- Dress professionally.
- Practice your speech several times.
- Speak clearly and loudly enough so everyone in the room can hear (especially those in the back row).
- Have someone observe and comment while you practice.
- Be sure to provide an introduction and conclusion to let you audience know what they can expect.
- Transition smoothly through each main idea.
- Incorporate visuals (see below).
- Practice your speech several times.
- Don’t read the text on your presentation slides word for word.
- Make good use of space, and anticipate transitions.
- Make eye contact with audience members.
- Be animated; gesture naturally.
- Use your voice to communicate enthusiasm: project and monitor your pace.
- Remain alert to the moderator's signal for time.
Have a backup plan (in case presentations before yours run over or under time, etc.)
- Have backups of everything:
- hard copy
- Copy on a flash drive, email, or Smartphone
Stay relaxed and have fun!