You'd be amazed at how many people do not know how long their presentation takes. They guess at the length, often by multiplying the number of slides by some magic number. Or they divide the allotted time by some factor that makes sense to them, but bears no relation to reality.

You only know how long something takes if you do it "for real" in a dress rehearsal. You need to practice the presentation exactly as you will do it. Include all the slides, props, activities and audience participation. Once you know how long it takes, check it again. You need to be sure of the amount of time it really takes - your first rehearsal may have been too fast or too slow. Only be rehearsing again will you find out if your first attempt was right or not.

Once you know the time, make sure it is less than your allotted time. Generally it's best to try for five minutes less than your time for a typical half hour presentation. So time your presentation for just 25 minutes, for example. This five minutes lee-way means you can handle any extra questions, or have space for and difficulties that arise, such as the previous speaker over-running.

Audiences hate it when presenters run over time. Get them to like you by running slightly under.

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Audiences like their presenters to "be in charge". They prefer it if the presenter is authoritative, without being too "head teacher" in style. The reason for this is it makes the audience more comfortable. Audience members feel anxious if the presenter is unsure of themselves.

So how can you come across with authority, without sounding like a school teacher? Firstly it's about where you stand. People who are in authority tend to stand in the middle of the group they are addressing so they are relatively equidistant from each member of the audience. They also stand still when they are making important points. So, when you have something important to say stand right at the front of your "stage" area, in the middle and still.

People in authority also make plenty of eye contact with their audiences and use "iconic" gestures - hand movements which provide images for the audience.

The stance you take is also important - head up, looking forwards, no stooping. Shoulders straight, chest "puffed out" are all signals of authority and you need to be standing upright if you are to be seen as authoritative by your audience.

There is one "trick" you can play, though. When you reveal some personal vulnerability it appears that the audience will accept your authoritative position even more. Including some personal references in your presentation, admitting to errors or mistakes on your own behalf for instance, can increase your authority position within the audience. The body language cues you provide help, but the audience only accepts authority if you also come across as "human".

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Presenters need to be credible. You can do everything you like on your stage to improve your connection with the audience, make them positive about you and engage with you. But to truly come across as a credible speaker you need to demonstrate your expertise in your subject.

You can do that in several ways. One is obviously by speaking about the subject, as you do in your presentation. Another is to invite interactivity so that you can answer questions and lead discussion on your topic. A third way of establishing speaker credibility is to have some handouts available.

These help confirm your expertise and act as a permanent reminder of what you said. However, there are handouts and there are handouts. Simply giving out a copy of any slides you have used does not do the trick. Indeed, studies show that these actually work against you. They remind people of what they did not remember in your presentation, confirming in their mind that you did not get your message across.

The best handouts are those which add to the presentation. These can be in the form of checklists, reports, white papers and so on. Something in depth usually helps, focusing on one aspect of your talk. In other words provide a handout that is "extra" material. Also, people like these handouts to contain web site addresses where they can go for even more information. So, handouts like these add to your credibility and make it even more likely that your messages get across.

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Audience research is clearly a necessity if your presentation is to go well. However, don't always take what they say as necessary or important. They can sometimes give you answers based on mis-information or incorrect perceptions.

For instance, what if your audience says you should limit the number of slides you use? That makes you focus your preparation on a set number of slides, rather than focusing on getting your message across. Your audience research may show a specific number of slides because they are under the illusion that there is some kind of psychological "two slides per minute" rule. Or they may simply be fed up with presentations of loads of slides and just want the "essentials".

However, if you used the timed animation techniques of PowerPoint you could produce a presentation that lasted just a couple of minutes but used 400 slides. To the audience it seems like movie. But if your audience research said "no more than ten slides" how would you change it?

In other words, use your audience research as a guide - not an instruction. If they provide you with "rules" challenge them - ask why does that rule exist and what purpose it serves. Once you have an answer to that you'll be in a better position to decide what to do about it.

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Data projectors - or computer projectors, or LCD projectors - are commonly used in business presentations. Using these devices can be quite tricky - even though the manufacturers have worked hard to make them easy to use. The problems that you can experience are usually quite simply solved, but when facing an audience anything that goes wrong with the technology can cause panic. So, if you follow these tips you should avoid difficulties.

1 Get to know your data projector in advance. Before you get into the presentation room, make sure you know what all the controls are for. The last thing you want is to look dumb in front of the audience because you don't understand the buttons on the machine.

2 Practice using the data projector so you get used to what it can do. Flick through all the menus and see what can be achieved with changes in the settings. If you have played about too much with the machine, just restore the menus to default values.

