Present with Confidence
Presentations of any sort to a key audience need lots of thought and careful preparation, of that there is no question.
It is important that the message is clear and the content understandable. As such huge amounts of time will be on slide preparation, the colours the fonts and making sure the slide is not too busy. Make it busy and people will focus on reading rather than listening and if they don't get the context they lose the thread and switch off.
So to avoid this happening make the slides simple with key graphics and messages to capture the audience. The detail within that comes from your delivery and explanation of those key points. This does two things, grabs the attention and once they have done that encourages them to listen to you explain the context.
You are now front and centre stage which is where you want to be.
Next thing is to focus on your presentation style. Don't read the slides, the eye can read ten times faster than you speak - again they are a visual. If you listen to people who do read slides it obviously sounds scripted because it is.
Good presentations require a nice and continuous flow of words, sometimes almost conversational.
Don't talk at people talk to them. Emphasise the words where appropriate and throughout the presentation alter the tone. Monotone is a turn off so like singers hit those high and gentle notes throughout your "song".
Take pauses after putting key points across, lingering for a second or two means the last message, the one you want them to hear is floating in their minds and registering.
Always open with the message you want to finish on. The scene setter, the middle being the story and come back at the end to review and summarise. Don't keep repeating the same message throughout the presentation, by all means maintain a theme but repetition is a yawn inducer !
Be bubbly throughout, not over bubbly however and remember to use facial expressions that are appropriate to the subject.
Be confident in how you deliver. Everyone can be nervous at first but you'll settle into the rhythm. Remember you have that audience because you have achieved the right to be there; that in itself should motivate.
Above all enjoy the experience, if you do, you settle into your natural rhythm and believe me people love to see that.
It is important that the message is clear and the content understandable. As such huge amounts of time will be on slide preparation, the colours the fonts and making sure the slide is not too busy. Make it busy and people will focus on reading rather than listening and if they don't get the context they lose the thread and switch off.
So to avoid this happening make the slides simple with key graphics and messages to capture the audience. The detail within that comes from your delivery and explanation of those key points. This does two things, grabs the attention and once they have done that encourages them to listen to you explain the context.
You are now front and centre stage which is where you want to be.
Next thing is to focus on your presentation style. Don't read the slides, the eye can read ten times faster than you speak - again they are a visual. If you listen to people who do read slides it obviously sounds scripted because it is.
Good presentations require a nice and continuous flow of words, sometimes almost conversational.
Don't talk at people talk to them. Emphasise the words where appropriate and throughout the presentation alter the tone. Monotone is a turn off so like singers hit those high and gentle notes throughout your "song".
Take pauses after putting key points across, lingering for a second or two means the last message, the one you want them to hear is floating in their minds and registering.
Always open with the message you want to finish on. The scene setter, the middle being the story and come back at the end to review and summarise. Don't keep repeating the same message throughout the presentation, by all means maintain a theme but repetition is a yawn inducer !
Be bubbly throughout, not over bubbly however and remember to use facial expressions that are appropriate to the subject.
Be confident in how you deliver. Everyone can be nervous at first but you'll settle into the rhythm. Remember you have that audience because you have achieved the right to be there; that in itself should motivate.
Above all enjoy the experience, if you do, you settle into your natural rhythm and believe me people love to see that.
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