. When I used to give talks on computer security, a subject that scared the heck out of novice users, I made a point to break into a big smile every once in a while, just so the audience would relax. It worked. What advice would you give to folks who want to improve their presentation skills? Hit the Comments if you please.

In the meantime, check out our previous post on the subject: 10 rules for better presentations. Photo by Ramon Williams.