We can all end up in a situation where we have to give a presentation to a larger or smaller group of people. “Risk” when having to stand up and keep a focused monologue running in front of an audience too many are experienced as something transbound. There are no tricks that magically soothe the nerves before a presentation or ensure that you get to the finish safely, but here you get 4 tweaks to lift your performance as a presenter. The following blog post will address the topic, how do you keep a good presentation?
1. Preparation, preparation, preparation!
Preparation is the key word when it comes to the good presentation. In order to structure the presentation properly, you need to have the answer to what people get out of attending your presentation. Some presenters think too much in I’s, such as “I’ll tell you what I’ve been doing at the club in the last year”, “I’ll tell you what I’ve learned” etc. In short, they think “I’ll expose me” instead of “You’ll get that out of listening to me.” Always keep the audience’s benefits in mind.
About the substance of the presentation itself, you need to know what your main message and your sub-messages are, and you need to structure your presentation so that you have plenty of time to say what you want to say. It gives a really bad impression of the presenter when, after 2 out of 3 hours of presentation, he is not halfway finished yet and starts blaming the organisers for this instead of acknowledging that the art of limitation is also part of making a good presentation.
Be careful what body language says
You’ve probably come across statistics before that more than 50% of your communication with others is done through your body language, and here it’s helpful to be aware of:
- Don’t hide behind a podium, but move around the stage, in the room or whatever you have of spaces to put yourself in. Don’t pull across the stage like a rag doll, but at measured pace move from A to B to C and take small breaks sometimes, e.g. to finish a sentence and start a new one.
- Do not fumbling with your wedding ring or other jewellery, wristwatch, cuffs or anything else. In the study of body language, the kind of fumble is called “pacifiers”, which is the English word for pacifier. Subconsciously, people will record that you are “sticking a pacifier in your mouth” by turning the wedding ring around your finger while you talk.
- Don’t cross your arms. Many probably have a picture of the authoritarian man in a suit, standing with his arms crossed over his chest to signal “here and no longer” to some grubby cubs. But the crossed arms are perceived as a defense and this a barrier that shuts down contact with other people.
- Make eye contact with the spectators. Don’t stir on the same person throughout the night, but let your eyes meet the eyes of others just for a few seconds at a time. Don’t look down the floor, although it’s also something you might be inclined to, but it’s very antisocial.
3. Handle the nervousness before and during the presentation
Nervousness comes to your best by simply preparing thoroughly before the presentation itself. The better prepared you are, the less nervous you will be. Never tell the audience you’re nervous about them. Most people would be nervous about giving a presentation.
Be aware that nervousness doesn’t push you to talk too fast. Suck your courage and speak at a pace where no words are lost and so loud that you can be heard by those down the back.
If you see people in the audience who don’t exude enthusiasm about your performance during the presentation, it’s nothing to be spoapplyed about. It’s not your job to please everyone – you can do just as little in a presentation as anywhere else.
Read up on breathing techniques for public speaking, that is, for giving a presentation. They keep the anxiety in check and give you control over your voice bed in case it’s gone.
4. Take care of your body – just in general
The body should also be able to give a good presentation, and if you are the type with many presentations in the pipeline, it makes sense to look at what you can do in the long term. We have previously emphasized what physical appearance means for your presentation.
In addition to body language, the body itself is something that people notice, and there may therefore be sense in training your body, gaining some muscle and working on your pose. The neck needs to be cared for before you go on, and here’s tea good to drink to relax properly, whereas coffee with its large amount of caffeine promotes anxiety, and carbonated soft drinks provide burping rank.
nd of course, wrap your whole body in some clothes that fit the apartment, not sitting too tight or loose, but are both comfortable and neat to look at. If you’re the type to tinker a lot with the cuffs, fold your sleeves up just a bit without people seeing your exposed arms.