3 Get some extension leads that will allow you flexibility when setting up your projector. You can extend the lead between the computer and the projector to around 300m!

4 Allow plenty of time to set up the projector and the computer. Things will always take longer than expected, so get to the room early.

5 Once you have connected the projector to your computer switch the projector on before your computer. Remember PC (Projector then Computer).

6 If your projector does not automatically change its resolution to match that of your PC screen, make sure you set them to be the same. SVGA works best.

7 Position the projector at least 4m from the screen. This will ensure you have a large enough image for people to see.

8 Set up the projector so that you are between it and the audience. Sadly most people set up the projector so that they are between the projector and the screen. That doesn’t work well as it means you cannot move, or if you do you block the image.

9 If you need to pause for more than a minute or two between slides - perhaps for discussion - switch the projector off. This will make the room quieter and allow discussion to take place more easily.

10 Prepare for the fact that the projector or the PC or both may fail. You need to be able to give your presentation without any equipment - just in case of unforeseen events.

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Have you ever been to the cinema to see a movie that is taken from a book you have read? The movie is always worse than the book isn't it? Why is that?

What you are watching when you see the movie of the book is what was inside the director's head when they read the book. But that's not what you saw in your mind's eye, so you are inevitably disappointed upon seeing the movie.

This just shows us how detailed and well formed our imaginary world's inside our heads can be. We create those images ourselves and they are well focused, colourful and vibrant. Make those images real and they lose their power.

When you are giving a presentation and you show pictures to people, they are less powerful therefore than pictures which the audience create in their own heads. So instead of showing images, create images in the mind's eye of your audience by describing things in detail. That way your audience will construct their own internal images, making them much more powerful than the real thing.

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PowerPoint has become the mainstay of most business presentations these days. So much so that people are bored with it. Even though PowerPoint has immense power - most people do not use it for very much other than bullet points. Indeed, most PowerPoint presentations do not need the program, they could have been produced in a simple word processor.

However, the focus that people have on PowerPoint means they have often forgotten about old technologies. Yet if you use these technologies, audiences suddenly sit up and take notice. Also, older technologies often allow you to make the presentation much more interactive.

For instance flip charts are a useful way of presenting information in an accessible and seemingly spontaneous way. Equally overhead projectors can be used to show information where a flip chart would be too small. Furthermore, the use of handouts and workbooks seems to have been ignored in favour of printouts of slides from PowerPoint.

All of these "old" methods of giving presentations have their place. Don't ignore them. It doesn't mean you should not use PowerPoint - it just means don't focus on this program. Instead, consider all the different technologies you could use.

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Presenters are often "trapped" at the front of the room by technology, tables and a host of items that only give them a small space from which to make their presentation. However, this has a psychological effect on the presenter because it "closes them down" making them feel somehow inhibited. In turn that prevents them from giving their best presentation.

The way out of this is to ensure you have the maximum available space. You need to feel free in order to give a good presentation. That means plenty of space in which you can walk about. It means no tables or chairs in your way. It means no barriers that can prevent you from feeling free. For instance, often presenters will not walk because they can see cables on the floor. They fear tripping over them so don't feel freedom to move.

Whenever you give a presentation you need to have a clutter-free space so that you can wander round, if you want. You need space to move and you need to reduce anything that presents itself as a barrier. Even if you do not move around, it will have a significant psychological effect on your performance as it will make you feel free. That in turn will help you present your material in a more open and relaxed manner.

Room layout is an often overlooked part of presenting, but a simple change to the room to give the presenter a good amount of free space can have a dramatic impact on the presenter - and the audience.

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Your audience should be so familiar to you that you know what they want to hear from you. Often people who prepare presentations merely find out the numbers of people they are going to present to (so they can produce the right number of handouts). Presenters may also find out a bit about the audience, but rarely enough.

In depth audience research really helps you prepare your material well. What age and gender mix will you have? What backgrounds do these people have? How long have they worked in their industry? What kind of professional or trade magazines do they read? Do they have families? These sound like rather general questions, but they help you build up a much more detailed picture of your audience.

If you can find out as much information about your audience as possible - even talking to some members in advance - you will be able to prepare your material so that it focuses specifically on them. For instance, the examples you choose to highlight will be targeted more precisely.

With good audience research you know you will have material exactly right for them. That will make your presentation much better for the audience - and it will give you more confidence. The secret to a great presentation often lies in thorough audience research.

