One reason public speaking is so scary is that we feel locked into a scripted timeline where our performance is judged on how well we follow (and remember!) the script. An often-overlooked secret of visually interactive presentation is that the network communicates not only to the audience but also to the presenter, giving constant visual signals about upcoming content. In other words, your own slide shows act like cheat sheets, giving you frequent previews of remaining topics and where that material can be found. As a result, you don’t constantly need to remember what slide is next, or how many slides are left before the one needed comes into view.

This seeing the big picture, along with the freedom to pull up anything needed at any time, eliminates a great deal of pressure. A performance becomes more like a conversation, with the speaker simply sharing knowledge as if sitting around a café table. Relational presenters tend to be much more natural and relaxed in their delivery style for this reason.