Studies indicate that 66% of people are clinically sleep-deprived. Experience suggests that a large percentage of them make up for their lack of sleep when they are forced to sit through a poor presentation.

You may be a subject matter Expert, your ideas may be top-notch, you may have the latest software, the best projection equipment and plush surroundings to present it all in ....

But if you do not put the information across effectively, you may as well be handing out sleeping-pills and water to wash them down with.

Holding an audience's attention is tough enough under normal circumstances, but it becomes vital when that presentation is part of an interview and selection process.

Some pointers to get you started:

	Practise, practise, practise. If you had a role in a play that involved delivering a 10-minute monologue, you would rehearse for weeks.
	Deliver your ideas - don't read them out.
	Body language - keep gesticulation to a minimum. The "less is more" adage really holds true here. An occasional gesture for emphasis will have much greater impact than ongoing, distracting movements.
	This includes shifting from foot to foot. You don't have to be a statue, but you should try to become aware of your movements and of the impact that they have on your audience.
	Appropriate terminology for the audience is vital. This can sometimes necessitate your deviating from your intended wording and pitching it to a higher level or dumbing it down on the spot.
	Intonation/inflexion in your voice. Pacing, pauses and the pitch of your voice can all help to get your message across more effectively.

A good place to start is by paying closer attention when you are in the audience at presentations, both good and bad. Learn from excellent presenters, but also by avoiding the mistakes of bad ones.

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