A number of times in my speaking career I have had to pull something together at very short notice, either because another presenter dropped out, or because I was visiting an office where the local manager unexpectedly asked me to make a speech to all of the local staff. Here is a simple process to enable you to prepare a speech at very, very short notice (or presentation - its a presentation tip too)…

Getting Started on the Speech

Ideally you will need eight post it notes. If you haven’t got them, just grab a sheet of paper and fold it in half. Fold it in half again. And once more. Quickly, there’s no time to waste! Now, tear along the folds. Either way, you now have eight pieces of paper, and hopefully a pen. You’re ready to star(t).

Who is the Speech for…

Always begin with the audience. What do you know about them? What do they know about you? Write down a few bullet points on the first piece of paper. Who you are, in the context of how it is relevant to the audience.

What is the Speech for…

Does the audience or the person who invited you have an expectation of what you will talk about? Be sure to meet it, or cover it as best you can. Failing to do so will definitely cause angst.

Now think about what will be in the speech. Let your brain free wheel for a minute. Write each of your main ideas on one of the remaining pieces of paper. You don’t want more than seven. Research suggests that we can deal with 7 things in our head at once, plus or minus two. This isn’t the time to go stretching your cognitive abilities, so stick with 5-7 main ideas.

If you come up with more than seven, look through your earlier ideas, then find the weakest one and cross it out, replacing it with the better new one. It is a neat way to refine your speech.

Think back to what you were expected to cover and sanity check what you have written. That clock is still ticking, so…

When and Where

Check how long the speech should be. 7-15 minutes is a great length. It will seem substantial, but shouldn’t drag on. Check where you are. Can you link your speech in to the location? Perhaps based on a piece of local news you have read.

Now, to the when and where of each of your main points. Lay out the pieces of paper. They should fit one of three structures: topical, chronological or spatial. That will give you a natural order for them. In a topical structure you will see that some things must be covered before you touch on the other topics, or that some link together. In a chronological structure you probably want to start at the beginning and more forwards from there. In a spatial one there will also be a natural flow too. You now have your main points arranged in order.

How

Now you have the sequence, think about how you will make each point, and how you will bridge between each point. Jot down your proof points, or for a longer speech your sub-points, on the relevant piece of paper. At the end of the piece of paper for each point, make a note of your bridge to the next point. The bridges should help to create the story, and will make your points more memorable if done well. If you can’t think of a bridge, the next step may help…

Why is the Speech Relevant

Why are you giving the speech? Look back to your first piece of paper where you wrote about the audience. Why are you making the speech, and why are you the right person to give it? This should constitute your introduction. For example,

“As I have started and sold a number of high value companies, Dave has asked me to say a few words about how to create a valuable business, now that you have secured your funding.”

Well, you get the idea. It should establish your ethos (in Aristotle’s Rhetoric this is your expertise and knowledge).

Check back over the pieces of paper with your main points. The ‘why’ should tie them together. You might need to make a quick adjustment if it doesn’t. In the introduction to a longer speech you can also briefly run through the points you will cover in it, if not, just a summary in a couple of sentences. Remember:

“Tell ‘em what you’re going to tell ‘em. Tell ‘em. Then tell ‘em again.”

You now have your introduction and your middle (main points). Finally, think about your conclusion. Ideally it should draw on your key points, without introducing any new ones. It should also provide some sort of call to action: a response or a commitment. You aren’t speaking just to generate warm air, you are there to make something happen. Make it so. Note it down.

Say it!

You now have your completed speech, and read through the points a few times. Congratulations. If you have time between now and speaking, then practice your speech. Nothing beats a rehearsal for finding problems (it also helps with memory). Practice on the taxi driver on the way if you have to, but speak it out loud. The physical process of ‘out loud’ rehearsal is much more effective than just running it through in your head. If you need slides and have time, try this:

• Slide 1 – Your speech title and name. 
• Slide 2 – x. One bullet point in the middle of one slide, with that one point in bullet form. But without the bullet.
• Last slide – Copy and paste slide 1. Save it. Done.

If you know of an image that will effectively support your point, it is to hand, then add it. Otherwise, you’re done. Who, What, When, Where, How and Why – a speech in 5 minutes.

Enjoy!

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Last night saw me at the TechCrunch Pitch! event and in a camera happy mood (see Techcrunch pitch photos on Flickr), you’ll find some videos on techcrunch moblog  (I Qik’ed Mike Butcher’s intro here). The pitches were of a high standard, and I’ll be checking out a some of the companies.

