giving presentation worth listening to

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TEDx Talk | Giving Presentations Worth Listening To | Gordon Kangas

Presentations can be among the most painful experiences in both school and the working world — and that includes listening to them. The way most of us give presentations is broken and ineffective, but it doesn’t have to be that way. What if small changes in the way we prepared to speak could drastically improve our dynamism and effectiveness? Gordon will explain a smart and simple approach to creating presentations that engage audience and inspire action.

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What It Takes to Give a Great Presentation

• Carmine Gallo

Five tips to set yourself apart.

Never underestimate the power of great communication. It can help you land the job of your dreams, attract investors to back your idea, or elevate your stature within your organization. But while there are plenty of good speakers in the world, you can set yourself apart out by being the person who can deliver something great over and over. Here are a few tips for business professionals who want to move from being good speakers to great ones: be concise (the fewer words, the better); never use bullet points (photos and images paired together are more memorable); don’t underestimate the power of your voice (raise and lower it for emphasis); give your audience something extra (unexpected moments will grab their attention); rehearse (the best speakers are the best because they practice — a lot).

I was sitting across the table from a Silicon Valley CEO who had pioneered a technology that touches many of our lives — the flash memory that stores data on smartphones, digital cameras, and computers. He was a frequent guest on CNBC and had been delivering business presentations for at least 20 years before we met. And yet, the CEO wanted to sharpen his public speaking skills.

• Carmine Gallo is a Harvard University instructor, keynote speaker, and author of 10 books translated into 40 languages. Gallo is the author of The Bezos Blueprint: Communication Secrets of the World’s Greatest Salesman  (St. Martin’s Press).

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How to make a great presentation

Stressed about an upcoming presentation? These talks are full of helpful tips on how to get up in front of an audience and make a lasting impression.

The secret structure of great talks

The beauty of data visualization

TED's secret to great public speaking

How to speak so that people want to listen

How great leaders inspire action

5 Tips to Boost Your Presentation Skills and Wow Your Audience

• The Speaker Lab
• May 24, 2024

Table of Contents

Crafting an unforgettable presentation requires more than just compelling content. The way you deliver your message is just as important. No matter your role—CEO, entrepreneur, author, professor, coach, or consultant—honing your presentation skills is key to effectively communicating your ideas and making a memorable impact on your audience. It may not always be easy, but we’re here to help. To help you nail it every time, we’ve compiled 10 essential tips for honing your presentation skills . From knowing your audience to practicing confident body language, we have the guidance you need to give a presentation that’s effective and memorable.

5 Essential Tips for Delivering a Killer Presentation

You’ve probably sat through your fair share of presentations—some good, some not so good. The difference between an effective presentation and one that falls flat often comes down to a few key factors. If you want to improve your skills and deliver a presentation that engages your audience, here are some essential tips you need to keep in mind.

1. Understand Your Audience

Before you even start putting together your presentation, you need to take some time to understand who you’ll be speaking to. What are their needs, interests, and expectations? What level of knowledge do they have about your topic?

Tailoring your content and delivery style to your specific audience is crucial for making a real connection and delivering value. For instance, if you’re giving a presentation to a group of executives who are pressed for time, you’ll probably want to give them key takeaways upfront. By adapting your approach and leading with the most important points, you would be able to better hold your audience’s attention and make a strong impact.

2. Practice Makes Perfect

If you only go away with one tip today, then know that having the discipline to practice is an essential presentation skill. Rehearsing your talk multiple times helps you build confidence, refine your delivery, and ensure a smooth flow. Make sure to practice out loud, as if you’re in front of the actual audience. You can even record yourself and watch the video back to identify areas for improvement. It might feel awkward at first, but it can make a huge difference in your final delivery.

3. Engage with Eye Contact

Making eye contact with your audience is one of the most powerful ways to connect with them and keep them engaged. When you look people in the eye, it builds trust and shows that you’re confident in what you’re saying.

During your presentation, make a point to scan the room and make brief eye contact with individuals in different sections. It creates a sense of intimacy and makes people feel like you’re speaking directly to them. Just be sure to keep it natural and avoid staring anyone down.

4. Use Compelling Visuals

Visuals can be a game-changer when it comes to delivering an effective presentation. Well-designed slides, images, and videos help reinforce your message, break up text-heavy content, and keep your audience interested.

The key is to use visuals strategically, not just for the sake of having them. Every visual element should serve a clear purpose and enhance your overall message. And don’t forget about quality—blurry images or cluttered slides can be more distracting than helpful.

5. Tell a Story

Humans are wired to respond to stories. Integrating storytelling into your presentation is a fantastic way to make your content more engaging, memorable, and relatable.

Think about how you can structure your presentation as a narrative arc, with a clear beginning, middle, and end. Use anecdotes, case studies, and examples to illustrate your points and create an emotional connection with your audience. Some of the best presentations are the ones that take the audience on a journey and leave them feeling inspired.

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Master Your Body Language for Maximum Impact

Your body language can speak volumes during a presentation, often conveying just as much as your words. Mastering non-verbal communication is key to delivering a killer presentation that commands attention and leaves a lasting impression. Below are our tips for improving this presentation skill.

Maintain Confident Posture

How you carry yourself on stage can instantly impact your perceived confidence and credibility. Stand tall, keep your shoulders back, and maintain a stable, grounded stance. Avoid slouching, fidgeting, or shifting your weight from side to side, as these habits can make you appear nervous or unsure.

In addition, make a conscious effort to take up space and own the room. It’s not about being arrogant, but about projecting self-assurance and authority. Practice power poses beforehand to get in the right headspace and boost your confidence.

Use Gestures Purposefully

Incorporating hand gestures can add emphasis, clarity, and visual interest to your presentation. However, it’s important to use them purposefully and avoid overdoing it.

What’s our tip for improving this presentation skill? Use open, expansive gestures to convey confidence and inclusivity. Pointing can be effective for directing attention or making a strong point, but use it sparingly. Avoid crossing your arms or putting your hands in your pockets, as these positions can make you seem closed off or disengaged.

Vary Your Tone and Pace

Your voice is a powerful tool for engaging your audience and keeping them interested. Vary your tone, pitch, and pacing throughout your presentation to add dynamic energy and prevent monotony.

Speak with enthusiasm and conviction, allowing your passion for the topic to shine through. Use strategic pauses for emphasis or to give the audience a moment to process a key point. Adjust your volume and speed based on the room size and acoustics.

Avoid Distracting Mannerisms

Distracting mannerisms can quickly derail an otherwise great presentation. Be aware of any nervous tics or habits you might have, such as playing with your hair, clicking a pen, or saying “um” or “like” excessively.

Practice self-awareness and work on minimizing these behaviors. It can be helpful to video record yourself and watch it back to identify any distracting mannerisms you might not realize you have. Remember, the goal is to keep the focus on your message, not your quirks.

Overcoming Stage Fright and Nerves

Even the most seasoned presenters can experience stage fright and nerves. The key is to have strategies in place to manage those feelings and deliver a confident, impactful presentation.

Prepare Thoroughly

One of the best ways to combat stage fright is to be thoroughly prepared. When you know your material inside and out, it gives you a solid foundation to fall back on, even if nerves start to creep in.

For instance, you might create a detailed outline of your presentation, including key points, transitions, and any important data or examples. Using the outline, practice delivering the content out loud multiple times until it feels natural and conversational. When it’s time to actually present, you can fall back on the outline if you feel yourself start to get nervous.

Visualize Success

Visualization is a powerful tool for boosting confidence and calming nerves. In the days leading up to your presentation, take some time to close your eyes and imagine yourself delivering your talk with ease and conviction. Picture the audience responding positively, nodding along, and applauding at the end. Envision yourself feeling calm, confident, and in control. The more vividly you can imagine a successful outcome, the more likely you are to achieve it.

Breathe Deeply

Although tips on breathing exercises might seem unrelated, they’re actually an invaluable presentation skill. Think about it. When we’re nervous, our breathing tends to become shallow and rapid. This can exacerbate feelings of anxiety and make it harder to think clearly.

