Back to face-to-face presenting – 5 tips to present like a pro
With lockdowns ending many of us will be back to face-to-face presenting. Are you feeling a bit rusty?
Here’s our top 5 tips to help you brush up on your skills and present like a pro.
1. Preparation is key
Before taking the stage or meeting room floor, you need to be clear on your purpose and know who will be in the audience. Are you informing your audience to help them do their job better, trying to persuade them to do something, or arguing a case for change? What does your audience need or want to get from your presentation? What do they already know about the topic? How can you make it relevant to them?
How long do you have to speak? Rehearse the presentation to get the timing right. You have wasted your time and the audience’s time if you get to the end of your allocated time slot and have only covered some of what you needed to say.
Good preparation doesn’t need to take that long, particularly if you know your subject matter. Our Peak Presenting tool allows you to quickly collate the right information for your audience, determine your key points, and anticipate questions.
2. Be present and confident
Good preparation will help to make sure you are in the right headspace to confidently deliver a quality presentation.
Be present. Eliminate all the other distractions and focus on the task at hand. Relax in the knowledge that you know the subject matter and have useful information that your audience doesn’t know. (If you don’t know what you are talking about, why are you presenting in the first place?)
Make sure the room is set up so you take up a commanding position in the room where everyone can see you and the screen (if you are using aids).
3. Start strong and finish strong
First impressions count – so make an impact from the start. Clumsy long introductions about you or the weather means you will lose people, and it’s hard to get them back. Let the person hosting introduce you if people don’t already know you.
A handy formula is to tell people what you are going to tell them, then tell them, then wrap up by telling them what you told them. Or pose a relevant question to wake up your audience.
NEVER start a presentation by apologising for being underprepared or not knowing much about the topic. Humility is commendable but when it comes to presenting, you will have effectively told your audience that they are wasting their time listening to you.
Audience attention will waiver during your presentation so change up the tempo. Throw in some questions or audience participation activities if appropriate.
And finish strongly by summarising the key points or lessons for the audience again.
4. Avoid death by PowerPoint
Some people absorb information visually, some by listening, and some need both. So, tools such as PowerPoint slides or holding up items can be useful, as long as they don’t distract the audience from you and what you are saying. No one wants to have someone read a set of prepared slides to them verbatim. They can do that themselves.
Only have bullet points on your slides to reinforce key points and prompt you to cover them. Make sure the audience can read or see the visual tools. How many times have you been in a presentation where the person has said “You probably can’t read this chart…(but I’m putting it up anyway)”?
5. Look and sound the part
It is not only what you say, but how you say it. Much of how we communicate is non-verbal.
Be mindful that your manner is relaxed and friendly. Use deep breathing to help calm any nerves and ensure your voice has a confident tone.
Want to learn more about presenting like a pro?
Peak Presenting offers individual and group workshops on presentation skills that will have you presenting like a pro.
Contact us today to discuss your needs.