Tips for a Great Presentation

Fellow PASS director Rushab Mehta pointed out a really good URL for those of you who are contemplating speaking for the first time.  Take a look at:

http://www.venkatarangan.com/blog/PermaLink.aspx?guid=dab57735-2976-40d7-a5d0-2e641ddea515

Written by the Microsoft Regional Director of Chennai, these presentation tips contain many gems.  I think these should be required reading for anyone considering standing up in front of a crowd for a technical presentation.  I’ve encountered more than a few ‘worst practices’ out in the field – speakers who obviously haven’t learned Venkatarangan’s tips.  Here are some of the bigger blunders that I’ve encountered lately:

I hope this little tip of the iceberg gives you an idea of all the goodies you can find in  Venkatarangan’s blog entry.

There is at least one entry that I’d add to his list.  One important Q&A technique that many speakers now use is to ‘Repeat to the entire audience any question that you hear from the floor’.  This has two benefits.  First, it ensures that you understood the question properly.  And second, it ensures that the question is captured if the session is being recorded in any way.  Are the any changes or additions you’d make?

Thanks,

-Kevin