Before and during your presentation, focus on taking slow, deep breaths from your diaphragm. Inhale through your nose for a count of four, hold for four, then exhale through your mouth for a count of four. This simple technique can help calm your nerves and center your mind.

Focus on Your Message

When stage fright starts to take hold, it’s easy to get caught up in worries about how you’re coming across or what the audience might be thinking. Instead, try to shift your focus to your message and the value you’re providing.

Remind yourself of why your topic matters and how it can benefit your audience. Concentrate on delivering your content with clarity, conviction, and enthusiasm. When you’re passionate about what you’re saying, it shines through and connects with your listeners.

Crafting Memorable and Engaging Content

No matter how polished your delivery is, the foundation of a killer presentation is always the content itself. Crafting a memorable and engaging message is essential for making a lasting impact on your audience.

Start Strong

The opening moments of your presentation are crucial for capturing your audience’s attention and setting the tone for what’s to come. Don’t waste this opportunity with a generic introduction or a long-winded anecdote.

Instead, start with a bang. Use a surprising statistic, a thought-provoking question, or a bold statement that immediately grabs people’s interest. Make it clear why your topic matters and what your audience stands to gain from listening to you. Practice these tips and you’ll have this presentation skill mastered in no time.

Use Examples and Anecdotes

Abstract concepts and dry data can be difficult for audiences to grasp and remember. That’s where examples and anecdotes come in. These concrete illustrations help bring your ideas to life and make them more relatable.

When crafting your presentation, always look for opportunities to weave in real-world examples, case studies, or personal stories that reinforce your key points. Not only do these elements make the content more engaging, but they also help the audience see how the information applies to their own lives and experiences.

Incorporate Humor

Injecting humor into your presentation can be a great way to break the ice, lighten the mood, and keep your audience engaged. A well-timed joke or a witty observation can make your message more memorable and help you connect with your listeners on a human level.

Of course, it’s important to use humor judiciously and appropriately. Make sure your jokes are relevant to your topic and won’t offend or alienate anyone in the audience.

End with a Call to Action

Your presentation shouldn’t just be informative—it should also be actionable. As you near the end of your talk, be sure to include a clear and compelling call to action.

What do you want your audience to do with the information you’ve shared? Is there a specific step they can take to apply your ideas or further their learning? Make it explicit and easy for them to follow through.

You can also end your presentation with a challenge or a question that encourages the audience to reflect on how they can put the content into practice. It’s a powerful way to drive home your message and ensure that your words have a lasting impact.

Handling Questions and Audience Interaction

One of the most daunting aspects of giving a presentation can be handling questions from the audience. But with the right approach, this interaction can actually be an opportunity to reinforce your message and build credibility. Below are some tips on how to improve this presentation skill and close out your speech with confidence.

Anticipate Common Questions

Before your presentation, take some time to brainstorm the questions your audience is likely to ask. Consider their background, their level of knowledge on the topic, and any potential objections or concerns they might have.

Once you have a list of anticipated questions, practice answering them out loud. This will help you feel more prepared and confident when the time comes to address them in real-time.

Listen Attentively

When an audience member asks a question, give them your full attention. Make eye contact, nod to show you’re listening, and avoid interrupting or rushing to respond. If the question is lengthy or convoluted, don’t be afraid to ask for clarification. Paraphrasing the question back to the asker can also help ensure that you’ve understood it correctly and give you a moment to gather your thoughts.

Respond Concisely

When answering questions, aim to be concise and to the point. Avoid rambling or getting sidetracked by tangential information. Stick to the key facts and insights that directly address the question at hand.

If a question requires a more in-depth response than time allows, offer to follow up with the individual after the presentation. You can also direct them to additional resources or materials that provide more detail on the topic.

Redirect Off-topic Queries

Occasionally, you may receive a question that is off-topic or not directly relevant to your presentation. In these cases, it’s important to acknowledge the question while gently redirecting the conversation back to your main points.

You might say something like, “That’s an interesting question, but it’s a bit outside the scope of what we’re focusing on today. Let’s talk more about [relevant topic] and how it relates to [your key message].”

Remember, your goal is to keep the discussion focused and productive, while still making the audience feel heard and valued.

Leveraging Technology for Impactful Presentations

In today’s digital age, technology can be a powerful tool for enhancing your presentations and engaging your audience. However, knowing how to use technology isn’t always straightforward. That’s why we’re offering you some tips on how to level up this presentation skill. Below are some insights on how to use technology strategically and not let it overshadow your message.

Keep Slides Simple

When it comes to presentation slides, less is often more. Avoid cluttering your slides with too much text, busy graphics, or distracting animations. Instead, keep them clean, concise, and visually appealing.

Use a consistent color scheme and font throughout your presentation to create a cohesive look. Stick to one main idea per slide, and use bullet points or short phrases rather than full sentences.

Remember, your slides should support and enhance your message, not compete with it. They’re meant to be a visual aid , not a crutch or a substitute for your own knowledge and expertise.

Use High-Quality Images

Incorporating relevant, high-quality images into your presentation can help illustrate your points, break up text, and keep your audience engaged. But be selective about the images you choose. Avoid generic stock photos or low-resolution graphics that can make your presentation look amateurish. Instead, opt for images that are clear, compelling, and directly related to your content.

If you’re using graphs or charts to present data, make sure they’re easy to read and interpret. Use colors and labels strategically to highlight key insights and trends.

Embed Videos Strategically

Videos can be a great way to add variety and interest to your presentation. They can help illustrate complex concepts, provide real-world examples, or evoke an emotional response from your audience.

However, it’s important to use videos judiciously and strategically. Avoid relying on them too heavily or using them as a crutch for weak content. Make sure any videos you include are high-quality, relevant, and add value to your overall message.

It’s also a good idea to test your videos beforehand to ensure they play smoothly and without technical glitches. Nothing derails a presentation faster than a video that won’t load or has poor audio quality.

Ensure Smooth Transitions

Smooth transitions between slides and sections of your presentation are key to maintaining a professional and polished look. Abrupt or jarring transitions can be distracting and disrupt the flow of your message.

Practice navigating through your slides beforehand to ensure that everything flows logically and seamlessly. Use consistent transition effects throughout your presentation, but avoid overusing flashy or gimmicky animations.

It’s also a good idea to have a backup plan in case of technical difficulties. Bring a printed copy of your slides or have them saved on a USB drive in case the technology fails. The show must go on, even if your fancy transitions don’t.

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Avoiding Common Presentation Mistakes

Even the most well-crafted presentation can fall flat if you make some common mistakes. Here are a few pitfalls to avoid to ensure your message lands with maximum impact.

Over-Reliance on Notes

While it’s fine to have some notes or a general outline to guide your presentation, relying too heavily on them can be a major distraction. Reading directly from your notes or slides can make you seem unprepared or disengaged from your audience.

Instead, aim to internalize your content so that you can deliver it naturally and conversationally. Use your notes as a gentle reminder of key points, but don’t let them become a crutch. If you do need to reference your notes, try to do so subtly and sparingly. Glance down briefly, then look back up and make eye contact with your audience as you speak.

Reading Slides Verbatim

One of the biggest mistakes presenters make is simply reading their slides word-for-word. Not only is this boring for your audience, but it also makes your slides redundant. If you’re just going to read them aloud, why bother having them at all?

Your slides should be a visual aid, not a script. Use them to highlight key points, provide visual examples, or reinforce your message with data or graphics. And remember that the bulk of your content should come from your own knowledge and expertise.

If you find yourself tempted to read directly from your slides, it’s a sign that you either have too much text on them or you haven’t practiced enough to feel confident delivering the content on your own.

Rushing Through Content

When you’re nervous or pressed for time, it can be tempting to rush through your presentation at breakneck speed. However, this can leave your audience feeling overwhelmed, confused, and disconnected from your message.

