Around 15 percent of people believe that their fear of public speaking and giving presentations has impaired their ability to receive a promotion.
That’s several million people struggling to reach their potential because of nerves.
But with the right set of tools and a bit of confidence, you can rock your next work presentation. Here are a few tips to help you conquer the boardroom once and for all.
Find The Right Time Limit
No one likes a presentation that drones on and on. Yet the average presentation wastes a tremendous amount of time.
At the end of the day, a presentation that’s either too short or runs on too long is just going to frustrate those you’re presenting to.
A good rule of thumb is to ask beforehand how much time you’ll have to give your presentation. Most presentations last around 10 minutes, so plan accordingly.
That may not seem like a lot of time, especially if you have a lot of data to go through, but it can feel like an eternity when you’re actually presenting.
Failure To Prepare Is Preparing To Fail
You’ve spent hours preparing the data, you have a great slideshow ready to go, you’re looking sharp, and you’ve got a playlist of the hottest beats ready to pump you up.
Now all you have to do is present, right? Wrong.
Rehearsal is one of the best ways to adequately prepare for a work presentation.
You should go through your presentation from beginning to end at least three times before you finally speak in front of your team.
This includes testing any audio-visual elements you’ve prepared.
Make Use Of Audio-Visual Aids
Speaking of audio-visual presentation components, nothing solidifies a speaker’s idea quite like visuals.
You could have the most impressive data memorized, but if you don’t give your audience something to look at (aside from yourself) you’ll lose them in a matter of minutes.
Build a slideshow that contains graphs, text, and video. The more varied your audio-visual components, the more interesting and engaging your presentation will seem.
Know Your Audience
As you begin building your slideshow, don’t forget to tailor it to your audience.
If you’re speaking to a group of executives, you’re not going to walk into the room shouting and high-fiving.
If you’re presenting to a more generalized audience, keep it laid-back yet informational. If you’re speaking to higher-ups, a strictly professional tone is best.
Don’t Read Off Of Your Notes
No matter how nervous you get during your presentation, don’t resort to reading off of your notes or the slideshow itself.
This is one of those presentation tips that can make or break your whole meeting.
Constantly looking down at your notes makes it appear as if you’re unprepared or have no clue what you’re talking about. Remember, be confident. If you don’t have confidence in yourself, why should your audience have confidence in you?
Use These Presentation Tips To Rock Your Next Work Presentation
With these tips in tow, your next work presentation is sure to go well.
Remember, don’t waste your audience’s time, rehearse, make use of audio-visual aids, properly address your audience, and don’t read off of your notes. If you follow these tips, you’re good to go!
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