The flurry of Q1 and Q2 meetings, conferences and tradeshows slows down a bit now as we head into summer. It’s a great time to evaluate and re-tool program components before the intense rush of the fall and Q4. Here’s a list of five questions to ask about the effectiveness of your conference presentations and speaker habits.
1. Steve Jobs is said to have rehearsed at least full two days before delivering a presentation. How much time did you spend rehearsing your last presentation?
2. Scientific studies show that the human brain craves the unexpected. Does your presentation make your audience think?
3. The “10-20-30 Rule” says that a slide deck should have no more than 10 slides, last no longer than 20 minutes and have no less than 30 point font text. What do your visuals look like?
4. The “20-20 Rule” says that a great presentation consists of twenty slides each lasting exactly twenty seconds. That’s another way of saying that if you have something worth saying, you should be able to say it in less than 10 minutes (6 minutes and 40 seconds according to the “20-20 Rule.”) How concise are your presentations?
5. Stories emotionally engage an audience, increase attention and improve retention. Ask yourself: “What is the story that my audience will care about?”
Bonus question:
6. Persuasive presentations have a clearly defined purpose. Without that anchor, it’s nearly impossible to deliver a relevant, effective presentation and the audience almost always feels like they’ve wasted their time. Do you start with the end in mind and define your purpose before you begin to prepare?