Remember, your audience needs time to process and absorb the information you’re sharing. Speak at a measured pace, pausing occasionally to let key points sink in or to allow for questions.

If you find yourself running short on time, resist the urge to speed up. Instead, prioritize your most important points and cut out any extraneous information.

With a few tips, anyone can improve their presentation skills. By understanding your audience, crafting compelling content, and mastering your delivery, you’ll be well on your way to giving presentations that truly resonate.

Remember, it’s not about being perfect. It’s about being authentic, engaging, and delivering value to your audience. So take these tips, make them your own, and go out there and wow your audience. You’ve got this!

• Last Updated: May 24, 2024

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6 presentation skills and how to improve them

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What are presentation skills?

The importance of presentation skills, 6 presentation skills examples, how to improve presentation skills.

Tips for dealing with presentation anxiety

Learn how to captivate an audience with ease

Capturing an audience’s attention takes practice. 

Over time, great presenters learn how to organize their speeches and captivate an audience from start to finish. They spark curiosity, know how to read a room , and understand what their audience needs to walk away feeling like they learned something valuable.

Regardless of your profession, you most likely use presentation skills on a monthly or even weekly basis. Maybe you lead brainstorming sessions or host client calls. 

Developing effective presentation skills makes it easier to contribute ideas with confidence and show others you’re someone to trust. Although speaking in front of a crowd sometimes brings nerves and anxiety , it also sparks new opportunities.

Presentation skills are the qualities and abilities you need to communicate ideas effectively and deliver a compelling speech. They influence how you structure a presentation and how an audience receives it. Understanding body language , creating impactful visual aids, and projecting your voice all fall under this umbrella.

A great presentation depends on more than what you say. It’s about how you say it. Storytelling , stage presence, and voice projection all shape how well you express your ideas and connect with the audience. These skills do take practice, but they’re worth developing — especially if public speaking makes you nervous. 

Engaging a crowd isn’t easy. You may feel anxious to step in front of an audience and have all eyes and ears on you.

But feeling that anxiety doesn’t mean your ideas aren’t worth sharing. Whether you’re giving an inspiring speech or delivering a monthly recap at work, your audience is there to listen to you. Harness that nervous energy and turn it into progress.

Strong presentation skills make it easier to convey your thoughts to audiences of all sizes. They can help you tell a compelling story, convince people of a pitch , or teach a group something entirely new to them. And when it comes to the workplace, the strength of your presentation skills could play a part in getting a promotion or contributing to a new initiative.

To fully understand the impact these skills have on creating a successful presentation, it’s helpful to look at each one individually. Here are six valuable skills you can develop:

1. Active listening

Active listening is an excellent communication skill for any professional to hone. When you have strong active listening skills, you can listen to others effectively and observe their nonverbal cues . This helps you assess whether or not your audience members are engaged in and understand what you’re sharing. 

Great public speakers use active listening to assess the audience’s reactions and adjust their speech if they find it lacks impact. Signs like slouching, negative facial expressions, and roaming eye contact are all signs to watch out for when giving a presentation.

2. Body language

If you’re researching presentation skills, chances are you’ve already watched a few notable speeches like TED Talks or industry seminars. And one thing you probably noticed is that speakers can capture attention with their body language. 

A mixture of eye contact, hand gestures , and purposeful pacing makes a presentation more interesting and engaging. If you stand in one spot and don’t move your body, the audience might zone out.

3. Stage presence

A great stage presence looks different for everyone. A comedian might aim for more movement and excitement, and a conference speaker might focus their energy on the content of their speech. Although neither is better than the other, both understand their strengths and their audience’s needs. 

Developing a stage presence involves finding your own unique communication style . Lean into your strengths, whether that’s adding an injection of humor or asking questions to make it interactive . To give a great presentation, you might even incorporate relevant props or presentation slides.

4. Storytelling

According to Forbes, audiences typically pay attention for about 10 minutes before tuning out . But you can lengthen their attention span by offering a presentation that interests them for longer. Include a narrative they’ll want to listen to, and tell a story as you go along. 

Shaping your content to follow a clear narrative can spark your audience’s curiosity and entice them to pay careful attention. You can use anecdotes from your personal or professional life that take your audience along through relevant moments. If you’re pitching a product, you can start with a problem and lead your audience through the stages of how your product provides a solution.

5. Voice projection

Although this skill may be obvious, you need your audience to hear what you’re saying. This can be challenging if you’re naturally soft-spoken and struggle to project your voice.

Remember to straighten your posture and take deep breaths before speaking, which will help you speak louder and fill the room. If you’re talking into a microphone or participating in a virtual meeting, you can use your regular conversational voice, but you still want to sound confident and self-assured with a strong tone.

If you’re unsure whether everyone can hear you, you can always ask the audience at the beginning of your speech and wait for confirmation. That way, they won’t have to potentially interrupt you later.

Ensuring everyone can hear you also includes your speed and annunciation. It’s easy to speak quickly when nervous, but try to slow down and pronounce every word. Mumbling can make your presentation difficult to understand and pay attention to.

6. Verbal communication 

Although verbal communication involves your projection and tone, it also covers the language and pacing you use to get your point across. This includes where you choose to place pauses in your speech or the tone you use to emphasize important ideas.

If you’re giving a presentation on collaboration in the workplace , you might start your speech by saying, “There’s something every workplace needs to succeed: teamwork.” By placing emphasis on the word “ teamwork ,” you give your audience a hint on what ideas will follow.

To further connect with your audience through diction, pay careful attention to who you’re speaking to. The way you talk to your colleagues might be different from how you speak to a group of superiors, even if you’re discussing the same subject. You might use more humor and a conversational tone for the former and more serious, formal diction for the latter.

Everyone has strengths and weaknesses when it comes to presenting. Maybe you’re confident in your use of body language, but your voice projection needs work. Maybe you’re a great storyteller in small group settings, but need to work on your stage presence in front of larger crowds. 

The first step to improving presentation skills is pinpointing your gaps and determining which qualities to build upon first. Here are four tips for enhancing your presentation skills:

1. Build self-confidence

Confident people know how to speak with authority and share their ideas. Although feeling good about your presentation skills is easier said than done, building confidence is key to helping your audience believe in what you’re saying. Try practicing positive self-talk and continuously researching your topic's ins and outs.

If you don’t feel confident on the inside, fake it until you make it. Stand up straight, project your voice, and try your best to appear engaged and excited. Chances are, the audience doesn’t know you’re unsure of your skills — and they don’t need to.

Another tip is to lean into your slideshow, if you’re using one. Create something colorful and interesting so the audience’s eyes fall there instead of on you. And when you feel proud of your slideshow, you’ll be more eager to share it with others, bringing more energy to your presentation.

2. Watch other presentations

Developing the soft skills necessary for a good presentation can be challenging without seeing them in action. Watch as many as possible to become more familiar with public speaking skills and what makes a great presentation. You could attend events with keynote speakers or view past speeches on similar topics online.

Take a close look at how those presenters use verbal communication and body language to engage their audiences. Grab a notebook and jot down what you enjoyed and your main takeaways. Try to recall the techniques they used to emphasize their main points, whether they used pauses effectively, had interesting visual aids, or told a fascinating story.

3. Get in front of a crowd

You don’t need a large auditorium to practice public speaking. There are dozens of other ways to feel confident and develop good presentation skills.

If you’re a natural comedian, consider joining a small stand-up comedy club. If you’re an avid writer, participate in a public poetry reading. Even music and acting can help you feel more comfortable in front of a crowd.

If you’d rather keep it professional, you can still work on your presentation skills in the office. Challenge yourself to participate at least once in every team meeting, or plan and present a project to become more comfortable vocalizing your ideas. You could also speak to your manager about opportunities that flex your public speaking abilities.

4. Overcome fear

Many people experience feelings of fear before presenting in front of an audience, whether those feelings appear as a few butterflies or more severe anxiety. Try grounding yourself to shift your focus to the present moment. If you’re stuck dwelling on previous experiences that didn’t go well, use those mistakes as learning experiences and focus on what you can improve to do better in the future.

