The 10 don'ts everyone should know

1. Don't ignore the packaging. No one wants to be there. Even stage plays, which are designed to entertain, appeal to only a small part of the population. It is your responsibility to package your message as simply and attractively as possible.

2. Don't tell them how much work you've done - no one cares - it just raises the price (their time).

3. Don't ignore story structure - every good movie (as well as every presentation) has a beginning, a middle and an end. Not necessarily in that order though - sometimes it's best to start with the end.

4. Don't skip the rehearsal - you should know what the flow of the story is - during the presentation is not the time to decide why 'that' slide is there.

5. Don't focus on the decision-maker - he/she will feel pressured to say something intelligent. And we all know what that means.

6. Don't be scared of protracted periods of silence - everyone has the right to lose their train of thought. A silence also means that you actually have a train of thought.

7. Don't underestimate the power of seeing yourself present - if you have never viewed yourself on videotape in an environment of positive feedback, you're probably missing out big time.

8. Don't begin by apologising - thank them for their time if you have to - but where the hell were they when the page was blank?

9. Don't rely on your content. People buy 'what' you say as much as, or less, than what they see. Body language can play an enormous role in conveying your message. See point 7.

10. Don't think that a presentation can make more than one point. If you can't articulate it in a sentence, don't expect your audience to. People will only remember one, or maybe two things from your presentation - make sure it's the right thing.