At some time in our professional lives, we'll be required to make a presentation.
Whether it's to a potential client, business partner, a supplier, our supervisors or our employees, we have to be able convince people that our ideas, strategies, plans are worth buying into and will be in the best interest of all stakeholders concerned.
The best and most efficient way of doing this is via a presentation.
Usually done with the help of presentation software, such as Microsoft Power Point, (pre-loaded unto a laptop/desktop computer),and a multi-media projector, presentations can be done in person or online (via web conferencing)
There are many persons who have mastered the art of giving great presentations, you can too!
Just remember that it is normal to be a little nervous before a presentation:
You can, however, reduce nervousness by ensuring that you do the following:
For face to face presentations, before a live audience:
Before the Presentation1) Finish preparing the presentation at least one day before it is due. (This reduces stress on the day of the presentation as you don't have to be worrying about finishing it.)
Use the presentation software's spell check tools to check for typos or grammatical errors.
2) Even if you have asked someone else to prepare it, ensure that you have read through every slide and memorized the main ideas on each slide (do this by highlighting the relevant sections). (This allows you to focus your attention on the audience and not be looking down or up on the slides every minute, while speaking with them)
3) Print out a copy of the presentation in black and white and in handout format (2-4 slides to a page, with large enough font for you to read) and take this with you to the presentation. Technical glitches (a virus hitting the computer, the multi-media projector freezing on you, etc.) may occur and you'll need to have a hard copy as a back-up.
4) Always know who your audience will be. This helps you to prepare your presentation with the audience in mind. You should also know their interests, issues and concerns as they relate to your presentation and address these in your presentation
5) Know the approximate number of people who'll be in the audience. (This helps you to be more prepared when the audience actually arrives and enables you to make the correct number of copies of your handouts to give them during the presentation. Better yet, you should get their emails and other contact information on a nicely laid-out sheet, so that you can send them a copy of the presentation after-wards).
6) Know the layout, size and acoustics (how different sounds travel at different spots in the room)of the room in which you'll give the presentation. Find out if you'll be on a platform or on level ground with your audience.
If possible, go to the room before-hand and walk around in it (go to the spot or general area where you'll be giving the presentation), so that you can get a "feel" for the room. This makes you more prepared on the day of the presentation, as the room will not be "new" to you
7) Remember to ask your technical people for a remote control that allows you to flip through the presentation slides without your having to stand by the laptop/computer.
8) Ensure that you run through the presentation with your technical people before the day of the
presentation. [This ensures that the hardware (laptop/desktop, multi-media projector, remote) and software work well together and that you can launch and successfully run through the presentation without any technical glitches.]
9) Using a time-frame for your presentation as your guide, estimate the number of slides you'll need to finish within the time-frame. E.g. for a 15-minute presentation, estimate that each slide should take 1 minute to 1 minute 30 seconds to complete, so don't prepare more than 10 slides.
a) For longer presentations e.g. 30 minutes - have a brief introductory slide to tell what topics will be covered during the presentation - your audience will love you for this!
b) Rehearse your presentation so that you'll become familiar with it and so that you'll stick to the time limit.
10a) Practice giving the presentation to your family, dog, a few close associates (who'll keep the content confidential) to get a feel of a live audience for your presentation.
Ask them (not the dog, now:)) to give you their frank opinion as to how the presentation went (they should tell you whether or not you finished within the time limit, help to clue you in on body language that may have given away your nervousness, whether or not your jokes fell flat, etc).
b) Take their recommendations seriously and use this to improve your presentation style.
Just Before the Presentation
1) If you can mingle with the audience before the presentation, try to, it will give you an idea of why they came and you'll have at least one friendly face who'll smile with you during the presentation
2) Take 1-3 deep breaths
3) Remember you have something to say that the audience needs to hear...just say it!
4) Win over the audience with a smile, a brief introduction of yourself and your presentation. Just make them feel welcomed and comfortable. (This will reduce your own nervousness.)
During the Presentation
1) Be yourself- if you can't give jokes, then don't attempt to
2) Stay to the script of the presentation, improvising may prolong your presentation time-frame
3) Talk to the audience as if you're talking to your long lost friend
4) Get close to them if you can - you should have a portable/wearable Mic that allows you the freedom to move about slightly during the presentation
5) Smile with the audience (especially with the people you met prior to the presentation, they'll be more likely to smile back); Use your eyes, your facial expressions, your hands (in an inviting open stance) to communicate to them that you're the expert and that they can trust you.
6) For longer presentations, in the middle of it, surprise the audience with a sound from the presentation software's sound files that will wake them up! (And let them know you wanted to ensure they were still awake...this should get you a few chuckles :))
7) Enjoy the audience, soak them in...cajole and bring them into your presentation
8) End with a bang, - summarize your main points/recommendations (you should have a summary slide) and tell them how you'd like them to act!
Whether it's to buy your product, or buy into your idea/strategy/plan, make sure to tell them what you want them to do (or get them to buy into whatever the aim of the presentation was).
9) Your next slide should be entitled "Questions?" which will invite your audience to ask you questions. (Try to anticipate questions that will be asked before-hand, so that you'll feel comfortable with this section of the presentation).
10) Ensure that your last slide has your name, business name and contact information. (Point your audience to this slide.)
11) Thank your audience for being attentive and for giving you the opportunity to make the presentation and then sit.
Our next post, How to Overcome Stage Fright When Giving Presentations (Part 2 ), will give tips for overcoming stage fright when making web-based presentations...so stay tuned! :).
I'd like to thank Corin (G.I. Folk) for the use of his Flickr inset photo above, entitled, "Day 76 - Stage Fright".
Gillian
Comments