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Audiences simply hate it when presenters are monotone or when their talk is at one level. What audiences love is a roller coaster ride; they want your presentation to have highs and lows, shades of dark and light, humour and seriousness.

To achieve this you need to plan the flow of your presentation well. For instance, don't include a series of serious points. Instead, separate them between something lighter. Similarly, don't put all the drama in one place, have it scattered throughout your talk.

One way of ensuring your presentation has these highs and lows audiences love is to include several attention grabbing features scattered throughout your talk. Start with something that really grabs attention, then move to a serious point before doing something that is attention grabbing. Having several things that grab attention which feature throughout your talk is much better than having a single attention grabber at the start.

Things you can use to grab attention include: quotations, questions, statistics, controversial statements, props, physical activities, demonstrations, video clips, audio clips, magic tricks and stories or anecdotes.

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Microphones are designed to help your voice, not replace it. No matter how good the microphone, without effective vocal technique, your voice could remain unheard. Proper breathing, plenty of lubrication and vocal exercises are needed to ensure your voice remains in tip top shape. With a good voice, even poor microphones can be effective.

Microphone basics
A microphone is a simple device that converts your voice into electrical signals. There are two main types, condenser and dynamic. If you are given a choice, go for condenser.

Microphones can pick up sounds from one direction (unidirectional) or all around (omnidirectional). If given a choice, go for omnidirectional.

Microphones are fragile. Treat them with care.

Wherever possible, use radio mikes; sound degrades when using long cables.

Microphone tips
1. Preparation is the key - always practice with the microphone before using it 'live'. Conduct a sound check in the conference room.

2. When using handhelds, hold them firmly in your non dominant hand, about 20cm from your mouth.

3. When using clip on mikes (also known as lapel mikes, lavalieres or tie mikes), clip them on to your clothing on the side closest to the audience (preferably also the side that is opposite your dominant hand).

4. Don't shout; talk at your normal level.

5. Always assume the microphone is on…! But check it is on before speaking…!

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You need to be heard – if your audience cannot hear every word you utter, why are you bothering to talk to them? More importantly, why should they bother to try and listen? You need to check out the acoustics of each room well in advance. You will need to decide whether or not you will need microphones and sound equipment.

Equally you’ll want to establish if there are any echoes or 'dead' areas where sound cannot be heard effectively. You should practice in the room in advance, with an assistant who can help you establish your audibility around the room. You should also take into account the fact that when the room is full of people they will absorb your sound, so you will need to be louder than when rehearsing. Hence, rehearse at this additional volume level, so you feel right when coming to the actual speech.

Never, never start your talk with words like: 'Can everyone hear me?' or 'Can you hear me at the back?' Firstly such questions are wasted - if everyone can hear you, why are you asking. If they can’t hear you, how can they answer? Secondly, asking such questions indicates a lack of proper preparation and that already puts you at a disadvantage with your audience. Asking if you have the right volume sounds a good idea, but in practice it always works against you; you should know you have the right volume the moment you open your mouth, because you have done all the acoustic preparation in advance.

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A good way of ensuring your presentation goes well is to actually choreograph your talk so that you use the physical space well. By doing so you can give clues to the audience as to what is going on.

The best thing to do is always start your presentation in the centre of the platform area you have available. This is the most authoritative position and is where you should make your major points, especially your concluding remarks. However, other parts of your speaking area can be used for specific purposes.

For instance, move to your left when you are talking about issues relating to the past and move to the right when you are speaking about the future. Or move to the left when you are talking about one topic and to the right when talking about another. These physical positions signal to the audience what is going on.

Also, move forward when you want to engage with the audience more and move backwards if you are asking them to do some activity or come up with ideas, questions, discussions and so on. Doing that signals it is "over to them".

Good presenters work out in advance how they are going to use their stage area. It makes a significant difference to the way the presentation is viewed by the audience.

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Public speaking ranks right up there with death in terms of the things we are terribly afraid to do. Whether it's the fear of being watched closely by others, or the insecurity and self-conscious feeling of slipping up during the presentation, these six tips will help you give a polished, professional speech that you (and your audience) can be proud of!

1. Know your audience. This is the single best piece of advice for delivering a presentation that really hits home. What are there interests? Their backgrounds? Why are they coming to hear you speak or present? What ideas do you have to share with them? Approaching your speech as more of a 'me-to-you' discussion rather than a full-blown broadcast will make it more manageable (and less stressful) and easier on you.

