Regardless of the level of seniority you have reached or the frequency at which you are expected to deliver presentations, being able to retain the attention of your audience and relay the correct message can still be a daunting task to undertake - very few people are naturally brilliant at delivering presentations - but the following tips could help to improve your presentation technique.
1. Identify your purpose and audience:
- Is the purpose of your presentation to inform, persuade or entertain?
- Who will you be presenting to?
- What is their age group?
- Where do they live?
- Where do they work?
- What attitudes do they have?
2. Be organised:
- How much time do you have to speak?
- What time of day will it be?
- How will the room be set up?
- Have you packed everything you need?
- Have you prepared handouts?
3. Think about timing:
- How much of the time allotted do you expect to use?
- Plan to fill around 80% of the time you have – an early finish is better than overrunning!
- If you expect your audience to participate, plan to fill 50% and allow the rest for their involvement.
4. Create an enthusiastic audience:
- Including stories, anecdotes and analogies to illustrate key points will have a positive effect on your audience, retaining their interest.
5. Think about relevance:
- A good tip here is to consider the ‘must know’ and ‘could know’ - giving priority to the most important information and including anything else only if time permits.
6. Use effective notes:
- Use bullet points for clarity.
- Make sure your notes are either written in a thick pen or typed using a large font size so that you’re able to read them easily.
- Highlight the most important information to ensure you include it.
7. Practise out loud:
- Stand before a mirror or an audience of friends and family to practise your presentation.
- Rehearse as many times as you can before the presentation takes place.
- Preparing well will also increase your confidence during the presentation.
- Consider the timing of your delivery. You don't want to rush through at breakneck speed. Remember to emphasise key points.
8. Turn nerves into energy:
- Being nervous before a presentation is natural.
- To engage your audience, use nervous energy positively by channelling it as enthusiasm.
- Take deep breaths and visualise the positive outcome of your presentation.
- Never underestimate the tone of your voice and body language – if your delivery is expressive and animated your passion for the subject will engage the audience.
9. Prepare for questionning:
- Preparing for this part of the presentation is equally as important as preparing for the presentation itself.
- Think about each question put forward before you answer and try to establish reasons that it has been asked in order to formulate the most effective answer.
- Take all answers seriously and deliver your answer in a respectful manner.
10. Don’t forget about your audience:
- The purpose of your presentation has been directed at this particular audience.
- Be careful not to appear overconfident or unprepared as this will certainly reduce the success of your presentation.
- Stay focused on your audience during preparation, delivery and throughout questioning.