Tips for dealing with presentation anxiety 

It’s normal to feel nervous when sharing your ideas. In fact, according to a report from the Journal of Graduate Medical Education, public speaking anxiety is prevalent in 15–30% of the general population .

Even though having a fear of public speaking is common, it doesn’t make it easier. You might feel overwhelmed, become stiff, and forget what you were going to say. But although the moment might scare you, there are ways to overcome the fear and put mind over matter.

Use these tactics to reduce your stress when you have to make a presentation:

1. Practice breathing techniques

If you experience anxiety often, you’re probably familiar with breathing techniques for stress relief . Incorporating these exercises into your daily routine can help you stop worrying and regulate anxious feelings. 

Before a big presentation, take a moment alone to practice breathing techniques, ground yourself, and reduce tension. It’s also a good idea to take breaths throughout the presentation to speak slower and calm yourself down .

2. Get organized

The more organized you are, the more prepared you’ll feel. Carefully outline all of the critical information you want to use in your presentation, including your main talking points and visual aids, so you don’t forget anything. Use bullet points and visuals on each slide to remind you of what you want to talk about, and create handheld notes to help you stay on track.

3. Embrace moments of silence

It’s okay to lose your train of thought. It happens to even the most experienced public speakers once in a while. If your mind goes blank, don’t panic. Take a moment to breathe, gather your thoughts, and refer to your notes to see where you left off. You can drink some water or make a quick joke to ease the silence or regain your footing. And it’s okay to say, “Give me a moment while I find my notes.” Chances are, people understand the position you’re in.

4. Practice makes progress

Before presenting, rehearse in front of friends and family members you trust. This gives you the chance to work out any weak spots in your speech and become comfortable communicating out loud. If you want to go the extra mile, ask your makeshift audience to ask a surprise question. This tests your on-the-spot thinking and will prove that you can keep cool when things come up.

Whether you’re new to public speaking or are a seasoned presenter, you’re bound to make a few slip-ups. It happens to everyone. The most important thing is that you try your best, brush things off, and work on improving your skills to do better in your next presentation.

Although your job may require a different level of public speaking than your favorite TED Talk , developing presentation skills is handy in any profession. You can use presentation skills in a wide range of tasks in the workplace, whether you’re sharing your ideas with colleagues, expressing concerns to higher-ups, or pitching strategies to potential clients.

Remember to use active listening to read the room and engage your audience with an interesting narrative. Don’t forget to step outside your comfort zone once in a while and put your skills to practice in front of a crowd. After facing your fears, you’ll feel confident enough to put presentation skills on your resume.

If you’re trying to build your skills and become a better employee overall, try a communications coach with BetterUp. 

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Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

The 11 tips that will improve your public speaking skills

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Ten simple rules for giving an effective presentation

Everyone has to give presentations at some point. Whether pitching a new product, presenting at a lab meeting, or giving a talk at a conference, the ability to give an effective, engaging, and persuasive talk cannot be understated. Unfortunately, these skills are rarely taught formally in school. I’ll present ten simple rules that will help reduce your anxiety and make your presentations as effective as possible.

1. Have something worth presenting

This is probably the most important rule, which is why it’s Rule 1. If you don’t have something worth presenting, you shouldn’t be asking people to spend an hour of their time listening to you. Thankfully, you were probably invited or asked to present because you have something worth presenting. 

What does it mean to have something worth presenting? Related to Rule 4, you should have one key message that you want to impart to your audience. It could be a new fact, a proposal you have, an argument you want to make, or a call to action. Whatever it is, it should be genuine, novel, and something you’re excited to tell people about.

2. Organize your presentation

In fifth grade, we learned that essays should have an introduction, body, and conclusion, and every body paragraph should have a topic sentence, evidence, and a concluding sentence. This is still a great organizing principle for your presentation. How do you organize a verbal talk, where your audience can’t go back to listen to your introduction again? I like to have an outline slide where I talk about how my presentation will be structured. On subsequent slides, or at various points in my talk, I’ll reference this outline with a phrase like “We’ve talked about bananas and apples so far as examples of very popular fruits. Now I’ll switch to talking about durian, which is significantly less popular.”

3. Show rather than tell on slides

I can’t tell you how many times I have seen slide decks where every slide is stuffed full of words and pictures — even from the most seasoned professors. While it may be tempting to have everything on your slides (maybe to refer to during your talk: see Rule 6), people will pay attention to what’s on them than to what you are saying. Instead, use slides as they were meant to be used — visuals to accompany your talk. Often, the best talks will not even have titles on their slides, just a figure or a picture or a phrase to make a point. 

4. Less is more

Your goal in giving a presentation is to leave your audience with one key message. A year from now, if asked what your presentation was about, they should be able to recall that message. Try to hammer in the key message over and over again, and present evidence and logic that point to this conclusion. It will be tempting to try to provide as much new information as possible, but a recent study [2] showed that when hearing stories, people enjoyed familiar stories more than novel ones, probably because they already have an idea how these stories are structured. The easier you make it for your listeners to follow your talk (by streamlining your message), the more they will enjoy it and remember it a year from now.

5. Plan to take less time than allotted

Relating to Rule 4, it is essential to plan your presentation with some amount of buffer time. The first 10 minutes allotted to your talk might melt away as a result of a previous presenter running late or various tech issues. People might interrupt your talk to ask questions. The last thing you want to happen to you is to be rushed because of factors out of your control. Instead, if you’re allotted an hour for your talk, plan it for 45 minutes. Also, do not underestimate how much your audience will appreciate it if you let them out early!

6. Be aware of your facial expression and eyes

Your audience is the people sitting in front of you, not the projector screen behind you. People naturally pay attention when someone is looking directly at them while talking. Conversely, they will tune out if your eyes are not on them. To keep people’s attention, make eye contact with different parts of your audience periodically — focus on one person in each “sector” of your audience. Look back at your slides briefly to point at something with your pointer or gesture at something, but don’t read off your slides or have your body turned towards the screen. Finally, bring a smile and lots of excitement. If you are excited about your topic, at least part of your audience will also be excited — but if you seem bored and uninterested, no one will be engaged. 

7. Use hand motions and movement to your advantage

Related to Rule 6, gestures and movement are a very effective way to engage with your audience. You can point at parts of your slide, or make hand gestures to make a point, or set out the organization of your talk. People also naturally pay more attention to someone who is moving than someone who is standing motionlessly behind the podium. If possible, get out from behind the podium and use the entire stage to your advantage! Moving purposefully also has the added effect of making you feel more confident, and the audience perceiving you as more confident because you aren’t “hiding” behind the podium.

8. Pause frequently, speak slowly, and remember to breathe

One of the most underrated skills in communication is pausing. When used correctly, pauses can have dramatic effect by underscoring a point that you just made. I think the longest intentional pause I’ve heard in a talk is 5 seconds, which may sound like an eternity when you’re onstage but certainly is not for the audience. You can also take advantage of the power of pauses by simply pausing whenever you feel the need to regroup your thoughts, instead of using a filler word such as “like” or “um”. Many studies have shown that pauses signal competence, while filler words signal lack of competence. 

When you do speak, speak clearly and slowly, and enunciate. The easier the listener’s job is, the more likely he or she will understand and retain your message. Many novice presenters make the mistake of speaking far too quickly, 

9. Practice, but do not memorize

Whoever said practice makes perfect was absolutely right with regards to presentations. Practicing out loud (to your dog, significant other, or anyone else — or even the mirror!) has the benefit of helping you assess whether your sentences are understandable, or whether they’re too wordy or awkward. Practicing is also important for building effective transitions, developing phrases that are concise and powerful, and trying out gestures. Even the most experienced orators and speakers practice and look to others for advice and suggestions, so don’t be shy and grab a friend to listen to your talk!

