~Practise~
Practise on a colleague or friend. Think about who your audience is and what you want them to get out of an effective presentation. Think about content and style. If you video yourself get someone else to evaluate your performance; you will find it very difficult to be objective about yourself. Prepare, prepare, prepare.
~Reconnoitre~
Go into the presentation room before the event; practise any moves you may have to make, e.g. getting up from your chair to the podium. Errors in the first 20 seconds can be very disorientating.
~Avoid 'Blue peter syndrome'~
Try not to over prepare. Don't rehearse the whole thing right through too often. Your time is better spent going over your opening and closing paragraphs. Rehearse your beginning and your finish. Pick a few choice bits to learn by heart.
~Technical support~
Test the equipment before the presentation; get familiar with it before you start. PowerPoint and OHPs often seem as though they're out to get you, so make sure you're in charge not them.
~Visual aids~
Use visuals to give a big picture quickly. Show them graphics, pictures, cartoons bar charts etc; you can then use words to elaborate. Slides with words on are of limited value. If you seem to have a lot you may find you are showing your audience your speaker notes!
~Be yourself~
Use any personal gestures or vocal inflections to your advantage. It's very hard to change the way you express yourself. More effective presentations are ones where you actual put the energy into the presentation (this is a message you will hear again). Similarly, do not try to be anyone else or copy another presenter's style.
~Be Dynamic~
This is not a flippant comment. We all tend to pay more attention to things that change. If you can vary the tone, volume and speed of your delivery you will hold your audiences attention for longer.
