Drive your presentation skills higher with these 15 tips! You know it's miserable to attend a boring presentation. On the other end, it's absolutely miserable to present with audiences that are dozing off all the time. Gone will be the days where you see your audiences trying their very best to keep themselves awake throughout the presentation. Here we are giving you 15 tips for making a presentation excellent! You have your stakeholders understand the objective and goals, and are happy, satisfied walking out of the presentation room. Here's how to do it!

1. Total commitment to the problem/project/outcome - Do not present for the sake of presenting. If you are, you might as well call it off or get somebody else to do it.
2. Create a compelling "Story line"/"Plot" - Make a strong and believable story in their context. Remember, it's in their context.
3. Sufficient data to drive message across - Do not bombard the stakeholders or audience with too much data. They will not be able to absorb so much within the short time frame. However, give them the key information they need and prepare a big list of answers to any questions they may have.
4. Memorize or familiarize the data - In this way, you can manipulate the data and present it in a different context on the spot.
5. Tell great stories or illustrations - This will bring vivid life to your presentation and the audience will be keen to hear more.
6. Be sensitive to the audiences - Look out for body languages and sense the response of the audiences. Know when they are bored or attentive. Switch your presentation style to grab their attention back!
7. Connect with audience - This will prevent them from falling asleep and being bored in your presentation. Talk to them. Ask questions!
8. Walk around the presentation - Especially to the audience area. They will be made to stay alert throughout your presentation when they know you may walk to their "safe" area anytime.
9. Give a punch line or surprise at the beginning of the presentation - Surprise them and grab their attention!
10. Don't be pushy once you "won" - No matter how good you are, once you've "won" it stay at there. Let's not hurt anyone's dignity.;)
11. Be "in command" but not a "show-off" - The audience will decide if you are really good.
12. Be nice to everyone, even your detractors - That's where the audience decides who the real jerks in the presentation are.
13. Pay attention to the senior stakeholder. However, you need not act like a suck-up to him - You do not want to be seen as a social suck up in front of everyone right. Furthermore, the entire audience deserves your attention as well!
14. Let the audience arrive at the conclusion - They will find the conclusion more meaningful than you telling them you are right.
15. Just THREE key points! - Too many key points will not be understood by the general audience.