When you practice, time yourself and make it as close to the real deal as possible. For a public speaking class I took in college, I practiced in front of the mirror so that I could have a virtual audience. Others film themselves to watch for tics, awkward moments, or other things to add or avoid. Be careful about sounding scripted — your talk should (in most settings) be natural and conversational.

10. Practice one more time than you think you should

The more you practice, the better your talk will be. That extra practice round will build even more confidence and help you sort out those last-minute problems. 

Related Content

How to create a presentation worth listening to!

It doesn’t take rocket scientists to realise that the way we communicate, and absorb information is changing based on time available, personal preference, and innovative technologies. In a world of noise, we must do everything to be heard.

This post will look at some techniques and tools that can be used to spice up your next academic presentation or to present complex topics in an understandable way.

But first, here is a light-hearted look at presentations…..

https://fast.wistia.net/embed/iframe/eahtzx61h7?popover=true  

Why are you presenting

Before you start preparing the presentation, work out exactly why you are presenting the material. What is the purpose of the presentation and who are your audience?

Although you may have an academic audience, it never hurts to try something new and to present with some flair.

Once you know your why, start to plan out the key messages and information that you will need to convey to the audience and order it to make sense. Now you can start to map out what your presentation might look like. Try to think a little differently about your presentation, instead of starting with the dry stats and facts present this in an informative and interesting way using some of the suggestions below. Importantly, make sure the audience is clear on why you are the information they are seeing, what is remarkable, interesting, or important about what you have to say?

How to present

The thought of presenting to a room of peers can cause a heightened level of anxiety leading to trembling of the legs, redness of the face, hands shaking like leaves, and lots of sweating! The good news is that presenting is a skill that can be learned through practice and participation. If you need some tips on building your confidence, I highly recommend the Ted Talk by Amy Cuddy, “ Your body language shapes who you are ”.

Unfortunately, there are too many conference presentations, keynotes in particular, that although informative in content, lack the technical and aesthetic elements that could make them really stand out and help emphasise the message being delivered to make it stick.

Presentation style

Consider the following aspects of your presentation and how you may be able to alter your style to increase interest and sell your point.

• Interact with the audience in some way throughout the presentation, ask them a question, get them to raise their hands in response to a question, keep them awake and on their toes.
• Be excited about the content and the topic of your presentation. Speak with enthusiasm and passion.
• Make sure to look at the audience, glance at your notes if you need to. Don’t talk into your notes, check them, look up and continue to speak. Never look at the powerpoint and speak or even worse read it line for line, it’s not a manuscript!
• If possible, use the stage, particularly if you have a wireless microphone, get out from behind the podium.
• Make good use of changes in tone of voice, hand gestures, speaking speed, and pauses. Yes pauses, sometimes a pause can feel like an eternity, particularly with all the sweating and shaking that may be happening from the nerves, but believe me the pause is never as long as you think it is and can be a powerful way to emphasise a point (big statistical change perhaps), you can even reiterate the point for emphasis.

Slides/images/data

• Let your slides compliment your presentation so the audience listens to you.
• Less is more when it comes to the number of words on a slide – one key message per slide.
• Use headlines, not paragraphs, to prompt your thinking.
• Use a software program that will compliment your presentation but also allow you to be savvy with the way in which you present the material.
• Use visuals on your slides, as a rule of thumb a good visual should convey a message in 3 seconds.
• Use images to inspire emotion and action, images make content 55% more memorable than words. Make the image the hero and support with keywords ( picture superiority effect )
• Use high-quality images and ensure you credit the source. See more on this below.
• Use animation software to draw graphs and charts that will appear as you speak. You can embed the video into the presentation software.

What tools/methods to use

Presentation software other than powerpoint.

Prezi – is sometimes known as the zooming presentation tool, some people have actually complained that Prezi gave them motion sickness. It can be a bit much with all the flying objects and movements, but it’s the best tool for those who need to constantly jump from one part of their presentation to another. Prezi can be a very powerful tool to use when presenting a flowing method, or to zoom in on small elements in a larger figure or table. I find it particularly useful to step people through a model of KT whilst explaining each of the elements. (Tip: if you are at a university you can get the educational version for free which allows you to keep your work private)

Haiku Deck – Haiku Deck is an easy, free download that allows you to create great presentations in minutes. Images can be easily accessed from your own photo albums, the supplied stock photos, or through a quick internet search, all from the same menu. This software does all the work so you don’t have to stress. This is definitely a software that will limit the words on the slide and may not always be appropriate but is worth considering. Here is an example of a recent deck I made .

Zeetings – This is a great option that delivers interactive presentations that combine PowerPoints and PDFs with video, web content, images and polls. Everyone participates from their own device via WiFi, in person or remote, in real-time or in their own time. No need to download or install a thing. I highly recommend trying this one out.

Animation software

Along with the innovations in presentation software there are also a raft of programs available to produce animations that can be used either in live presentations as part of your PowerPoint or other presentation, or can be uploaded to a website as an instructional video of your work.

Animation programs include PowToon , goanimate , and VideoScribe . In addition, there are some other helpful programs for video (not in person presentations) including RawShorts and Sparkol Video Scribe .

Now that I have convinced you to use images and jazz up your slides a bit I guess I should help you to find some images. Well, the good news is that there are a number of sites where you can access free stock photos to use in your presentations. In addition, you can use photos from google and other social media sites.

There are of course some rules surrounding how you can use the images and the way you need to attribute the use of them. The lovely people at Harvard have put together this great guide to help you understand how to use and attribute photos in your work as well as a range of places to source them.

Here are a few places where you can source free stock photos:

Creative commons

Finally, I would like to leave you with an example of presentation , that has been created using many of the elements that I have been through. This is now a video but was originally used for a live presentation and provides some techniques that may be of use.

Check out our Membership options for more tips, how to use the tools and ongoing support for your presentations.

photo credit: Avinash Kaushik of Google giving the opening keynote at SES Chicago via photopin (license)

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How To Give An Effective Presentation (With Examples)

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Even if you have great ideas, nobody will listen if you don’t know how to give a compelling presentation.

In your career, how you frame your ideas will be the key to influencing those who matter. Learn how to give a compelling presentation, and you’ll enjoy an advantage over the competition.

Key Takeaways:

Understand your purpose for presenting, structure your presentation in a logical manner, and prepare as much as possible.

Remember to breathe during your presentation! This will help keep you calm and focused.

Structure your presentation with a beginning, middle, and end.

Keep your presentation as concise and clear as possible.

How To Give A Presentation

How to structure your presentation, top tips for writing an effective presentation.

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Understand your purpose and environment. This is the first step to giving any effective presentation. You want to know what you are getting yourself into. Ask yourself:

Why am I giving this presentation? What are my reasons?

What am I trying to accomplish?

Who is my audience?

Where is my presentation going to be?

When is my presentation? How much time will I have to speak?

This information allows you to structure your presentation so that it remains relevant and appropriate. Once you understand the who, what, where, when, and why of your presentation, you can then begin to focus on the “how”.

Tell a story with a logical and engaging structure. Your presentation needs to connect with you audience. This means you need to incorporate the ancient art of story telling. You need to present your purpose in such a way that hooks your audience in, takes then on a journey, and concludes with some feeling of fulfillment.

Essentially, you need a beginning, a middle, and an end. Each point of your presentation should flow into the next. Each point should build off one another to manifest the purpose of your presentation. In most cases, this is some kind of argument or goal you are trying to accomplish. Your structure is the framework of establishing this argument or goal.

Practice and prepare. This ensures that you understand your material and you give yourself the chance to make changes ahead of time. Consider recording yourself to evaluate your performance and/or ask others to watch you practice. Do you research to make sure you have your information correct.

Also, do you research on the presentation environment. Know where you are going to speak and what resources you will have or need to bring. Nothing will be perfect, but the more you practice and prepare, the more equipped you are to handle challenges, such as feelings of performance anxiety or technical issues.

