Episode #60: What Makes An Effective Presentation

The cold, hard reality is that Presentation Effectiveness can be a make or break skill in the workplace. At some point in your career you will be asked to present information to a group. An individual who can present confidently and effectively immediately differentiates themselves from the rest of the group., Here are some practical tips for improving your presentation and communications skills.

Prepare, Prepare, Prepare

You can read key points as mental prompts to help you keep the flow going in the best order, but don’t read it if you can avoid it. Look at your audience – talk to them as if it was fireside chat, be relaxed and engage with everyone. A list of key words you talk to, can be your presentation too or you might use the slide deck as the navigation to move your talk along.

Open with Confidence.

Here is a big secret - only you know you are terrified. Unless you tell us, we will imagine you are competent, after all that is what we are expecting. Don’t say anything about how you feel, because then the focus is on you and not where it should be - on your audience. Work the room instead – focus outward not inward.

Your opening gives your audience a first impression of your presentation.

Lift your speaking volume up to about 30%-50% higher than in normal conversation.

Focus on a Few Key Points.

Know the major points you want to make. This will help ease your worry and increase your confidence. Remember, the powerpoint, the flip chart, the teleprompter are all secondary to you – you are the message.

Support Ideas with Evidence.

Supporting evidence will help your audience understand your points and will give you a chance to explain your points more fully. Point-evidence; point-evidence; point-evidence is the way to go. Just because you say it doesn't mean we believe it is true. Prove it!

Close with a Call to Action.

This will be the last impression your audience has of you and your presentation. It is important to ensure the closing reflects the purpose of the presentation. Don’t forget that you must repeat your close again, after the end of Q&A. Most people lose control of the proceedings when they get to Q&A and many a meltdown has been witnessed at this vital last impression juncture.

So key points to remember about getting rid of the stress of public speaking:

1. Prepare, Prepare, Prepare
2. Open with Confidence
3. Focus on a Few Key Points
4. Support Ideas with Evidence
5. Close with a Call to Action