The sins of speaking Preparing an oral presentation requires many of the same skills as good writing, but speakers also have to deal with listeners' attention spans and distractions in the room such as beepers. Avoid content that is irrelevant. Make your purpose clear. Listeners often tune out if they can't tell where the talk is going. Don't give unnecessary information.
Audiences can only absorb so much.
A good rule of thumb is three ideas for a 30-minute talk. Don't speak in a monotonous tone. Jargon and a lack of enthusiasm can kill the most interesting topic. Keep clear of unnecessary, unclear or inappropriate visual aids. Anything irrelevant to the topic will merely distract the audience.