Never deliver a presentation you wouldn’t want to sit through.    – Duarte, Inc. Golden Rule

Award-winning author and presentation expert Nancy Duarte has a new book out: HBR Guide to Persuasive Presentations. This is a continuation of a series outlining of each of the book’s sections as well as zeroing in on a specific topic.

Section 6: Delivery

• Rehearse your material well – roll with the unexpected and fully engage with the audience
• Know the venue and schedule – control them when you can
• Anticipate technology glitches – odds of malfunction are high
• Manage your stage fright – exercises to calm your nerves
• Set the right tone for your talk – you never get a second chance to make a first impression
• Be yourself – authenticity connects you to others
• Communicate with your body – physical expression is a powerful tool
• Communicate with your voice – create contrast and emphasis
• Make your stories come to life – re-experience them in the telling
• Get the most out of your Q&A – plan, plan, and plan some more
• Build trust with a remote audience – get past technology’s barriers
• Keep remote listeners interested – you’re fighting for the attention of multitaskers
• Keep your remote presentation running smoothly – use a checklist to minimize annoyances

These are all great ideas, and I honestly couldn’t pull out a favorite – they’re all that good! Suffice it to say that delivery is critical to the success of your presentation. You may have the best content and message in the world, but if you fail at delivery, what good is it?

Next: Impact

This is Part 7 of a series looking at Nancy Duarte’s new book HBR Guide to Persuasive Presentations, highly recommended for all leaders.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4 

Part 5

Part 6