As TED veterans know, it’s not uncommon for first-time speakers to completely overhaul their presentations in Monterey, after realizing their standard talk won’t do. And it’s true: The bar is set intentionally high at TED. It’s not enough to have a great idea. You have to engage the audience, craft a meaningful story and pace yourself for the 18-minute slot. It doesn’t hurt to know your way around PowerPoint either.

Mastering all these elements is a skill unto itself, and Garr Reynolds has some of the best advice I’ve seen for delivering great presentations. His deceptively simple tips (“Limit bullet points and text;” “Move away from the podium”) would qualitatively improve 90% of the talks I see (and, believe me, I see a lot of talks). And his blog, Presentation Zen, provides regular pointers for professional presenters. Though he delves into the nitty-gritty of slide design and technology, he never loses sight of the big picture. His No. 1 tip on delivery? “Show your passion.” We couldn’t agree more.

(Hat tipped gratefully to metacool for the link.)