Seven Steps to Better Presentations

by Jeffrey Veen 06 Feb 2004 · 3 minute read

I’ve noticed a lot of talk about Powerpoint lately. About how it’s so terrible and how it enables awful presentations. But the problem isn’t Powerpoint, of course. The problem is bad content delivered poorly.

I speak for a living, and hear lots and lots of presentations at the conferences I attend. Here are some notes I wrote up for someone who is about to give his first ever public presentation.

When asked about their greatest fears, people will rank public speaking with death, heights, and spiders. It can be terrifying. But with anything that frightens us, we can tame it through exposure. Try speaking. Do it again. Practice and prepare. The steps above can put a bit of structure around it, and can steer you in the right path.

Break a leg!