You go to a meeting. Everyone has arrived. The lights are dimmed and the presentation begins. The presenter keeps showing slide after slide. Some in the back row actually doze off, while many others' minds drift off. They're all being "slideswiped".

You've heard the advice about how to make a presentation: "Tell what you're going to tell them; then tell them; and then tell them what you told them". That almost gives you a license to be boring. Forget it.

Especially when you're giving a Marketing or Sales presentation, take some lessons from Steve Jobs. His iPhone introduction had five lessons for making a superb pitch (weblink below).

1. Build Tension - Generate drama, and a couple of surprises
2. Stick to One Theme Per Slide - One slide, one key point
3. Add Pizzazz to Your Delivery - Vary your speed and tone
4. Practice - don't wing it; rehearse your presentation
5. Be Honest and Show Enthusiasm - Loosen up, have fun

You know what? Steve Jobs is far more engaging today as a presenter than he was many years ago, because he worked at it. We all have room to improve our presentations. Develop your own special style. And practice!

• PowerPoint Presentations: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
• Steve Jobs' Greatest Presentation
• The Seven Deadly Sins of Powerpoint Presentations