Public Speaking:Some Dos and Don'ts

* Planning Your Talk
Don't forget that studies show an audience can remember only three or four things you present in a talk.
Don't distract from your message by including peripheral topics or excessive arcane detail.
Don't forget that any lecture is a performance: you must work to get your message across.

*Some Basics
Don't keep jumping back and forth through your slides. Either reorganize your talk to avoid this or duplicate the needed slide in the second place where it fits.
Don't start to change a slide, then stop halfway. Either change it or leave it.
Don't fidget nervously in front of your audience. Make your movements and gestures purposeful.
Don't stick your hands in your pockets, hook your thumbs under your belt, or engage in other creative diversions.

* Words, Phrases, etc.
Don't start sentences with "So."
Don't end sentences with "right?" or "OK?"
Don't apologetically introduce a topic with "Just real quick," "Briefly," or similar words. What that tells your audience is that "this isn't really important or relevant, but I'm going to inflict it on you anyway."

* Laser Pointers
Don't wave the laserpointer all over the screen as you talk. You're going to give your audience a headache as their eyes jerk all around their heads trying to keep up.
Don't use a laser pointer to point to text. Your audience is as capable of reading as you are. Do you still run your finger under the words as you read? Neither do they.

* Questions
Don't use a question as an excuse to bring up the dozen slides you cut out of your talk in order to meet the time limit you were given.
Don't go rummaging through your slides to answer a question unless it is absolutely necessary (and it usually isn't).
Don't hold "private conversations" with questioners in the front rows. Make sure everyone in the audience knows what the question is (repeat it if necessary) and can hear and understand the answer.