Mike gave the companies a specific list of questions to work to. That isn’t completely unusual for a pitching situation, although I think it vexed a few of the speakers. Doug Richard, from BBC’s Dragon’s Den, did an excellent job of playing bad-cop.

On the way home, my thoughts turned to “what makes a good pitch?” Over the years I’ve been on both sides of the table, prepping the pitches and pitching businesses for funding, but also listening to company pitches with a view to investment or acquisition. As I was describing these to my ever astute COO, she said “That sounds like the seven habits of highly effective pitchers”, so here they are:

1. Know the audience, but don’t take them for granted.

What are their motives for being at the pitch? Who are they? These days there is little excuse for not having good background. Linkedin, Xing, Google and Blogs (if they blog) are useful tools. Obviously, don’t end up being a social media stalker, but be aware of the background. One last obvious point, don’t take everything you read as gospel, or make the mistake of believing you actually understand the audience.

2. Know the ideal outcome and shoot for it.

What is it that you want to happen as a result of the pitch? Have a very clear and specific idea of what it is, and make sure the pitch actually works towards it. If you are pitching to investors for cash, they are going to be more interested in how much you want, how good you’ll be with it and why. Not in how hot your Ruby-on-rails coding skillz are. 

3. Know the weakness(es) and head them off.

You suck. You genuinely do. There are things that you are not great at. There are areas where your company is exposed. Know what they are. What are the most common objections you get in the context of this pitch? You don’t want to sow seeds of doubt, but you do want to concrete over any ground where they might spring up.

4. Describe the value from a customer perspective.

What is it that you enable? In specific, quantifiable terms, how does it make things faster or cheaper for customers. For any business product it must do one, if not both, of these or there isn’t a proposition. If you are a consumer offering, then you have the luxury of grasping at being outrageously, additively fun. Don’t miss it.

5. Woo and wow, rather than beat and demand. 

Don’t sell to me, woo me – win me over. People (I include myself there) dislike being sold too. Get me on your side. Don’t tell me you rock, tell me about someone else who says that you rock. Appeal to my judgment, experience and objectives (see 1).

6. Know your time limit; stick to it.

Not over or under. When I first started running a Toastmasters club, I found one of the rules very harsh: If you run over time, you are out of the competition. It is a good discipline. The only way you can know if you are going to be in the time limit is to do a full talk-through. Do it and time it. Rinse and repeat. The audience, and you, will appreciate it. Failing to stick to time and being pulled off stage dents the impression you leave behind.

7. Tell stories.

Stories have narrative. They flow. Their linked structure (this, then this, then this…) make them memorable and easy to follow. Stories have colour and detail, which makes them engaging. People love stories, and if they are good they retell them – that is a marketing secret weapon.

And remember, good stories have a beginning, middle and end. Tell them what you’re going to tell them. Tell them. Then tell them what you told them. That’s the seven habits of highly effective pitchers.

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I haven’t mentioned PowerPoint or presenting in a while, potentially because I am increasingly speaking without the use of slides these days. However, a recent trade show visit put it firmly back on my radar, as I took to the stage and also caught some other speakers. Needless to say, the trip spawned a top 10 things not to do in PowerPoint list:

1. The First Epistle of Paul – on a single slide.

When preparing a presentation it can be very tempting to put lots of writing onto a slide. Then you shrink the font to add some more. Rinse and repeat. When you put up your slide the audience will read it, even if it is like a piece of microfiche (the technology libraries used to use to cram huge amounts of information into a tiny space).

When they are reading all that text on the PowerPoint slide, they aren’t listening to you. You can’t read one thing and listen to another. If you don’t believe me, try it. Still there? If you want the audience to listen, then don’t give them too much to read – just enough to remind them what you were talking about.

2. Dear People, Let Me Read to You From My Extensive Notes.

Don’t read from notes, other than glancing down to quickly remind yourself of where you are and what is next. In an ideal world, avoid notes. It makes for a much better presentation. Think of a presentation as a conversation where you happen to be doing most of the talking. It isn’t a great conversation, if it is read from notes.