You may think practice and preparation will limit you, but in fact it frees you to be in the moment during your presentation.

Present (and remember to breathe). Be present and in the moment during your presentation. Remember to breathe. If you have practice and prepared enough, you will find most of what you need to do will come without thinking. Stay relaxed and work through each step of your presentation at a steady pace. Don’t rush yourself, nor ramble on some random tangent. Stick the points and keep moving forward.

Conclude and evaluate. Wrap everything up in a logical manner that hammers home your purpose. Then, you may or may not need to answer questions. Once you are done, congratulate yourself! Give yourself some time to reflect and consider what worked and what didn’t. Use this reflection to improve future presentations.

Every effective presentation uses an easy-to-follow structure that includes:

A compelling introduction.

The purpose of the introduction is to briefly sum up what you’re going to talk about and convey why the topic is relevant to the audience.

Make sure to:

Start with an attention-grabber. You need to make the audience feel invested in your presentation as early as possible.

There are a million different strategies to do this, such as:

Cite a shocking statistic. A surprising statistic makes the audience realize that they’re uninformed about the subject, inviting them to listen and learn more.

Tell a brief anecdote. Humans love stories. If you capture the audience’s emotional attention, then you’ll have their intellectual attention too.

Clearly convey what the subject of your presentation is.

After all effective presentations, the audience should be able to recall its core message clearly.

Body of evidence.

The body is where you present evidence to support the core message you stated in your intro.

Make sure that the body section of your presentation:

Split each argument into clearly distinct sections. Think back to a compelling TED talk or presentation you’ve watched. You can probably still recall the main points and arguments that were given.

Use rhetorical techniques . The reason that most effective presentations include many of the same elements is that they’re proven to work.

Use tools such as repetition to drive a point home.

Humans respond well to numbers and statistics. If you can quote a percentage or figure to highlight your point, then definitely take that opportunity.

Conclusion.

Use the conclusion to sum up your key takeaways.

You want to loop back to your original statement using what you said during the body of the presentation, but in a new and memorable way.

This is your last chance to make a lasting impression on the audience, so don’t just lazily repeat what you’ve already said.

Many presenters mistakenly treat the conclusion as an afterthought that’s added in as a custom. In fact, it’s probably one of the most important parts of your entire presentation.

Most compelling presentations follow several similar guidelines that hold true whether the audience is a large crowd or a few company administrators .

Here are a few of the most important ones to help you when writing your own presentation:

Use a short, easy-to-follow structure. Be concise. When watching the most effective presentations, it’s easy to identify the introduction, body, and conclusion.

This simple structure makes the presentation easy to comprehend while watching and similarly easy to recall afterward.

Limit the amount of clutter on each slide. Less is more when it comes to making a memorable presentation.

The end result of cramming paragraphs of compelling evidence into a slide is that nobody will process even a single line.

Many marketing experts recommend a six-word limit per slide.

Pay attention to design details. It’s often obvious to audiences from the first minute if a presentation is worth listening to or a complete snore.

This is often due to design decisions that can make or break the presentation. Make sure to use eye-pleasing:

Color schemes. Too much color contrast on a slide can distract from its contents. Too little can make the entire presentation seem boring and ignorable.

Fonts. Imagine how seriously you would take a presentation that uses the same fonts often used in second-grade classrooms.

Choose a font and size that are appropriate for your type of presentation and stick to them consistently throughout each slide.

Format. A single badly-pixelated image can make your entire presentation seem amateur and sloppy.

Practice your delivery . What’s on the screen is only half of the presentation; the other is the actual presenter .

Presentation delivery is composed of two key parts:

Vocal delivery. Research shows that effective speakers know how to appropriately vary the pitch, volume, and pace of their voices.

This isn’t just a gimmick and makes intuitive sense.

If a presenter raises their voice when emphasizing a key point, we assume that they must be confident in their message.

If a speaker pauses after delivering a shocking message, then their point seems more surprising and meaningful.

Research some popular presentations on the internet and observe the different ways that speakers employ their voices as a tool.

Body language . Our brains are wired to pay attention to body language when someone is speaking to us.

Even if someone makes a great point, a stiff posture and dead energy can easily distract from their message.

Of course, you don’t need to swing your arms around and go overboard.

Create “wow” moments. Think back to any memorable presentations you’ve watched. They’re probably memorable not because you remember the majority of their details, but because of one or two moments that really stood out.

A great example is Bill Gates’ 2009 TED talk about his foundation’s efforts to reduce the spread of malaria.

Gates started the presentation off by stating: “Now, malaria is, of course, transmitted by mosquitoes. I brought some here so you could experience this.”

He then promptly walked to the center of the stage and opened a small jar that contained non-infected mosquitos.

The presentation is well-remembered even a decade later because he captured everyone’s attention through surprise.

Polish multiple times. Don’t review your presentation once and call it a day. Perfection requires iteration.

A popular and effective approach is to start by outlining your ideas and structure to make sure you’re satisfied with the foundation.

From there, add in all your details and what you want to say. Don’t be afraid to end up with a messy, bloated monster of a presentation.

The next step is to polish your presentation down to the bare essentials. Examine what information is critical for your core message and what isn’t.

This step is often the most difficult, as it can be challenging to choose what information to eliminate to reach that target of six words per slide.

Practice in front of people. You can practice a million times in front of a mirror, but it still won’t prepare you for stepping in front of an actual crowd.

You need to become accustomed to confidently addressing a group of faces .

Use a remote. Using a remote to advance your slides allows you to face the audience at all times.

Prepare backup material. During the presentation, you’re going to discover that not everything you say is going to resonate with the audience.

Be genuine. Although you want your presentation to be polished and well-practiced, make sure to maintain a sense of authenticity when delivering it.

Use small moments of humor to make your message more memorable and interesting to listen to.

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Justin Parker is a dynamic and driven writing professional in advertising, film, and web-based content. He has over 10 years of experience as a professional writer in these realms, having written for commercials, music videos, feature screenplays, and content for Zippia. Justin holds a bachelor's of fine arts degree in film and television from the Savannah College of Art and Design.

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Giving an excellent presentation: 10 lessons from master educators, to make a meaningful impression on your audience, keep them engaged, know your slides, create stimulating breaks, and answer questions..

• Created with Sketch.

Whether we have chosen an academic pathway or not, most of us will serve as educators in some capacity during our careers, with our pupils ranging from fresh medical students to peers and even seasoned colleagues. Let’s be honest, when you find yourself sitting in a lecture hall listening to a presentation on any topic, whether that’s stent choice or a tough TAVR case, it’s easy to tell straightaway whether you’re going to be captivated. It’s one thing to be able to read notes off a slide set, yet it’s another to engage your audience and compel them to take away something vital. I’ve had the opportunity to attend some fantastic talks from master educators, and I have compiled a list of qualities that the best of them all seem to possess. Here are 10 tips I’d like to pass on.

1.      Know your audience . When preparing a presentation, remember that not everyone may be familiar with your field. Make sure a nonspecialist can follow your talk if you expect them to be attending. From teaching medical students to conducting grand rounds, your format needs to be customized based on who is watching you.

2.      Have a broad outline . Having an overall framework will not only make it easier to plan and formulate your presentation, but it will keep you on task and on time. Seasoned presenters have told me how they initially draft the body of their presentation on paper and then later build it on the computer. Also, displaying an outline to the audience helps them follow along and highlights your key objectives and learning points.  

3.      Practice the mantra of “less is more.” When you think you’re done with your slide set, try cutting out a few. By reducing your number of slides and making the information on said slides easier to read, you become a more concise presenter. Some general rules of thumb: don’t have more than three to four lines per slide and don’t write complete sentences.

4.      Using simple but compelling graphics. Displaying a table or figure? Instead of copying the whole table with 20 variables from a paper, make a new one with the relevant data that you will talk about. Also, while you can use captivating graphics and visuals to emphasize key points, remember that too many pictures can be distracting. A picture is worth a thousand words unless it is a picture of a thousand words.

