Public speaking and presentations are part of life. Even if you’re a stay-at-home mother or father, you may want to speak at a PTA or neighborhood committee meeting. If you own a business, you need to convey the value of your products to potential customers and/or investors. And of course, if you are in corporate America, honing the skills of giving an effective presentation is an instant confidence booster and a segue to promotions.
Use these 10 steps to remind yourself (each time) how to give your best!
LOOK THE PART. First impressions count for a lot. If you are ready to present yourself to the world, and you don’t feel good because you dressed like a slob that day, it will make a difference in how you present. Dress confidently and comfortably. Make it appropriate to your industry and profession and then opt to dress slightly better than “every day.” Do YOU in a way that leaves you satisfied and feeling good, whatever that is.
KNOW YOUR MATERIAL. After the first impression, this is a requirement. Don’t wing it unless you work best with a dozen or several hundred eyes looking at you testing your creativity. At a minimum, identify key topics you want to absolutely convey and keep those notes handy. For more formal presentations, prepare by doing a test run, even if it is to your toddlers (I have) or to a mirror in a crunch situation. Practicing reinforces your knowledge of the material as well as solidifies the layout and timing of how you choose to present the content.
SPEAK SLOWLY. Now that you know every fact about your material, doesn’t mean you need to spit it out, all at once. One of the biggest problems, when we have too much information, is our desire to run through items at the speed of light trying to impress upon others how well we know the material. Nervousness and anxiety play a part in this too. Do your best to take your time. I write a reminder in the margins: “slow down,” to emphasize the importance of this. Give folks time to process your words.
TELL A STORY. Presentations are dry. Make them interesting. People remember stories. Present a story, layout a journey, or offer an unveiling. Do something that keeps folks connected to your presentation from slide 1 to 57. First,…x happened, so I then did Y, and unexpectedly, got the benefit of Z. Using a personal story to connect to dry material is especially effective.
BE IN CONTROL. Decide where you want to spend the bulk of your time and consider walking through other items more quickly. Don’t be afraid to say (as questions come up) that you will cover “x” later in the presentation. I once had to settle down the CEO of the company as he kept jumping ahead. I asked him to be patient as I would cover all of his questions shortly. Don’t let folks steal your thunder. Walk through your presentation in the way that you want to convey the information. If you end up jumping around, just politely bring the conversation back to where you want to. Retain control of the presentation & the story you are telling – this is your time.
MAKE EYE CONTACT. Watching a speaker study their notes while presenting is boring. Every presentation is inherently more effective if you can connect with the audience. Pick one or two people in the room – tell them your story and/or important points while holding their gaze. If your presentation is engaging, they will nod their heads in agreement.
OFFER A STRONG CLOSE. Folks process information differently. Not everyone will remember 30 slides of your deck, but they may recall a compelling photograph, statistic, quote, infographic, example, or anecdote that is germane to your point as your closing. But more than that, have a closing! Don’t just fade out, stop talking and walk off stage (unless you’ve been told otherwise). Instead, finish, and thank the attendees for their time, and ask politely if there are questions. Once you’ve exhausted the questions (or allotted time), move on.
IGNORE ASSUMPTIONS. If you know certain folks will not be happy with the information you’re providing, don’t focus on them. If you’ve heard x, y, or z about the certain members of the audience, forget that. Make this presentation about you, not them. Keep focused on what you want to communicate. Your job may be to convince other parties, not say just what they want to hear. Especially at the executive level, CEO’s utilize department heads to test the waters internally for unpopular initiatives.
BE INTENTIONAL. Be clear in knowing what your intention is with this presentation in advance. Do you want to impress, shock, educate, or close a deal? Once you have identified your intention, visualize getting that type of feedback post presentation. Imagine your colleagues providing the accolades/response you want to hear. It just takes a few seconds to visualize, and it will make a difference.
EMBRACE THE SPOTLIGHT! Smile at the audience when you start. And then relax and enjoy yourself. This is your chance to be creative, outspoken, and convincing. Blow them away!