Stephanie Oliver and Rachel Padnis
Public speaking is not always the most appealing task for everyone. However, regardless of your job, strong public speaking skills are a valuable asset in all industries. Knowing what it takes to deliver an effective presentation will help you prepare for and deliver a solid presentation that makes an impression on an audience.
Now, let’s dive into what elevates a presentation from good to fantastic.
Develop Confidence
Confidence is key. In order for the audience to feel engaged and interested in what is being shared, exhibiting certainty in your material is crucial. To ensure this confidence when speaking, practice your speech ahead of time — over and over again. And maybe once more for good measure. As silly as it may sound, rehearsing your words in the mirror is a great way to prepare for speaking in front of others. However, don’t memorize lines word-by-word for a presentation. Your words should sound natural and conversational, which will further engage your audience. Positive body language will have the same effect — smiling, using hand gestures, talking at an appropriate speed and volume will all keep your audience interested and will convince them of your expertise. Fake it until you make it! Nobody will know you are not confident unless you portray behavior that alludes to insecurity.
Be Concise
It is extremely important to keep your presentation as concise as possible while still relaying an adequate amount of information. Only use words that are necessary and try your best to omit fillers. When you rehearse your presentation, identify any repetition and remove it. There is a happy medium between oversharing and under sharing, so ask friends without prior knowledge on the topic their thoughts in rehearsals so you can strike that balance well.
Mind Aesthetics
Nobody wants to look at a bland and boring presentation. Using a premade slide template that you can either develop and personalize, which will ensure that your presentation is clean and professional. Overloading your slides will repel the audience from paying attention. When you are editing your slides, keep the words to a minimum and add images that support the points being addressed. Visual aids such as photos, videos, or props will help to maintain the audience’s attention and reinforce your key points.
Start with Structure
Creating organization within your presentation is imperative. Structure your presentation in a way that flows and be sure to include a slide to give a brief outline of your main talking points. Do not leave your audience in the dark by going straight into a presentation without giving them this clarity. A presentation overall should also have a clear introduction, body and conclusion that stay relevant to the topic you are covering.
Connect with your Audience
When delivering a presentation, think about your audience and give them genuine reasons to absorb what you’re saying. If this is a more intimate setting, try to make eye contact with different members of the audience while you are speaking. Your attention should be focused on your audience, so face them, be and maybe even incorporate an opportunity for them to participate in the presentation when appropriate.
Knowing how to deliver a presentation is going to be your key to success in your professional career. Now, go find a mirror to practice your new skills!
Happy Valley Comm 