5.      Review and re-review your slides. Don’t be afraid to edit with a heavy hand. If you don’t think you will discuss something, it has no place on your slide set. Run spellcheck.

6.      Plan your delivery. Practice, practice, practice. Know your slides well enough so that you are an expert at delivering them. Focus on telling the story of your presentation rather than reading the slides verbatim. Remember, the slides are there to supplement your discussion. Make sure you are enunciating key facts, using vocal intonation, and speaking without verbal fillers (ums, ahs, likes, and you knows will be all your audience focuses on if overused). Verify your timing is spot on by rehearsing your talk out loud, and never go over your allotted number of minutes.

7.      Keep your audience’s attention. Even the smartest, best-intentioned humans have short attention spans. Ask questions and run polls to drive home a point. Plan for “breaks” every 5 minutes with humor, asking for a show of hands, or (short) anecdotes. To connect with your audience, come out from behind the dais, make eye contact, and smile.

8.      D on’t apologize for mistakes. If you detect an error in your presentation, don’t even mention it. Saying sorry will just draw attention to it.

9.      Thank your team . A successful presentation is the result of a team effort. It’s good practice to acknowledge and thank those who organized and executed the research you displayed as well as the people who made your talk possible.

10.     Answer questions. Your talk doesn’t end with your last slide. Expect to be asked challenging questions and come prepared with answers. Always thank the person asking you a question, and don’t be afraid to ask for it to be repeated if you don’t fully understand. Never become defensive, and answer to the best of your knowledge.

In the end, a great presentation can be defined in several ways, and you don’t need to adhere to all of these pointers to give an effective talk. Some of the most inspiring presentations are well received because of their unconventional approach. Be authentic and play to your strengths. Know your subject matter thoroughly, be confident yet humble, and most important, have fun!

2018-2019 Fellow Talk Blogger

Udit is a third-year general cardiology fellow at the University of South Dakota (Sioux Falls) who…

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February 03, 2015

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUXkThfQx6A

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Giving effective presentations: 5 ways to present your points with power, not just PowerPoint

The prospect of giving a presentation fills some people with dread, while others relish the experience. However you feel, presenting your work to an audience is a vital part of professional life for researchers and academics. Presentations are a great way to speak directly to people who are interested in your field of study, to gather ideas to push your projects forward, and to make valuable personal connections.

In this article, I'll give some tips to help you prepare an effective presentation and capitalize on the opportunities that giving presentations provides.

Also, you might want to try our e-learning module and quiz on how to change the style of phrases we commonly write in research papers into those we would naturally say aloud in presentations. See Tip 4 below for details.

Tip 1: Know your audience​

The first and most important rule of presenting your work is to know your audience members. If you can put yourself in their shoes and understand what they need, you'll be well on your way to a successful presentation. Keep the audience in mind throughout the preparation of your presentation.

By identifying the level of your audience and your shared knowledge, you can provide an appropriate amount of detail when explaining your work. For example, you can decide whether particular technical terms and jargon are appropriate to use and how much explanation is needed for the audience to understand your research.

What is your audience's level of expertise and what knowledge do you have in common?

You can also decide how to handle acronyms and abbreviations. For example, NMR, HMQC, and NOESY might be fine to use without definition for a room full of organic chemists, but you might want to explain these terms to other types of chemists or avoid this level of detail altogether for a general audience.

It can be difficult to gauge the right level of detail to provide in your presentation, especially after you have spent years immersed in your specific field of study. If you will be giving a talk to a general audience, try practicing your presentation with a friend or colleague from a different field of study. You might find that something that seems obvious to you needs additional explanation.

Get featured articles and other author resources sent to you in English, Japanese, or both languages via our monthly newsletter.

Tip 2: Create a clear, logical structure

Next, you'll need to think about creating a clear, logical structure that will help your audience understand your work. You're telling a story, so give it a beginning, middle, and end.

To start, it can be helpful to provide a brief overview of your presentation, which will help your audience follow the structure of your presentation. Then, in your introduction, get everyone "on the same page" (i.e., provide them a shared reference point) by giving them a concise background to your work. Don't swamp them with detail, but make sure they have enough information to understand both what your research is about and why it is important (e.g., how it aims to fill a gap in the research or answer a particular problem in the field). By making the foundation of your research clear in the introduction, your audience should be better able to follow the details of your research and your subsequent arguments about its implications.

In the main part of the presentation, talk about your work: what you did, why you did it, and what your main findings were. This is like the Methods and Results sections of a manuscript. Keep a clear focus on what is important and interesting to your audience. Don't fall into the trap of feeling that you have to present every single thing that you did.

Finally, summarize your main results and discuss their meaning. This is your opportunity to give the audience a strong take-home message and leave a lasting impression. When crafting your take-home message, ask yourself this: If my audience remembers one thing from my talk, what do I want it to be?

When you are considering how long each section should be, it is helpful to remember that the attention of the audience will usually wane after 15–20 minutes, so for longer talks, it's a good idea to keep each segment of your presentation to within this amount of time. Switching to a new section or topic can re-engage people's interest and keep their attention focused.

3. Write for your specific readers: consider shared knowledge

Visual materials, probably in the form of PowerPoint slides, are likely to be a vital part of your presentation. It is crucial to treat the slides as visual support for your audience, rather than as a set of notes for you.

A good slide might have around three clear bullet points on it, written in note form. If you are less confident speaking in English, you can use fuller sentences, but do not write your script out in full on the slide.

As a general rule, avoid reading from your slides; you want the audience to listen to you instead of reading ahead. Also, remember that intonation can be 'flattened' by reading, and you don't want to put the audience to sleep. However, if you need to rely on some written text to explain some difficult points and calm your nerves, make sure you pause and look at the audience between these points; then go back to talking and not reading the next slide.

Ideally, the slides should focus on relevant visual material, such as diagrams, microscope images, or chemical structures. A good diagram can be far easier for people to understand than words alone. Make sure that you point to the slides as you talk. This will help guide the audience's attention to the correct part of the slide, and can keep them engaged with what you are explaining.

Make sure your visual materials are easy to read. Use dark lettering on a pale background for maximum visibility; pale lettering on a dark background can be difficult to read. Choose a standard clear font, like Arial or Times New Roman, and make sure that the size is large enough to be seen from the back of the room. Lay out the slides so that the elements are properly spaced. It is better to split a slide into two or three separate slides instead of overfilling one slide. Although your time is limited, your number of slides is not!

Remember that you are not writing a manuscript, so you don't have to use complete sentences. On your slides, verbs (especially "be" verbs) can be omitted. An example is shown in the figure.

Tip 4: Talk in "spoken English" style, not in "written English" style

The style of spoken English is quite different from that of written English. If you are preparing your script from text in a research paper, you will need to change the style of the written phrases into that of spoken phrases.

The written English we read in research papers often has a very formal style, using complex vocabulary and grammatical structures. This level of complexity is possible because readers can take their time reading papers to understand the content fully and can look up unfamiliar words or grammatical phrases as needed. This is not possible when listening to spoken English, when the audience hears your point once and fleetingly (this is why brief text and images on your slides can help convey your message fully).

You can learn about the characteristics of written English versus those of spoken language in a free e-learning module and quiz we have prepared.

Also, check back for a later edition of our newsletter to find out how best to deliver your spoken presentation.

Tip 5: Practice your presentation and practice again!

Public speaking is the part of presentations that most people dread. Although it might not be possible to get over your nerves completely, good preparation and practice will give you confidence. Most confident speakers do lots of preparation and use notes well.

After you've written your script, practice and learn is—not so that you learn to say it by rote, but so that it will become easier to remember the important points to say, the links between the points (to maintain the flow of your 'story'), and the words and phrases that express your points clearly.

One way that we at ThinkSCIENCE can help you with this is through our audio recording service, in which a native speaker records your script at your chosen speed (native speed, slightly slower, or considerably slower). You can then use the recording to practice pronunciation, intonation, and pacing.

