I have seen plenty of presentations in my time – some good, some not so good – and given quite a few myself. Of course, I would like to think that all of mine were excellent, realistically I doubt they were but I do believe that generally I am above average.
Good structure with relevant content is important but so is the way, the style, of the presenter. This article on “wrong body language” during presentations captures some really important “don’ts”. The only thing I have some issues with is number two: fiddling with your hands is definitely out but having hands at your sides can look rather unnatural, so I do sometimes clasp my hands, especially when someone else is talking. Number five is an absolute no-no but sometimes you do need to draw attention to a particular part of the screen. If it is a point you planned to make then make sure that part is highlighted in the slides but when responding to an audience question you may have to improvise. Whether you have a pointing stick, a laser or just your own arm I always position the pointer then turn to the audience to speak. Keeping on target can be tricky but a quick head turn can help you with that.