50 Tips for Presenters and Panelists

Your Goal: To Make the Audience Hungry for More (and More is Your Book!)

1. Sit up and lean slightly forward in your chair. Don't prop your elbows on the table. Don't rock back on the chair legs. (Unless you are addicted to accidents.)
2. Look interested in the other panelists and your moderator.
3. Put a period at the end of your sentences. Don't trail off into the sunset. Make your comment and stop.
4. Watch what you eat and drink beforehand-no carbonation! Broadcasting a burp is not cool. No excessive caffeine and no alcohol. ("A little cocaine beforehand will do wonders." This was actually suggested on a website. Hel-looo!)
5. Have yourself videotaped. Note your bad habits. Work to improve.
6. Practice answers to possible questions. (Brainstorm the questions.)
7. Substitute silences for "um." A silence might seem like forever to you, but really it's not.
8. Avoid jangly, dangly jewelry. (Nothing distracting-and nothing you can get hung up on.)
9. Don't wear a hat. It can cover your face, shade your features and obscure other panelists.
10. Wear a darker shade of lipstick than usual. (Most of us lip read. The more clearly people can see your lips, the better they can hear you.)
11. Be nice to the other panelists. (Seems obvious, but it must not be.) And don't make anyone the butt of your jokes except yourself.
12. If you are incredibly nervous about your speaking skills, join your local Toastmasters.
13. Be in charge of your introduction. Write it up. Print it out in 16 point type. Carry an extra copy. An intro isn't a bio. It's a specific set up for that specific audience. Also, make what you've written pronounceable. Try saying it yourself. If you can't, neither can your introducer.
14. Bring a visual-your book and a stand or a poster of your cover. You may or may not decide to use it, but having it is always smart.
15. Have handouts. Include a way to contact you, make the information valuable, and include some self-promotional information. The better looking the handout the more value it will have and the more longevity.
16. Meet and greet your audience in advance. Make new friends before you need them.
17. Get the audience involved. It's more fun and more enjoyable for all.
18. Have a friend in the back remind you of the time. Especially if you are allotted a certain number of minutes to talk.
19. Don't go over your allotted session time. (You might think you are getting away with it, but the rest of the day when everyone runs behind, they'll know whom to blame.)
20. Cue/note cards are okay. Limit the number and don't flash them about.
21. Practice your "bits." Professional speakers and comedians divide their presentations into "bits." You need to practice anecdotes, summaries, and important information out loud repeatedly.
22. Don't say, "I agree with so and so." Tell your own story-and put your spin on it.
23. "What questions do you have for my answers today?" Remark attributed to Henry Kissinger. The question isn't the most important part...your answer is.
24. Do a sound check. Remember: When the room fills up, you'll need to be a bit louder. Don't turn your face away from the microphone while speaking or it won't pick up your voice.
25. Watch your skirt length. The "modesty" panel on the table might not provide coverage.
26. Words 7%, tone of voice 36%, body language 57% = your message. Roll your shoulders and your neck to loosen up before you speak. Remember: The audience wants you to succeed.
27. Don't try to narrate your book. You'll ruin it. Trust me.
28. Don't insult your audience. (You laugh, but it happens.)
29. Don't be a microphone hog-and be cautious about interrupting the other panelists or the moderator. (Researchers note that men interrupt women much more often than women interrupt men. This can really make a man look rude, so be aware of how often you interrupt-and how you do it.)
30. Have fun-and everyone else will, too.
31. Arrive ten minutes early. Don't give your moderator a heart attack!
32. Scope out the room in advance. You'll feel more relaxed when you arrive.
33. Have a glass of tepid water at the ready. It's better for your voice than cold water.
34. Don't use a eucalyptus throat lozenge. They mess up your throat.
35. Keep the time of day in mind. (After lunch-more energy. Women will kill for chocolate.)
36. Let the moderator know you are coming-be accessible and responsive. Introduce yourself in advance, if possible. Try for some connection. Be easy-to-work-with.
37. Send a thank you note afterwards to the moderator.
38. Don't oversell. "My book...my book...my book" is obvious and boorish.
39. Don't split immediately afterwards. Folks will want to chat with you. Be generous with your time.
40. Offer an audience response device such as a comment card-with a place for the audience to suggest additional venues for you. Or consider having a drawing. Have them give you their business cards and you choose a winner.
41. Don't begin with an apology. They know you are nervous. Don't make them doubt your credibility by suggesting you aren't up to the job.
42. Don't be obsequious to your fellow panelists. I'd pass on being antagonistic, too.
43. Promote your friends. You'll both look good. Some folks even "buddy up" to do this. After all, you can only toot your own horn for so long, and then your hand gets tired.
44. If the person ahead of you in the panel takes up all "your" time, offer to meet with folks after the session.
45. How to handle a heckler: Never insult or single out an audience member. Stay calm. Have a remark prepared such as, "Did my ex-husband invite you?"
46. What if something you say is misrepresented or misinterpreted? Don't repeat the erroneous information. Instead, give the correct info. For example, the moderator says, "So you think writing is easy." You say, "Writing is easier for me when I follow an outline."
47. What if there are no questions? Ask another panelist a question. For example, "Joe, I've always wondered: How did you come up with the name of your series?"
48. Plant friends in the audience with useful questions. (That solves the problem above.)
49. Your name is mispronounced. You say, "Hi, I'm Joanna Slan," and pronounce your name correctly. There's no need to call attention to a mistake.
50. Have a sense of humor. You cannot control all the variables in a presentation, but you can control your attitude.

"There's no point in going anywhere unless people are going to remember you were there." Patricia Fripp

Resources:

A website with information for protecting and using your voice: http://www.uiowa.edu/~shcvoice/

A book with ideas for finding, saving and developing your personal anecdotes: Using Stories and Humor: Grab Your Audience (ISBN: 0-205-26893-5) by Joanna Slan.