3. Machine Gun Fire – Long Columns of Bullets.

See 1. I still use bullets, some times, but they are rapidly going out of fashion, and that is a really good thing. If you put up ten points on a slide, the audience is going to be mulling them over. They’ll be trying to figure out which point you are on, skipping back up the list and squinting to read the small text. Save them the pain. If you need to use bullets, then the fewer the better.

4. Untitled – A Seven Minute Masterpiece.

I watched someone present off a slide with no title. No problem with that, except that it had lots of text. There are times when a picture is worth a thousand words, but even with a picture slide, a key word or two helps to focus the audience’s mind. If there are bullets, or multiple points, make sure something on the slide calls out the overarching theme. It doesn’t have to be at the top of the slide, but it should be ‘the main thing’.

5. Here is Some Clip Art I Found Earlier.

Poor quality clip art doesn’t enhance your presentation. Even good quality clip art is as distraction, if it isn’t relevant. And this coming from a guy who uses his own photography in his slides – head:desk:head:desk. Have an independent witness give you an honest opinion about any clip art or pictures you use. You’ll be grateful.

6. “This is an eye chart” – or a small font rendering test.

What does that even mean? The last four times I have heard someone say this, it translated as, “I know this slide is appalling, but I really couldn’t be bothered to do anything with it for you.”

Dear presenter, speak to the hand, because the face isn’t listening anymore. If the slide is bad, cut it or redesign it. Most people would rather see seven bullet points, that a two hundred cell spreadsheet, or a diagram with fifty labels at a 6 point font size. Most audiences don’t bring telescopes, because good presenters ensure they don’t need them.

7. This Slide is So Good I’m Going to Talk to it.

Do glance at your slides, it reminds people they are there, but don’t get trapped talking to them. People might want to see the back of a bad presenter, but don’t be a bad presenter by showing them your back.

8. Design Scheme Carefully Selected by Feline Talent.

Apparently cats only see in black and white. Humans don’t. Bad choices can ruin an otherwise good slide. If you have a corporate palette, stick to that – it was most likely designed by someone more expert than you or me. Consistency across slides, without becoming bland, creates a more professional look.

Black on black, or grey, might be very cool in Hitchhicker’s guide to the galaxy, but not for a presentation. Text on a poorly contrasting background can easily become hard to read. Even if it looks alright on your screen, I have seen huge variations in how different projectors and screens render a slide. Better safe than sorry.

9. Whiz! Bang.

Sound effects? If I have to explain this one to you, you need more help than I can give you right now – Drop me an e-mail and we’ll book and appointment. Even if the sound is a stroke of artistic genius, the built in speakers on computers aren’t up to the job in a large room, and running sound from a PC into a speaker system is fraught with problems, even for experts.

Much of the same thoughts apply to 1980′s style animation. The clothes might be coming back into fashion, but the visual effects aren’t. Having some subtle animation and builds on slides is a good thing, but don’t go over the top.

10. Press Play. Let the Broadcast Begin.

Don’t make a presentation a one way broadcast, unless there is no alternative. Except for a very large audience, I have to disagree with telling people.

A presenter should always be listening, with their eyes, if not with their ears. What is the audience doing? What is their body language? If they look like they have a burning issue, pause and address it. By all means, group questions together into sections and redirect questions if they are going off at a tangent, but if the room is small enough to take questions, take them. You can’t read people’s minds before they arrive, and if they disconnect from you a few slides in, their attention won’t come back.

It wasn’t me.

I know that you wouldn’t do any of those things, of course, but that’s off my chest and its my top ten for this month.

For a bonus, I was pointed to this post on Fortify your oasis on Really Bad PowerPoint, it is a classic.

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Even after a couple of decades of presenting, my list of things to remember is still growing, and as technology changes I find new tricks. The tips I used to have on ‘foils’, acetates and slide carousels are now a historic curiosity, but other things remain the same. Here is the latest iteration of my list of tips and checks:

1. Never be more dependent on technology than you have.

I love technology, you know that, but being a little too adventurous can get you into trouble. Over the years I have learnt not to be 100% dependent on it, unless I really have to be. Ellis’ law goes something like this: The more dependent you are on a technology, the more likely it is to go wrong. It is almost as if computers and printers have a stress sensor that triggers spectacular failures during critical moments.

Twice in the last few years I have watched someone reading notes from a laptop screen. The first time, the screen saver came on and the laptop powered off. The second time, the power lead got caught and dragged the laptop, screaming, to the ground. Both times the speaker was left without any notes.

