Making a stellar presentation is an art and designing clear, engaging presentations and communicating ideas effectively is a skill you will continually develop. People usually get cold feet when it comes to creating powerful PowerPoint Presentations.
It is a great way to support a speech, focus on the audience’s attention, and visualize complicated concepts. However, a poorly designed presentation with distracting graphics or too much text can distract the audience from your message. Set specific goals to get yourself to improve your time. Be patient and allow yourself to make mistakes. I have compiled a list of effective tips by bringing together advice from various people.
Say what the audience will understand
Presenters are mostly concerned about displaying their knowledge that listeners cannot make head or tail of your words. Therefore, all of your hard work will go to waste. Thus, ensure somebody is there to advise you while practising. They can tell you when you are going overboard in your speech.
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Maintain eye contact when presenting and smile
If you want to make the listeners feel personally addressed and important, it is essential to maintain eye contact with the audience during your presentation. It will make you look confident and also help your audience connect with you and the subject. You must be thinking t’s easier said than done, am I right? Well here is what you can do:
Pick someone from the audience who is genuinely interested in the topic and listen to you attentively. Make sure to maintain eye contact with the person at the beginning of the presentation. As you start feeling more confident, you may drift over the audience to address other listeners as well. Whenever you need to feel calm, return your gaze to the initial person throughout the presentation.
Use your gestures and facial expressions
It is advisable to use appropriate gestures and body language to get your message across to the audience. Avoid crossing your arms or putting your hands behind your back or in pockets during the presentation.
Make sure to stand up straight always and do not appear tense or stressed. The best way to ensure is by using hands and arms to emphasize your message. Your facial expression must be friendly and open. Your smile will indicate your love for the topic and how you enjoy and feel confident with your presenting information.
Prepare well and Practice
Once you are done putting together your presentation, make sure to dedicate your time to prepare for your talking points. The best way to do this will be to ask a few trusted friends or colleagues to listen to a test run. Practice your speech instead of memorizing it. It is easy to get nervous or forget a word or two when nervous. So prepare for simple talking points and speak confidently with your knowledge on the subject.
Start strong and share a story
Crafting a strong, engaging beginning of the presentation is the key to capturing the audience’s attention and making them eager to learn more about the topic. However, you may choose to start your presentation, make sure to stay relevant and support the main message you want the audience to remember.
Few ways you can achieve this:
- Quote an influential person
- Add an interesting problem, question or anecdote
- Tell a story that leads to the main topic of the presentation
- Play a brief video to set up your presentation
- Show an interesting chart, statistic or image
- Create a statement that generates curiosity among the audience
Sharing a story is a brilliant way to add context and help the audience relate deeply and connect with your presentation. Make it personal, and that is the only way the audience will be able to see from your point of view.
Show your passion and enthusiasm
It is never bad to show how genuinely excited you are about the topic. As you put your interest and care for the topic on display, the audience will definitely pay attention to it. People always love to listen to those who are excited about sharing information with others.
Support your audience
Staying attentive to the needs of the audience is also crucial during your presentation. Asking questions like “What’s your opinion on this?” or “What would you do?” is a way of inviting the audience to participate in your presentation in some way. Be sure to stay honest and authentic throughout the presentation. Always keep in mind to talk “to” your audience instead of “at” them.
Use a strong speaking voice
Don’t make your audience struggle to hear you. You can try a couple of voice exercises, Practice or test your volume by giving your presentation in front of your trusted people. They will give you the necessary feedback on your voice range. However, if you are still struggling to maintain a calm tone at a good volume, use some sort of a microphone. But make sure to test the microphone too to ensure it does not have any technological issues.
Find a mentor for yourself
You should display and develop your own speaking personality, but it will be helpful to take some lessons from other great speakers that you can use in your way. You may seek out someone at your company who is a great presenter and thus can guide you with your presentation. Be clear about your goals, objects and what you hope to gain from the mentor.
You can also take the help of online classes, videos and other resources designed to improve presentation skills. So do your study on other presentations and mimic the qualities you find effective.
SUMMING UP,
Do not forget to enjoy yourself in making your presentation better. Make sure to take notes after your presentations on the parts that can be improved. The purpose of every presentation is to transport your message to the audience. If you just relax, you will most certainly be able to enjoy yourself, and your audience will be able to better engage with your presentation.
AUTHOR BIO: Gina Moore is an entrepreneur at one of the most reputed essay help organizations in the USA. She is also a part of Essayassignmenthelp.com.au, where she helps students with creating engaging presentations.
