Remember: it's not about you. A major theme of my post, How To Give a Presentation: It's Not About You, is remembering that, well, it's not about you.

For more on this topic, register for ACE’s free virtual program, “How to Give Engaging Presentations” on Friday, Sept. 15, at 9 a.m. You can register here.

Make it simple and anonymous. Feedback is invaluable to perfecting your presentation. But understand that some in your audience will not like everything about your presentation, so prepare for this.

Whether you give a talk at a conference, lead an all-hands meeting or, yes, even talk with an employee or client one-on-one, each encounter is an opportunity to develop your business.

I once had a student give a class presentation where the background of the computer was a photograph of a woman sticking her hand down her pants with the fly mostly open. Don’t do this.

Make them evocative but use as little text as you can. Think back on some of Steve Jobs' presentations for Apple and how he often used one giant image with only one or two words.

Giving a presentation in any language can be difficult. But here is how you can speak clearly and confidently—even if you are not fluent.

Excerpted from Presentation Ready: Improve Your Sales Presentation Outcomes and Avoid the Twelve Most Common Mistakes by Terri Sjodin, (McGraw Hill, March 8, 2024).

10. Give The Audience A Chance To Be Heard To Gain Their Trust If they are lukewarm, then you need to gain their trust first. Turn the tables and give them an opportunity to be heard.

During the presentation, AI can also assist in real-time audience engagement. Tools like live polls, Q&A sessions, and interactive quizzes can make presentations more interactive and engaging.

According to Anderson, presentations rise or fall on the quality of the idea, the narrative, and the passion of the speaker. It’s about substance—not style.

Alexandra Samuel is a tech speaker and data journalist who creates data-driven reports and workshops for companies around the world. She is the co-author of Remote, Inc.: How to Thrive at Work ...