A simple print out would have done the job just as well, and saved the day. They weren’t using slides and actually didn’t need the laptop at all. Don’t introduce more technology risk that you have to, be it sound, video or gadgets. I charge danger money for doing product demonstrations for these very reasons!

2. Carry a printout of your slides with you.

The six slides per page printout option in PowerPoint is wonderful; Minimum tree damage, maximum return. You now have a copy of the presentation that you can glance through while you are travelling, without even having to fire up the laptop. You can also use it as a guide when you present or as a script if your laptop fails you. The talk might not have all its multimedia glory, but at least you will still be able to give it.

3. Check logistics with the event organisers.

Find out if you will be presenting from your our laptop or from the organisers. If it is from theirs, check what software version they are using. Different versions of PowerPoint give different layouts and animation capabilities and the fonts vary between operating systems.

If your slides are dropped into another presentation, get sight of how they look in the final format, ideally before you present. If the last bullet point has dropped off of a slide, it can be an unwanted surprise. Of course, that is if you are still using bullets. I have seen even stranger things happen with graphics.

4. Have a copy of the presentation on a memory stick, with you.

This is another life saver if your laptop is stolen or breaks. Sadly, these things do happen. Sometimes a laptop simply won’t work with the venue’s projector. This was becoming less common, but with wide screen formats it is becoming more common again. For a little bit of cash, a memory stick provides a simple insurance policy. You can quickly and easily transfer your slides to another laptop.

It is also provides recovery from ‘organiser failure’ – where the wrong file, or no file at all, ended up on the organiser’s laptop. This is also one of the benefits of emailing the slides ahead of time, it provides another form of back up.

Even if the organisers don’t ask you to email over your presentation, still email a copy to someone who will be there, or who can email it to you in a hurry on the day. Even if you loose all of your bags, or aliens abduct you and steal your memory stick or wipe your hard drive, you will still be able to get your presentation back.

5. Remember your gadgets.

In the heat of preparation, it is all to easy to forget the obvious things. Did you pack your laptop power supply? Do you need a mouse, a pointer or a remote control or W.H.Y. (what have you!)? Are the power sockets at the event the same as they are at home, or will you need an adaptor. The UK, US, Northern and Southern Europe, Australia and South Africa all have different power sockets. It is just one of those little barriers to globalisation.

Most modern power supplies cope with the different voltages automatically, but that doesn’t help you if the plug won’t fit into the socket. In case of emergency, it is worth noting that many hotel receptions have adaptor plugs that they will lend to a guest in distress. Just don’t count on it!

6. Check the audience and their expectations.

Who are they? Don’t assume that you know. Check with the organisers or someone who has been before, if it is a regular event. How many people will there be? I once presented at a conference with over 1,000 people. It would have been nice, had I not been expecting an informal session with 12! The organisers had moved my session from a side room, to being part of the keynote. I have had the experiences the other way around, which was disappointing, but significantly less stressful.

The lesson is to check and then check again nearer the time of the event. It is not unknown of organisers to be a little overly optimistic on numbers, but it still gives an idea of what to expect.

Find out about the audience’s expectations. They want to hear what they came to hear. If what you came to say is different, it will reflect badly on you, even if what you said was brilliant. If you have been pitched as the leading expert on high power amphibious computing, you better be the leading expert on high power amphibious computing. If you just told a one line joke about a frog with a calculator once upon a time, you might want to manage some expectations down a little. Make sure the representation of the presentation is accurate and well communicated.

7. Check out the venue.

Double check the location. If there are addresses for organisers, companies and hotels, make sure you turn up at the right one, at the right time. Ideally have a printed map and directions that include finding the actual room. Arrive early and check it out. At one event last year I had travel problems and only arrived just in time to go on stage. The event organisers were very happy and relaxed about it, but it is no way to get the best out of an event.

By arriving early, there is time to sort out issues like misplaced equipment and chairs in the past. Plan to stay around after the talk as well. Just-in-time arrival and drive-by presenting will not endear you to either the audience or the organisers. You also miss the full benefit of the speaking opportunity.

8. Avoid eating or drinking prior to presenting.

At least, not just before your presentation. Wine is common place in Europe with lunch. My sociological observation is that, for the uninitiated, free alcohol and nerves are not a good combination. Water is fine, but anything stronger will affect your voice, your judgement and your delivery. A stomach full of food will slow your brain too. If you suffer from nerves, a full and churning stomach is the last thing you want before you climb on stage. This isn’t the time to try eating hampster for the first time, or to discover that you are allergic to shellfish. Of course, don’t starve or dehydrate yourself either. Plenty of water and a little food will set you up well.

