HBR Guide to Persuasive Presentations

HARVARD MANAGEMENT COMMUNICATION LETTER

Presentations 101

Don't make these common mistakes

by John Clayton

John Clayton is a writer and teacher at Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Montana.

Inexperienced presenters make two kinds of mistakes: the intelligent kind that all of us must work through, and the kind that is so obvious you just shake your head in disbelief.

Let's deal with the obvious ones first:

• Reading from a script. There's no faster way to lose your audience's attention. Instead, look up and establish a personal connection with the audience.
• Hiding at the back of the room or behind a podium. Let the audience see you and your body language.
• Ignoring time constraints. Don't try to give a 30-minute speech in a five-minute slot. ...