The pressure was on, each candidate striving to deliver the knock-out punch that would leave a lasting impression, swaying undecided voters. Two evenly matched candidates, this debate felt like a tug-of-war… one moment one candidate winning until the rebuttal, when his opponent would take the lead.

While I thought Obama was closer to his second-debate performance than Romney was to his first round win, all in all I’d say it was a draw. Why? Quite different in their styles, both men projected the confidence, credibility and connection that is critical to presidential leadership.

While you may be expecting a critique discussing why a “draw”, I’d like to take this opportunity to share five lessons from the 3rd debate that you can use immediately to step up the quality of your next presentation.

Presidential Lessons Learned

• Watch your Posture. Did you notice that from the moment the two candidates sat down they were locked, loaded and ready for action? What did they do that communicated this message? Quite simply it was their posture. Rather than sitting back comfortably in their chairs both men leaned slightly forward with their arms resting on the table top. Their posture alone said energized and engaged. Take-a-way: If seated when presenting, always lean slightly forward, back straight and shoulders relaxed and squared. If you sit back and get too comfortable you can look like a disinterested sack of potatoes NOT a leader.

• Stay Engaged. In previous debates, both Obama and Biden didn’t always appear to be listening when their opponent were speaking. Sometimes they looked disinterested, distracted or at times dismissive. But all that changed, this time both candidates turned their head, looked at their opponent and appeared to be listening when the other was speaking. Take-a-way: Whenever there are multiple presenters, always look at and listen to the person who is speaking. This level of engagement says a lot about your character.

• Create Interest. Romney’s response to the first question started with a salutation. In the previous two debates, both candidates included a greeting with their opening remarks. However, last night when it was Obama’s turn, he skipped the salutation and jumped right into answering the question. Take-a-way: An audience prefers if you skip the greeting and find an interesting way to both grab their attention and introduce the content of your remarks / presentation. Be careful not to default to a salutation to get you started.

• Solicit Feedback. It was clear that both candidates had been skillfully coached on their presentation style. This was most evident with Obama improving both his messaging and delivery with each debate. Take-a-way: Benefit from the feedback of others. Don’t count on your judgment alone to determine the effectiveness of your presentation. Solicit feedback, gathering differing perspectives about what works and what to change. Ask trusted colleagues to consider: If this was your presentation and you had only 15 minutes to make any changes, what would you change?”

• Ask for the Sale. For the first time, both men gave thoughtful consideration to their closing remarks and concluded by asking to be your next president. Take-a-way: The conclusion is your final opportunity to leave a lasting impression that moves your listeners to action. Be sure you know what you want your listeners to do and ask for it.

Implementing these lessons learned in your next presentation are sure to make you a winner!

Today Father’s Day is celebrated in more than 50 countries all over the world on the third Sunday of June. In 2010 the third Sunday of June and thus Father’s Day will be on the 20th. This holiday is similar with Mother’s Day only that it is (obviously) for fathers. We used to make gifts for our mothers every year on Mother’s Day. Why not search for Fathers Day presents as well?

Fathers Day presents can be anything you think will make your dad really happy. Is your dad an avid reader? Then buy him a book you are sure he will really like. Does your dad like electronics or IT devices? If you have the money you could buy him a new tablet PC or anything else you know he would love. We can give you dozens of gift ideas for Father’s Day but the best idea for you may be to ignore all our ideas and create a creative and original gift on your own. The best Father’s Day presents are definitely the ones you create on your own from your heart.

However, if you still cannot really find something interesting to create we may try to help you. A good idea would be to simply make a search on the internet for “father’s day gift ideas”. You will find loads of ideas for you and will then be able to choose a gift that will be appropriate for your dad.

Is your dad very fond of gadgets? If so you are lucky. There are dozens of things you could buy for him. If he is fond of his camera and likes taking pictures you could buy your dad a camera case and let him experiment with underwater photos. Does your father prefer the comfort of Apple products? Look for Apple accessories and you will eventually find exactly what you think your father would want. If your father loves sports think of buying him equipment from his favorite team.

While the gift is truly important your father will surely appreciate a personal visit from you. Even if you have a very busy schedule (which you probably do have) you should make time to visit your dad and remember the good old times. Have a nice time on Father’s Day.

Investor presentations take time and patience to prepare. Doing your homework, settling on strategy, developing messages, honing a pitch and delivering it well, will all be required. The judgment on whether you’ve hit your mark however will be swift. Your audience will usually decide within the opening minute of your pitch, whether they want to hear more.

With so much at stake, there is simply no room for error on the basics. Investors won’t be sold on a good idea poorly presented. However powerful your product or idea, your presentation must be targeted to this very specific audience to be successful. Keep these basics in mind when preparing for your investor presentation:

o Where’s the beef? It’s simply not enough to explain your product or idea. Investors want to know whether that product or idea presents a worthwhile market opportunity for them. You must show you understand this potential and have done your homework well enough to be able to describe it from their point of view.

o Know the lay of the land: Know what others are doing in your field and how your idea or product stacks up to the competition. Who are your competitors, and what makes your product unique in comparison to them?

o Short and succinct: Investors will not invest in something they cannot understand or explain easily to others. No matter how complex or sophisticated your idea is, you simply have to be able to talk about it in a way that anyone, even those outside your field, can understand.

o Confidence is catching: Enthusiasm and confidence are essential in convincing investors of the need and worth of your idea. Hone and practice your pitch as much as possible to nail this one.

o Present like a pro: Keep your pitch short and powerful with a clear flow and a logical progression. Don’t forget to close the deal with a call to action and a clear “ask” about what you’ll need financially to make this investment a success for all.

Remember — let your passion and your confidence shine through!

Aileen Pincus is founder of The Pincus Group, providing communications training worldwide. www.thepincusgroup.com