For most people, priming yourself to make a presentation, be it for school, college, your employment or a social activity, takes work.
For most of us, making a presentation requires more than just standing in front of a crowd and winging it. Truly capturing group interest and relaying your point in as engaging a way as possible, takes both preparation and skill.
If you aren’t the world’s most natural public speaker, or you lack a certain flair, don’t worry. Presentation skills, like all skills, can be learned. Follow these helpful tips and you will have those pesky presentations perfected in no time. (Side hint, alliteration draws people in).
Know your stuff
If you start a presentation hazy on the facts or uncertain about the elements, then you are already off to a bad start. The old adage ‘fail to prepare, prepare to fail’, rings true because you are trying to convince others on a topic without fully understanding it yourself.
It is one thing to revise and spit out information, but you need to know what you are talking about so you are ready to answer any questions that follow. Going into a presentation, knowing that this is an area in which you have considerable insight will be an incredible confidence boost and confidence is half the battle.
Be natural
I know I just said that you should be prepared and you should. However, too much revision and a strict adherence to cards, slides or other notes can make your presentation stilted and dull.
Remember to look up from any visual aids now and then to make eye contact and engage with your audience. Many of us are inclined to speak rapidly when we are nervous, or trying to get through an uncomfortable process, but by becoming aware of your breathing and slowing it down you can calm your nerves and stabilise your voice.
Hand movements can be useful to emphasise a point and they are also a natural way of engaging with your audience, but try not to overdo it as it can make you seem overly rehearsed, or like you are dancing the macarena, distracting your audience from what you’re trying to say.
Keep it tidy
When creating a presentation it can be tempting to cram in every snippet of information, along with fun transitions, brash colours and images. While this might briefly captivate an audience’s interest it risks missing the finer points as there is just too much going on.
Include only the necessary information, that you can, then use it to flesh out your wider points verbally. You can use whatever colours, images and transitions you like, but try to keep it looking professional and minimalist.
Visual aids are a great way of appealing to an audience, just make sure that they are relevant and also, if pulled from the internet, make sure the network and device you are working on can support the extra strain.
Be present
A common mistake many of us make when we are giving a presentation is that we feel that we have to be in ‘business mode’ and certainly you do need to have a professional air. But it is important that you also appear enthused by what you are saying, because if you don’t care about the topic, why should anyone else?
Short anecdotes, jokes and puns are a great way of showing personality, while still staying on track with the presentation. You may even want to make aspects of the presentation interactive, whereby you briefly call upon members of the audience to further define or emphasise your point.
Aim for comfort
If you are physically uncomfortable, it is going to make any activity or process harder to get through. Preparing yourself mentally is crucial, but you should also consider the physical aspects, for example if possible wear comfortable shoes and clothing, request ergonomic furniture such as a height appropriate seat or podium and have a glass or bottle of water in front of you.
More often than not, you won’t have much say in the conditions in which you will be giving your presentation, but do what you can to make yourself comfortable. Yes stilettos look amazing, but do you really want to be standing in place with them on for an hour?
Learning how to give a presentation that is engaging, informative and memorable is not a skill that you can learn in a day. Rather, you will notice how you improve over time as you identify what does and does not work specifically for you, because not every bit of advice is going to mesh with how you operate.
Just remember to have fun, because more often than not, if you are happy and enjoying yourself, other people can see that and will respond in kind. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for feedback, it’s how we grow.
Find out how emerging tech trends are transforming tomorrow with our new podcast, Future Human: The Series. Listen now on Spotify, on Apple or wherever you get your podcasts.
