How many of us have gone to conventions, conferences, panel discussions, forums, etc. only to observe that those presenting are not engaging, inspiring, motivational or even fun to listen to?

The sad part of that equation is that we may have been that crummy presenter at times. 

Whether that conference has cost you a lot to attend or was free, the thing they have in common is your time. The time you have given to be somewhere when you could have been somewhere else or doing something else that supports your bottom-line is hard to measure, but it's real.

Check out Guy Kawasaki's recent article in the October issue of Entrepreneur entitled, 11 Public Speaking Pointers: A successful speech should always end with a standing ovation--here's how to get yours.

http://www.entrepreneur.com/magazine/entrepreneur/2008/october/197100.html

His tips are excellent for any aspiring entrepreneur looking to make their next presentation no matter the setting.

Guy is co-founder of Alltop.com, a managing director of Garage Technology Ventures, former chief evangelist for Apple and author of eight books--most recently, The Art of the Start.  

In addition to his "11 Points" I would add the following:

• Communicate with the audience before the event, if possible. Check with conference organizers to see if you could communicate directly with several of the participants who will be attending your presentation. It will never give you a full picture of who is in the audience, but will allow you to adjust your comments accordingly ahead of time particularly if certain themes come up again and again from individuals you have reached out to;
• Don't make the same mistake others make by using technology platforms like PowerPoint and Keynote, only to read off of your bullet points one by one. B-O-R-I-N-G! If you have never read Cliff Atkinson's, Beyond Bullets, don't worry; he has a great web site that gives you excellent tips for your future presentations (http://www.beyondbulletpoints....); 
• Be an efficient speaker. Find out how much time you have to give your presentation and finish 5-10 minutes ahead of schedule if at all possible. People, no matter the audience, will always appreciate the fact that you respect their busy schedules. This will also force you to be even more succinct in your presentation which is a good way to edit your presentation (and yourself). Plus, this may also give you more time to interact with audience in the form of a Q&A session;
• NEVER take on a speaking gig if you can't prepare for it properly. We all live busy lives, but that is never an excuse for taking on a presentation gig and thinking you can wing it, or that you are so good at preparing last minute presentations/speeches that people will love what you are feeding them. These delusions of grandeur and lack of preparation will show just about every time unless you are gifted in a way that 99.999% of us are not. Are you? Highly doubtful. Better to say no and protect your image and reputation than to say yes, and have them sullied. 

Now you have 15 tips. Get out there and knock 'em dead!