9. Be sociable.

Arriving early gives you a chance to meet and great. This is a good final opportunity to check what people are expecting from you, and to get maximum value out of the event by learning something from the other attendees. It may also provide some one line examples for use during your presentation. Get to know the organisers and, if there is one, the AV staff as well. Even just having a name is a big help if your microphone goes wrong.

10. Be Thankful.

Do thank the audience and the organisers. You have put in a lot of work, but so have they, whatever the results.

This list isn’t exhaustive, but I use it as my safety net. Jeff Pulver, a very experienced conference speaker, who also runs his own events, has posted his thoughts on getting more out of your speaking opportunities, which has some suggestions for making the most of your time at an event as a speaker.

What has worked well for you?

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Larry’s overview of the shifting world of content and copyrights and wrongs is truly thought provoking. The tectonic shift happening around creative commons is something anyone in the information industry should familiarise themselves with. The way that Larry communicates his message is noteworthy. Here are a few things he does that you can easy to apply to your own presentations:

1. Using visuals to emphasise your emphasis!
2. Illustrating using parallel stories.
3. Anchoring key concepts in order to back reference them.
4. Silence is more powerful that words.

Watch the talk, then read the explanations.

Use visuals to signal your emphasis

This is huge part of what your slides should be about, visually highlighting your verbal message. A slide with one word calls that word out when you speak it. It makes it stick and it makes it stand out. It works for short phrases too. Notice the use of black on white, then reversed white on black in the slides.

Illustrate using parallel stories.

We aren’t always great at getting things when they come at us head on, but we do get a story. Notice how Larry uses the story of flight and trespass, weaving it across into his message. If you want to get a complex issue across, it is easier to explain it in terms of something that is already familiar or that is less complex. Is there a parallel story to the one you want to tell? Tell that first, then link your concepts back to it. People will understand more and remember more.

Anchor key concepts then back reference them

Notice how Larry anchors his points with a word or a visual, then uses that later to reference back to his point. This is a great communication technique. When you make a point, anchor it with a visual or a distinctive phrase. You can then use this visual or phrase to remind people of that concept later in your presentation. It is a bit like creating a short cut or a bookmark that you can click later. Visual anchors make a rapid connection, in fractions of a second. As soon as you see the image of those planes in the last part of the presentation, you reconnect with his first story. Powerful isn’t it?

Silence is more powerful than words

One of the most impactful points I have seen made from a slide was made by not reading or mentioning the last point on the slide. In Larry’s presentation, there is the moment where he puts up a slide and mentions the TED ‘no commercials’ rule. Job done. Not reading a bullet point, or putting up a slide then not commenting on it, actually communicates something. In a smaller audience, it can cause people to ask about it, which is a great dynamic. Silence can be a communication tool.

Larry’s presentation is great, although he doesn’t engage with slides in the way that Al Gore does (see A presentation from Al Gore), which leaves you wondering when to look where. Also his eyes didn’t always connect with audience, but he makes very good use of pauses and word emphasis and is a pleasure to listen to all the same. Compelling content and presentation.

In your next presentation try anchoring your key points with simple visuals  and tell a clear story.

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• Start with them not you
  • Build rapport with the audience
  • Interact with them
  • Take them into your confidence
• Make your slides work for you and your audience
  • Work with your slides
  • Use simple graphics, not lots of text
  • Use colour – it enhances recall
• Use narrative
  • Use the power of story
  • Use the power of the unexpected
  • Use good humour
• Speak little and with big gestures

Start with them not you when you present

Right at the start he acknowledges the audience and thanks the organizers. It is good manners to thank whoever it was that invited you, and good practice if you want to be invited back. Be personal and personable. Even from the stage, you can build a relationship with the audience. Effective communication comes out of relationship. Invest time in building rapport with the audience, before trying to making your point.

Talk to the audience as individuals, as if you are having a conversation, but you just happen to be doing most of the talking. Make it a two way conversation by interacting with the audience and asking questions. For a large audience, a question with a show of hands works well. In a small venue a show of hands is less intimidating than asking someone to answer. Notice how Al Gore uses asides to the audience. Taking the audience into your confidence builds trust.

