Presentation Skills
Start with the audience and the ask
Before content, define the audience, their prior knowledge, and the single decision or action you want. Distil the presentation to one sentence - the key message - and build everything to support it. Burying the message at the end is the most common structural error; experienced presenters lead with the conclusion (bottom line up front) and then justify it.
Structure and delivery
A reliable skeleton is opening–body–close, with signposting ("three points: first… second… third…"), the rule of three, and a clear call to action. Stories and concrete examples carry more weight than abstract claims. Visual aids should support, not duplicate: minimal text, one idea per slide, readable type, and data shown as a chart rather than a table dump. The often-quoted 6x6 rule (six lines, six words) is a rough heuristic, not a standard.
Delivery skills: controlled pace, purposeful pauses, vocal variety, eye contact distributed across the room, and open posture. Manage nerves with preparation, rehearsal out loud, and breathing rather than script memorisation. For Q&A, listen fully, repeat or reframe the question, answer briefly, and check whether you satisfied the asker.
Traps
Too much text and reading slides; no clear purpose; overrunning time; ignoring the room; failing to rehearse transitions; and no ask at the end. Also watch for questions that reward the showiest delivery over the clearest message.
Worked example
A 10-minute update for an executive committee: state the recommendation in the first 30 seconds, give three supporting reasons with one number each, name the risk and its mitigation, then close by asking for the specific approval needed.