To many, presentations are like driving a Formula One car: a high-speed, high-adrenaline race against the clock to get the point you’re making across to the audience, usually without stopping to catch your breath!

But treating your presentation like a car race is the wrong way to approach it.  Most of you would agree that presentations are heart-stopping enough, so this edition of Phil’s Skills looks at a very underrated aspect of presentation effectiveness: The Pit.

I’m convinced that movement is an essential part of an effective presentation. Rarely have I seen a memorable presentation delivered by someone who spends the whole time standing behind a lectern or from a position where movement is restricted. For sure too much movement can distract from your presentation message, but audiences always appreciate a lively presenter who’s passionate about his or her topic – and movement  coupled with gesture, equals passion and enthusiasm for your subject.

Preparation is key when you’re about to give an important presentation and one thing I always make sure I get right is the area which I’m going to work in. Professional presenters refer to this area as ‘the pit’. How quickly and easily can you get from your laptop to the screen?  If you want to walk from the screen to  a member of the audience , is the path clear or is something blocking the way ?   If you’ve ever done a presentation in a first-class hotel, you’ll be familiar with how hotel staff sometimes love to decorate training rooms with flowers, small tables and all sorts of paraphenalia  – often right in the middle of your pit!

When this happens I will always politely ask the hotel staff to get rid of any floral displays that are clearly in the way. I don’t want to be wading through a jungle every time I need to highlight an important piece of data on the screen or walk across the floor to my flipchart.

Even worse than all the pretty flower arrangements are electrical wires – that mass of spaghetti spewing out from the laptop, the projector and of course wires that trail from power bars. I’ve seen many a presentation ruined because the presenter is frightened they’ll trip and do themselves a serious injury every time they move across the floor. The result? Too much mental energy is spent worrying about avoiding wires and it has a negative effect on the presentation.

Don’t let this happen to you! Make sure your pit is comfortable and obstacle-free. Then you can concentrate on the job in hand – delivering a first-class presentation!