Great public speakers are made and not born. It takes time to develop and hone the skills of a professional presenter. This fact may not help you if you have a presentation to do soon. Standing in front of an audience and presenting is known to be one of the world’s greatest phobias. Public speaking can raise feelings of nervousness and anxiety in new presenters. The best way to overcome this fear is to prepare thoroughly and practice as much as you can. Here are some interesting tips and tricks you can use to make a fantastic presentation.
The Tools of the Trade
There are tools you can use to build presentation slides and tutorials that can teach you how to use the software. Anything you could want to know is available at your fingertips. change color of pdf files and documents, or create slides with outstanding images and themes. Apps such as Canva can help you build any slide you want.
Tips for the Perfect Presentation
The best rule of thumb for the structure of any presentation is by author and speaker, Guy Kawasaki. Named, ‘The 10-20-30 Rule’, it stipulates that your presentation should be no more than ten slides, the length of the pitch should be kept to under twenty minutes and all of your slides should use a font size of 30 or greater. If you really can’t get away with just ten slides in your presentation, then add up to 20 for the maximum of twenty-minute presentations. Any more slides than this will result in your audience becoming confused and not absorbing the content.
Tricks and Tips for Presenting
Stepping onto the stage for your presentation can be intimidating. Lighten the mood in the room and tell your audience a brief anecdote or humorous statement as they are settling down. This icebreaker will connect you with your audience and decrease the level of resistance that they have subconsciously applied to you.
Remember to speak slowly and clearly during your presentation. Not everyone understands the material as well as you do, so make sure that you are not over-enthusiastic and using too much jargon in your pitch. Keep your tone calm and collected, if anyone asks a question that cannot be answered on the spot quickly, then tell them to save it until the end of the presentation.
Remember to use the full width of the stage and walk across it slowly from left to right and back again. As you walk and talk across the stage, create eye-contact with your audience. Hold the gaze of people in the front row for a few seconds. By making eye contact you increase the awareness and interest of the crowd, just remember not to stare for too long, or you could spook your audience. Keep your hands to yourself and only use them to emphasize critical points of your presentation.
In Closing
Creating the perfect presentation is easy. If you find that you are still nervous with anticipation, ask to present to your friends or family and get their opinion on your talk. The more your practice, the better your presentation will be on the day.