Presenting to an audience might be
something that you love doing – or it might fill you with nerves. Either way,
it’s not easy to keep your audience engaged, no matter how good of a speaker
you are. However, by following a few simple tips, you can make the whole
experience a breeze.
Writing Your Presentation
First things first: you have to write your
presentation. It might be tempting to just turn up on the day and talk
naturally, but very few people can do this well in the amount of time that
they’re given. We’ve got 5 top tips for you to follow:
Plan
We’ve all sat through ‘death by slide deck’
presentations before, but there’s one simple way for you to avoid this.
Planning. Before opening a single slide, plan out exactly what it is you want
to do, and get all of your main points down on paper or in a text document. A
great way to do this is by making a mind map of the main points to show how
they are all linked together. Only then should you start on your slides.
Rule of Three
The rule of three indicates that an
audience will only remember three things from your presentation, so know what
you want these to be from the very start. While it’s tempting to show off your
range of knowledge, it’s just not possible for people to take it all in while
remembering the most important facts.
Tell a Story
No matter how factual the topic of your
presentation may be, an audience is always engaged more by a good story.
Incorporating personal anecdotes can not only keep you more relaxed, but it
will give your audience the chance to really engage with you and what you’re
trying to tell them. A story is something that they’re much more likely to
remember after they’ve gone home, so make sure that it leads back to a major
point in your presentation.
Add Images
Images are much more important in a
presentation than text, so make sure that yours are really relevant to what
you’re saying. If you are using infographics, make sure that they are large
enough and clear enough that your audience will be able to make out all of the
important details. Building your slides around the images you’re using is a
great way to ensure it’s not text-heavy.
Learn It
Particularly if you get nervous when
talking to a crowd, or it is your first time presenting, it’s always a good
idea if you learn what you are going to say. Don’t just rely on your slides to
guide you. Writing it out and learning your presentation will allow you to
speak in a more relaxed voice, give you the opportunity to walk around the
stage a little instead of being locked to a podium, and will ensure that you
look and sound confident – even if you don’t feel it.
On The Day
Once you’ve got what you’re going to say
sorted, it’s time to actually present it. However, writing it isn’t the only
thing that you have to think about. What you do on the day can decide whether
your presentation is a success or not.
Get There Early
Leave yourself lots of time to get there
and get set up. This will calm your nerves and let you get comfortable with the
layout of the room. There are a wide variety of seminar venues in London and
some are really unique! Even if you’ve been in the venue before, the room can
look vastly different when set-up for a conference or special event. This will
also give you time to test out microphones and ensure that the tech part is
working well. Some systems work differently than others so extra time to get
everything sorted is always appreciated by technicians.
Know your Tech
One of the worst things that can happen at
a presentation is a technology malfunction. That’s why it’s so important to
know exactly what will be supported at the event before you attend. If you have
a video that you want to play, or a website that you need to access, but
there’s no wifi connection, you’ll look like the one that’s made the mistake.
Make sure that you have multiple backups of your presentation and anything else
you may need, just in case!
Keep to Time
If you’ve been given a time limit, stick to
it. You want to leave your audience wanting to know more, not looking at their
watch. This will also encourage questions if they are allowed at the end,
giving you a chance to engage directly. If you are presenting at a large
conference where dinner is served after you present, keep that in mind and try
to wrap up quickly.
Pacing
While you have a time limit, this doesn’t
mean that you need to talk fast and flick through your slides at lightning
speed. Your pace should be relaxed, and every slide should have something of
value that you want your audience to absorb. Speaking too quickly will make you
difficult to understand, and while nerves can affect this, practice can beat
it. Practise your timing, and you’ll be able to keep your pacing under control.
Enjoy Yourself
Easier said than done, but the more relaxed
you are, the more relaxed your audience will be. Remember that you are
presenting for a reason, so someone thinks that you have something important to
say. The audience are all here to see you after all, so speak to them like you
would a colleague or a friend. Your time on the stage is over faster than you
might think, so instead of succumbing to nerves, focus on savouring the moment.
Whether you’re a presenting pro or a bit of
a newbie, there’s always something new that you can learn about engaging your
audience in the best way possible. With so many different presentation venues
in London, you never know where you might end up, so following this advice
might be the key to success!
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