This document provides tips for giving effective conference talks and participating in panels. It recommends focusing the talk around key questions the audience wants answered, using powerful language like active verbs and short sentences, and bringing visual aids to life with photos and graphs rather than walls of text. The document also stresses the importance of polished performance through eye contact, energy, and practicing enough to be relaxed. It concludes by offering the services of presentation experts to help speakers fully prepare for a confident impact.

1. benjaminball.com
Better Conference Talks
A quick checklist for presenters and panellists
A conference talk can be transformational. You get recognition and a captive audience. But
how do you make the opportunity work? Whether in a talk or a panel, these practical tips will
help you make an impression, feel good and get a positive response.
1. Make it easy for your audience 5. Bring your panels to life
Your number one rule. A few big ideas well discussed On a panel, stand out by using ideas from the
work better than a fact-packed talk. Build your talk around political world:
the questions the audience want answered.  Have a strong viewpoint, disagree with others
Start powerfully and finish strong.  Put real energy into your performance
 Make everything you say useful for the audience
 Prepare juicy sound-bites
2. Adopt the language of great speakers
6. Use a checklist
Start with powerful language. Active verbs, short words
and short sentences are your building blocks for great To know if your talk will get the impact you want, adopt a
talks and presentations. checklist. Score yourself against these 10 tests.
When you add contrasts (buy or sell), triplets (yesterday,
today and tomorrow) and puzzles (So, what is the best Objective: Have you
strategy?) you begin to use techniques that the most Structure: Is your
stated the purpose of flow easy to follow?
impressive speakers use. your talk in one line?
Finally, stories and anecdotes will make your talk stand
out. We remember personal stories that illustrate the
Message: Have you a Delivery: Are you
points you make.
single simple message excited, passionate,
to get across? and clear?
3. Put your visual aids to work
Best practice today is to use only true Visual Aids. Avoid Engagement: Do you Visual Aids: Are
pages of text and bullets; bring your aids to life with make an impact they really visual
photos, graphs, or a few simple words on the page. Your within 30 seconds? aids?
visual aids will only sometimes be the same as your
handouts after the event. Story Telling: Have Take Away Test:
Top advice includes: avoid lists and bullet points; vary your you used lots of What will they say
font size and beware the detail. In summary, increase the examples and stories? about your talk?
information to ink ratio.
Focus: Is it all about Practice: Have you
4. Polish your performance the audience rather practiced enough?
A good talk then relies on good performance. The basics than about you? Is it perfect?
to get right every time include:
 Energy – speak a bit louder than usual
 Pauses – plenty of them YOUR TOTAL SCORE /10
 Eye contact – as much steady contact as possible
 Smile – it signals that you are an expert
 Rehearsals – the best speakers are practiced and
relaxed 7. Transform yourself
Call us toda y Be sure you make the right impact. To prepare fully for a
confident performance, call us. Use our team of presentation
+44 (0)845 676 9766 experts to polish your talk; review your visual aids and
Email info@benjaminball.com rehearse you. Get it right first time.