What Makes a Great Presentation? A Great Speaker

Mike Ginsberg

The fall conference season is revving up. Las Vegas, here we come again.

For most of us, attending a conference means scheduling meetings and expensive dinners with clients and prospects. It also means catching up with peers, vendors and friends during speaker sessions and in the exhibit hall. It might also mean sitting in a presentation or two if we have extra time. Have you ever thought about the speakers themselves?

You undoubtedly sat through a great presentation and you suffered through a terrible presentation or two. What separates a great public speaker from the herd of average or poor presenters? Here is my list of distinguishing characteristics of a compelling public speaker:

1.       A great presenter knows their topic better than anyone else in the room. They have a point of view that they support throughout their presentation and they are not afraid to express themselves.

2.       A great presenter is intimately familiar with the audience. In advance of their presentation, they ask the conference coordinator for an attendee list. They mingle and ask leading questions before their session and then they steer their presentation in that direction.

3.       A great public speaker does not depend upon PowerPoint or technology for their presentation. We have all seen the presentation slides that are crammed with way too much text. Good presenters use technological aids to enhance a presentation, not to give it.

4.       A great speaker appears to be having a conversation with the audience. They are compelling story tellers and they don’t hide behind the podium. They know how to walk the stage and engage with the audience.

5.       A great presenter has charisma and shows energy and emotion throughout his/her presentation. They genuinely enjoy the experience and will not rush through their presentation to the finish line.

6.       A great speaker is fully aware of every aspect of their surroundings to reduce the chance of any surprises that might impact their presentation.  Wireless microphones, air temperature, fresh batteries in the clicker, the right lighting are all checked in advance.  Controlling the room removes the element of surprise and lets them focus on giving a great speech.

7.       Silence is golden. A great speaker knows the best times to pause for effect. And they never use “um” or “so: as filler.

Hosting stellar panel discussions are another art form some moderators have perfected. Here are the top 3 surefire steps toward moderating a panel like a pro, according to the Harvard Business Review:

1. Involve the audience in the first 5 minutes.
2. Ban slides. They gobble up time and limit interactions between panelists which is the reason for the panel in the first place.
3. Don’t go down the line with every question. The moderator should instead ask a related question of the other panelists or just move it along to the next topic.