by Katie Mead

   This article was originally published in The Productivity Institute (PI) Newsletter

At some point in your career, regardless of your industry, you will probably be asked to make a presentation.  While we may not all be natural-born actors, neither should the thought of giving a presentation cause headaches or night sweats. Here are some simple tactics to help ensure your presentations go off with minimal pain and a maximum impact.

Know the room – Don’t leave the details to chance.  This includes having a handle on the room in which you’ll be presenting.  How big is it?  What kind of layout are you facing?  Are there enough chairs?  Will you have all the requisite markers, whiteboard, and erasers, you might need?  And absolutely make sure you know how to run the multimedia equipment…a great presenter anticipates glitches and deals with them beforehand.

All the world’s a stage – OK.  Maybe you didn’t live for drama class.  Nevertheless, consider your presentation space your stage and ‘own it’.  Don’t stand stiffly on the spot, but don’t wander aimlessly either.  Move with purpose, exactly like you prepared the information you’re presenting, and really interact with your audience.

Speak up – You may know exactly what you want to say, but remember: it’s all new to your audience.  Project your voice – you certainly don’t want to yell, but get used to speaking a little more loudly than in a typical conversation.  And don’t be afraid to practice this: ask a friend to join you in a noisy café and practice your pitch. When in doubt (and dependent on the size of the room) plan to use a microphone (but practice in advance).

It’s not just the words – The way you speak goes a long way to enhancing your delivery of a compelling presentation.  Avoid becoming an automaton – modulate your pitch, tone and speed of your voice.  And despite your nerves, remember the power of pauses.  A good pause to let the information sink in is always more effective than a filler ‘uh’ (and less annoying also).
 
Come alive – A lot of compelling communication is non-verbal.  Using appropriate gestures and facial expressions goes a long way to helping you emphasize or explain your point.  However, be sure not to take it too far.  Unconscious nervous habits can be amazingly distracting.  Try videotaping a rehearsal to see if you’re in danger of developing these detracting habits and work to unlearn them.

Engage your audience – The best way to lose your audience is to keep your eyes glued to your notes or slides.  Sure, have them there as backup but know your material well enough to depart from the plan.  Eye contact and a relaxed stance will imply confidence and convince your listeners that you know what you’re talking about.  If you feel that you’re losing your audience take time out to ask and answer questions – helping them to re-engage will make sure they ‘get’ what you’re discussing.

Timing’s the thing – You’ve got something to say and you expect your audience to listen.  Show them the same respect by starting and ending your presentation on time. Let them know you appreciate their willingness to take time out of their busy schedules, and avoid audience fatigue also.

Above all, be passionate about what you’re discussing and never take yourself too seriously.  Know that you will make mistakes – be able to laugh at them.  Injecting a little humour will help you win over your audience, and enthusiasm for your subject will convince them that they should care about what you have to say.  Acquiring the skills to give great a presentation might require some hard work; isn’t the impact worth it?

Katie Mead is the co-founder of Springboard Consulting, Katie is a passionate about good communication.  From a diverse background in the fine arts, she has developed a proven track record of success working in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors. Her particular areas of expertise include marketing, grant writing, non-profit resource building and management, fundraising, and the design and launch of various keynote projects and events.  Katie can be reached at:  katie@springboardconsulting.ca