How to nail your presentation
How to improve your presentation skills
Whether you're speaking to a small group or presenting at a big event, delivering a compelling presentation is a skill that can increase your professional visibility and your confidence! Public speaking, however, is a very common fear so we have five tips to help you hone your skills and leave a lasting impact on your audience.
1. Know Your Audience - and engage with them
Always research who your audience is - whether it’s an interview panel or a large conference. Tailoring your content will be key to making an impact and being relevant. Think about their interests, needs, and level of expertise. And, crucially, think about why they are there - what do they want to get out of your presentation? For example, what question do they want the answer to, what do you want them to learn, how do you want them to feel, or, what do you want them to do? By catering your delivery to meet their expectations, you'll keep them engaged and create a stronger connection.
Engaging your audience is crucial to maintain their attention throughout the presentation. Use eye contact to establish a connection and make them feel involved. Use open body language and gestures, visuals, and vocal variation to add diversity and depth to your delivery. Encourage questions or interaction, depending on the setting, to create a two-way communication flow. Engaged audiences are more likely to retain information and find value in your presentation.
2. Decide on your key message
Clarity is key when it comes to delivering an impactful presentation. Define the core message you want to get across and structure your content around it. Stick to a few key points that support your central theme. Depending on the audience, use storytelling techniques to make your presentation more relatable and memorable.
3. Practice. Then practice again.
There’s no getting around it, practice does indeed make perfect when it comes to presentations. Rehearse several times to gain confidence and iron out any rough edges. Familiarise yourself with the flow of your presentation, ensuring a smooth transition between different sections. Practice in front of a mirror, record yourself or seek feedback from a trusted friend or colleague. The more you practice, the more natural and confident you'll appear during the actual presentation. Remember to time yourself too - no one likes that person who runs over by 10 minutes and eats into someone else’s time - or the lunch break!
4.. Treat every opportunity as a presentation
When we think of public speaking and presentations we often picture a big conference room or a Ted Talk. But, it can be a one-to-one with a senior colleague, an agenda item at a team meeting, or, well, anything that involves speaking to people. You can use these lower-stakes forums to get some practice in a safer space. Prepare for them as if they are a presentation, thinking about your audience, rehearse what you will say and your key messages - and where you have a trusted friend or colleague in the meeting, ask them to give you feedback. You will be building great experience and confidence for those bigger opportunities.
5. Learn from others and feel inspired
Whether it’s in your industry, personal life, or even a celebrity, think about who you think is a really impressive public speaker, watch some of their speeches and presentations, and think about what impresses you. Perhaps it’s their body language, delivery, use of language, or stories. Pick out what you like and how you can apply it to your own style. But remember to stay true to your style and be authentic. If you’re not one for delivering jokes or not using notes, you won’t appear confident or yourself, and people will notice.
So, do your research, prepare, practice, and be yourself!
Good luck!