Make your slides work for you – they are your support

Work with your slides. Don’t let them control you, but don’t leave them as a random light show behind you. Notice how Al Gore engages with his slides. He gestures towards them, points at them, and even looks at them as each new slide appears. Let the slides join in the conversation . If you look at your slides, your audience will too. A note of caution though: don’t end up talking to your slides, facing away from the audience. It may be ok if you have a microphone, but without one people won’t be able to hear you. It also isn’t good for anyone who needs to lip read. Remember, when you look at the slides, you have lost eye contact with the audience. Too long with out eye contact and you will loose their attention.

Use slides with simple graphics, rather than lots of text, to support your point. But do avoid irrelevant photos and poor quality clip art. A photo of your dog might be cute, but if the dog isn’t your point, it distracts from it. Use graphics that make your point, not ones that say something else. Less really is more on a slide. I don’t like all of the slide designs in the talk, but they do work to support his points. Notice how colour (or even color :) ) is used. It increases information retention significantly, as long at it doesn’t look like an explosion in a paint factory.

Tell a story – use narrative in your presentation

Story telling has its own special power; ‘and then… and then… and then…. and then’. This natural flow creates a sense of progress, of getting somewhere. Humour is a fantastic communication tool as well, but not jokes that are in poor taste. Al Gore uses Self-deprecating humour. This is a safer bet, although don’t over do it. Remember that you don’t have the status of an ex-vice president. If you knock yourself down too many rungs, people will wonder why they are listening to you. Use a narrative, then break it. Saying or doing something unexpected can be humorous and will keep the audience’s attention, just don’t go overboard.

Less words, more action(s)

Speak little, but with big gestures. Al Gore uses pace and pause to great effect. Notice the gaps between sentences, this is thinking time for you and the audience. Think of the speed of your words like a car on a race track, slow down for the corners, pick up the pace on the straights. Use hand gestures, but go bigger than you would in a one to one conversation. For fans of Father Ted, think ‘big cow, little cow’. As Father Ted is always trying to explain to Dougal, a big cow that is far away looks like a little cow. Your big hand gestures on stage look like little ones from far away. Also, don’t go all symmetrical with those gestures. If both hands do the same thing all the time, it starts to look unnatural. Be you, just a little bit bigger.

Enjoy the video here…

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1. If you can put it on two slides, rather than one, then do.
   Most people put far to much information on a single slide.
2. If you need notes, put them in the notes section.
   That is what it is for. You can then print and use the notes. Don’t force your audience to look at your notes or prompts.
3. If you need lots of punctuation, something is wrong.
   Bulleted lists aren’t great, but comma separated lists are definitely hard to read, difficult to follow, tricky to parse, tough to digest, easily lost, fairly ugly, you get the idea…
4. Try to have no more than 5-7 lines of text per slide, if any.
5. Stick to one key idea per slide.
   This stops concepts becoming muddled and also makes the deck more ‘usable’ when it is printed.
6. Slides are there to focus the audience’s mind.
   Design them to do that, ensuring that they don’t accidentally distract from the message you are trying to get across.
7. Builds control the rate of information delivery.
   This is good, as makes it easier for people to follow, but excessive animation will just distract from the content. Too many builds indicates too much on the slide. Strike the balance, err on the conservative side.
8. Slide transitions are good.
   A nice slide transition beats a straight cut. We are the movie generation and our eyes and brains have expectations. A transition reminds the audience that you are moving on to the next idea, just as a cut does in a move. Consider using a different transition to mark key sections of a presentation. Once again, be conservative, if the transition is too noticeable, it will distract and detract.
9. Remember your point and ensure your audience does too.
   If you can’t remember it, how will your audience? Powerpoint was designed to make points. Make yours and make them clear and memorable.
10. There are no country laws or legal requirements for you to use Powerpoint slides.
    If you are better off without them, then don’t use them. Many of the best ‘presentations’ I have seen were done without slides.

Can someone add another 91 to make it 101! Happy presenting!

Other posts that you might enjoy: 3 Things Not to Forget in a Presentation, A Presentation Lesson from Al Gore.

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• Preparing to Present – A Check List for Presenting at a Conference or Large Event
• How to Write a Speech in 5 Minutes
• Larry Lessig – Copyright and Great Presenting
• A Presentation Lesson From Al Gore