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If you want your career to excel so that you can achieve your goals and develop more confidence, you are going to need to learn how to give presentations that win people over. Whether you are in business development or plan to be in management, learning how to speak in public is going to be a skill that you will need to master.
Sadly, most people will avoid doing so because they fear getting up in front of their peers and making a fool of themselves. According to a Gallup poll on adult fears, 40% of Americans said they feared public speaking, coming in ahead of the fear of death and the fear of heights; in fact the only fear to beat it was the fear of snakes!
Yet it is a skill that is not only advantageous but often necessary in the workplace. How does one go about minimizing that fear and creating a successful presentation? The key is preparation and practice.
Planning & Preparing Your Presentation
According to the website Keynote Speaker, one of the most critical factors in giving an effective presentation is to focus on one key objective or goal that you want to convey in your speech. By remaining focused on one benefit or key point, makes it much easier for you so that you don’t become too overwhelmed when gathering your information.
Find out the key information; what the presentation needs to be about, how long it needs to be, where it will take place and the presentation facilities available to you. Do you have access to an overhead projector, a whiteboard, or flip chart?
The Purpose Of Your Presentation
What is the purpose of the presentation? Is it to inform or persuade? Do you have sufficient information to write the presentation? If not, you may need to do further research, be it through primary sources, such as interviews or secondary sources, such as articles and books. Ensure your sources are authoritative. Wikipedia is not considered a reliable source, for example.
Presentation Materials
Gather you supporting material – would your presentation be enhanced through pictures, graphs, statistics, videos, examples, anecdotes, handouts? “Choose carefully while keeping your purpose and audience in mind,” says Emily Miller, a writer for the website Motivational Speaker. “Be sure that your information is accurate, relevant and precise. Do not overload the presentation with these components as too much will detract rather than enhance the presentation.”
Writing Your Presentation
When writing, think about your audience. Who are they? Tailor the presentation to them by adjusting language, tone, and structure. What is appropriate for your peers is not necessarily appropriate for a board meeting.
Plan the outline of the presentation. What are the key points you need to communicate? Remember; do not get bogged down in unnecessary detail, less is more, so be concise. Too much information can confuse the audience and cause the presentation to run over time. Structure you presentation so that it is simple and easy to follow.
You may wish to write down exactly what you want to cover first and then reduce it to keywords and phrases. It can then be written on cue cards or on PowerPoint presentation slides to help trigger the talking points during the presentation.
Practice Your Presentation
Familiarize yourself with the contents and structure of your presentation. The rule of thumb is that for every minute you spend presenting, about 2-3 hours worth of preparation is required (including research, writing, practicing).
Use cue cards with bullet points to encourage you to look out at the audience, as opposed to reading off your notes. Practice in front of the mirror, in front of friends and family. Rehearse until you are familiar with all the points, each transition, and you feel comfortable with the material. You don’t need to memorize the presentation word for word, instead use the key points and ideas and elaborate on them. This will keep it fresh and interesting.
Practice standing tall, in a relaxed stance. You may wish to move about a little bit, but don’t indulge in physical ticks and ceaseless pacing, it will distract your audience. Speak distinctly without sounding stilted and try to reduce verbal buffers like ‘um’ and ‘ah’.
If you find yourself doing this, try slowing down your speech or taking a breath. Imagine making eye contact with your audience, or if that is too difficult, look out to the audience but not at them. Know the material so well, you feel comfortable with any potential questions that may arise. Time yourself to ensure you finish on time without rushing. You may need to add or delete points to do so.
Deliver Your Presentation
Get there early in order to set up and check all equipment. If possible do a dummy run. Remember to breathe and take a moment to relax before the presentation starts.
When presenting adjust your vocal strength to accommodate the space you are in and remember speak clearly as many people have a tendency to speed their speech up when nervous. If you lose your place or make a mistake don’t be afraid to take a breath, find your place and carry on and most of all enjoy yourself.
Just remember that the more you believe in and enjoy the material you are presenting, the easier it will be for you to win over your audience.
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This content is brought to you by Sara Jane.
Photo: Shutterstock
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