2. What do you want your audience to do as a result of your speech? What's really at the heart of your presentation? By concentrating on the 'end result' rather than slogging through the beginning, you can create a powerful punch that drives home your message instead of rambling on and losing your audience's interest (or missing the point entirely!)

3. Share a story. In public speaking circles, this is called a 'hook' - something that gets your audience's attention and makes them sit up and listen. Start off by asking questions or sharing an experience you had. People like to be active, rather than passive listeners. By giving them something that they can identify with, you'll find that these people are, in essence - just like you! And that makes giving a presentation a whole lot easier. Just be sure your story has a beginning, a point, and an ending. There's nothing quite as bad as telling a story to an engaged audience and then forgetting why you told it!

4. If you're selling a product, focus on the benefits instead of the features. People would much rather hear WHAT a product can do for them than HOW it does it. Narrow down your product's features until you get to the core of how it solves a problem. If you need help with figuring out the difference between a feature and a benefit, ask yourself 'So What?' For example, if you're selling a vacuum cleaner that has a hypoallergenic filter, put yourself in the customer's shoes and ask yourself 'so what?' The answer would be something like, 'It picks up dust, mold and pet dander. Again, 'so what? Answer, 'You'll feel relief from runny nose and sneezing plus itchy, water eyes.' Now THAT's a benefit!

5. Don't lean too heavily on media to make your message clear. PowerPoint presentations are great for making specific points, but they can be overwhelming - or downright boring. Instead, give your audience something to DO by providing them with fill-in-the-blank flip charts or 'team activities'. These help reinforce and emphasize your message in ways that a computer presentation simply cannot.

6. Above all, make sure your speech ends in a way that reiterates the beginning. Too often, speakers get carried away with the details and leave their audiences asking, 'What was the point of all that?' People naturally digest information in 'chunks', so focus on the big picture rather than all the pieces. If the details are just as important, save it for an after-speech handout that the audience can take with them and read over at their leisure.

If you keep these six tips in mind, you'll not only have an easier time overcoming your fear of public speaking, but you'll have a very appreciative audience who will in turn be more receptive and eager to try your product or service.

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Audiences are predictable; they really want to listen to you because they want to learn something from you, the speaker. So, how can you engage with them so that audiences react positively and in a friendly way?

Here are some tips that can help

1. Speak according to the listeners' interests. It is always a good idea to find out what the crowd you are speaking to is interested in. For example, if you have more teenagers in the crowd, you don't really want to talk about your subject in a way that bores them, like good education. Other aspects to consider would be the local culture, age, sports, religious inclinations, etc. Talk about what’s important to them, something they can easily relate to without a stretch of imagination. If you are making a business presentation solve the problems your audience are likely to face.

2. Praise the audience. Audiences are human too, and each and every one of them has a need to be acknowledged as much as you want to be acknowledged for speaking well in front of them. There is only one requirement for this maxim, that your praise be one hundred percent sincere. Anything less and you'll have resentment in your hands. Be sure to thank them for taking the time to listen to you, as well.

3. Connect with the audience. Find a common thread that makes the audience relate to you, and you'll find that the speech will come through really well. Finding a common thread humanises you and the speech. It makes them want to listen to you because it may in some way be of great benefit to them. Also use eye contact to connect with each person in the room.

4. Have the audience participate. Do quizzes, games, puzzles and so on. Get somebody to come on stage and participate in a demonstration. Ask questions. Get feedback. Encourage them to walk up to the microphone and give you a piece of their mind. The point is to involve the audience, once more, making it more real to them.

5. Less you, more them. Play yourself down. Nobody, especially an audience, likes to be lectured to. This will cause resentment that will last a long time. Never feel that you are above them. The better way to think about your audience would be that you care about their welfare. Think of yourself as their best friend, and more often than not, this will hold you in good stead.

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The other day I was at a talk where the presenter just didn't get their message across. Listening carefully I realised that the content was great - but there as no panache or impact. I realised that the person talking wasn't connecting with their audience. True, they smiles, had eye contact and used gestures well. Their body language was positive and effective. But their whole presentation was lacking; they were not making any impact. Then it struck me - it was their voice. They spoke in a single tone, with no variety in pitch or pace. The presenter had obviously understood you need to be active on the platform, that you need positive body language and that you need appropriate visual aids or props. But what they had forgotten is that in public speaking it is the voice which is the main connector with the audience. Your voice needs to have the same dynamic range and impact as when you are chatting with your friends in social situations. As soon as you start talking as though you are in a formal situation, you lose your audience, no matter what else you do right in your presentation. So treat every presentation as though it were a chat down the pub.

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