Think about the last memorable presentation you've been to, is it easy to remember? Unfortunately, many presentations are forgotten and that is a problem because that means that the presentations do not serve their purpose of communicating a message or information to the public. The following steps will help you become a better presenter and deliver more effective presentations.
Steps
Step 1. Research the topic
It is important to spend enough time collecting and confirming information in order to speak with confidence and knowledge.
Step 2. Get organized
Organize the main points in the most appropriate order for the topic you are presenting. Avoid writing complete sentences or paragraphs and prepare flashcards to help you elaborate the information that will be presented.
Step 3. Practice
Don't memorize written texts. Try to understand the topic to the best of your ability so that you can communicate well during the presentation and adhere to the time limit. Practice with a friend or family member and get feedback on the presentation skill.
Step 4. Manage stress
It is common to be stressed before the presentation, try to imagine yourself impressing the audience. It is also important to relax before the presentation and not think about anything except how to get the most out of it.
Step 5. Look presentable
Dress well for the presentation, generally a formal suit is preferable to show a level of professionalism. Appearance says a lot about someone's personality and confidence.
Step 6. Maintain eye contact
Perform a room scan technique, maintaining eye contact with as many people as you can.
Step 7. Speak clearly
Speak in a clear voice and present to the audience through even those seated further away.
Step 8. Engage the audience
This is a useful way to get them to share a fun but tasteful story, or pose a question to see how much they know about the topic you're talking about.
Step 9. Answer the questions at the end of the presentation
Make sure you listen to the questions carefully, ask for clarification if necessary, and repeat the question for the rest of the audience to allow more time to think about the answer. If you don't know the answer to a question, be honest and tell them that you will see it, since you don't know the answer for now.
Step 10. Learn from experience
Ask your employees or teachers for their comments to be able to identify your strengths and weaknesses and help you improve for the next time.
Step 11. Listen to presentations
Once you have made the presentation you should take the time to listen to other presentations to benefit from the skills of the presenters.
Advice
- The public is not a listening machine, you should treat the public differently based on the topic being discussed.
- Most of the speech of a presentation will be forgotten, smile and sound optimistic people will remember that.
- If things go wrong when you answer questions, don't make the situation worse. Just be honest and don't be afraid to say "I don't know."
- Be yourself!
Warnings
- Avoid reading directly from the slides or your notes.
- Avoid using small print to fit more text on your slides.
- Avoid displaying unclear and complicated graphs, charts or images.
- Avoid looking at the screen when you speak and turning your back on the audience.
- Avoid going out for a long time.