Again, if possible, try to avoid reading directly from your slides or script. Once you know your script, you can make a simple set of notes to jog your memory. If you are speaking instead of just reading, you can better engage with your audience and capture their attention.

Leave yourself adequate time to practice your presentation with your notes and slides. Check your timing, remembering that you might speak a little faster if you are nervous, and that you will need to account for changing slides and pointing at visual material.

As you rehearse, you will probably notice some words that are awkward to say, particularly if English is not your first language. Check pronunciation with a reliable source, such as www.howjsay.com , an online dictionary, or a native speaker, and then practice to avoid stumbling and putting yourself off during the presentation.

Practice can help you feel more comfortable with your material and more confident to present it to others.

Concluding remarks

Remember the importance of knowing your audience, giving yourself time to prepare thoroughly, and structuring your talk appropriately. And, don't panic!

At ThinkSCIENCE, we have years of experience helping people prepare effective research and conference presentations. From comprehensive editing and translation of your slides and scripts to our audio recording service, we can help you get ready for your presentation. We also offer one-on-one private presentation coaching sessions to help you make the most of your opportunities to present, and provide semester courses to young researchers.

I hope these tips will help you to prepare your English presentations with confidence.

Stay up to date

Our monthly newsletter offers valuable tips on writing and presenting your research most effectively, as well as advice on avoiding or resolving common problems that authors face.

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Your research represents you, and your career reflects thousands of hours of your time.

Here at ThinkSCIENCE, our translation and editing represent us, and our reputation reflects thousands of published papers and millions of corrections and improvements.

Why Can’t People Give Presentations? [And How to Get Over It!]

By: Author Shrot Katewa

The fear of giving presentations is real. There’s even a term for it – Glossophobia ! So, if you find it difficult to stand in front of a group of people to give a presentation, then you are not alone! There are many reasons why people find it hard to give a presentation.

Most common reasons why people struggle to give a presentation are fear of public speaking, fear of failure, and lack of confidence due to not knowing what to say, unpreparedness or even lack of presentation skills. However, there are few quick steps that one can take to overcome such hesitations.

Understanding your fear is the first step in helping you overcome it. So, in this article, we share some of the most common worries people have when it comes to presenting, along with some tips on how to overcome it!

1. Fear of Failure

One of the greatest concerns people have when it comes to presenting is that they won’t be as good at it as someone else or even worse that their presentation would be a failure!

One of the most common reasons for the fear of failure is the need for perfection! In a study done by the Pennsylvania State University, which was published in the Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, researches found direct cognitive links between Fear of Failure and Perfectionism .

You might’ve seen an amazing TED talk on YouTube, or a winning pitch on Shark Tank, and thought to yourself that you’ll never have the ability or confidence to come across as well as they did.

How to Overcome the Fear of Failure?

The best way to overcome this fear is to apply some of the concepts listed later in this article. You should only judge yourself against yourself. If you have prepared to the best of your ability, given your best shot and covered everything you had set out to – then there are no reasons why you would fail!

With this list of tips mentioned in this article will, you will start to notice incremental developments in your presenting style each time you get in front of people. And if something does go wrong, you can assess the differences between this attempt and the previous one.

You must treat giving a presentation just like any other skill. You need to practice by investing time and effort into this skill in order to become better at it. Before you know it, you’ll be presenting like a pro, so long as you are willing to make mistakes along the way.

After all, it is a skill worth investing in, because a 2014  survey of more than 600 employers  found that “oral communication” was number one and “presentation skills” number four among the top skills recruiters look for .

So, if you want your dream job, you’d better be willing to take the plunge, get in front of people and improve your skills of presentation.

2. Lack of Experience

For many people, the biggest reason they are afraid to stand in front of an audience to present is the fact that they haven’t done it a huge amount before.

They might have had to present in front of a class at school or give a speech at a family event, but other than that they may often have had little experience of standing up in front of a crowd and talking.

Thus, not having given a presentation enough makes one feel nervous and anxious of the unknown; the unknown of not knowing how things will go, what will be the reaction of the audience, and other things similar to that.

How to Overcome the Lack of Experience?

The best way to overcome a lack of experience is to gain experience by doing more presentations! No number of hacks, tips, tricks, or advice is a good enough replacement for simply getting up there and doing a presentation.

But, that will take a while for you to amass. Plus, you have to start somewhere! Fortunately, there are a couple of things that you can do!

A.] Showcase Confidence

So, a good way to come across as an experienced presentor is to speak with immense confidence. You don’t necessarily have to be confident in order to sound confident!

In my experience, one of the easiest way to sound confident is to improve your voice modulation ! Often, when we speak a little louder and stress on certain words with pauses using a proper intonation pattern, we come across as confident!

Watch the above clip of Margaret Thatcher wherein her voice from two interviews are compared. Notice how the “After” voice part of the video, Ms. Thatcher comes across as very confident!

B.] Practise with Other People [Friends or Family]

Another quick way to sound experienced is to practise with other friends or family members.

However, make sure you do this once you have completed preparing for your presentation. Practising in front of your family members should be considered as if you are presenting to the audience.

Knowing that your family or friends would only give you constructive feedback, it will make you more confident and make your presentation more robust.

The more you practise with other people around, the more you will be able to develop a style that works for you and gauge the reaction of a controlled group of audience. With experience, you will find yourself feeling more comfortable on stage.

It might be hard to overcome this hurdle – especially the first few times, as you still try to find your feet – but the experience is the best way to build your confidence.

3. Fear of Public Speaking

Some psychologists believe that fear of public speaking is worse than even the fear of death!

Fear of Public Speaking is definitely a very common form of anxiety. Some people are naturally introverted , so the idea of standing in front of a crowd to present something will be at odds with the very nature of their being. Others might ordinarily be very confident, outgoing, and chatty, but the moment they are stood in front of a group of people presenting they tense up.

Whichever category you find yourself fitting into, you might find it hard to control your breathing, you might sweat, or your voice might crack when these nerves set in. These are natural fight or flight reactions that kick into action when you’re faced with the fear of public speaking!

How to Overcome the Fear of Public Speaking?

There are several small things that you can do in order to overcome the fear of public speaking. I’ll be sharing a couple of things that have worked for me –

A.] Preparation

It goes without saying that preparation before a presentation is of utmost importance. No matter how experienced you are at giving presentations, you need to prepare.

If you are a beginner, you will need to spend more time preparing. As you become more experienced, you’ll notice that the time you need to spend on preparation gradually decreases. However, you can not do away with this step completely in most cases.

How you prepare yourself is secondary. Everyone has their own style of giving presentations, and their own unique style for preparation! The most important is that you spend enough time and effort in making sure that you know in and out of your presentation.

I usually like to prepare my presentation by looking at myself in the mirror (without reading). This allows me to observe my body language and see myself the way my audience would see me. If I notice any incorrect movements or lack of enthusiasm on my face, practising in front of a mirror gives me the opportunity to correct it!

B.] Speak as if Presenting to a Friend

Fear of public speaking or giving presentations is often borne by the amount of attention that you get when you are standing on the stage!

The moment you set foot on stage, you cannot miss but take notice of the fact that so many eyeballs are set on you! You almost feel the weight of the expectations of so many people on your shoulder, and you definitely don’t want to disappoint them!

These feelings often take over your thinking process and make you freeze on stage! (otherwise known as stage fright)

Fortunately, there are ways to overcome this fear.

My favorite technique is to think as if you are presenting to a friend that you are comfortable with rather than hundreds of people sitting in the audience !

It doesn’t have to be a friend. It could be a family member or your spouse or any other person. But, just imagine you are presenting only to this 1 person rather than the dozens and dozens of people sitting in the audience.

This way, you don’t feel that weight of the expectations of hundreds of people. Plus, you are already comfortable with that person. So, you won’t feel like you are disappointing anyone’s expectation!

C.] Practise Breathing Control Techniques

The greatest remedy to get over such nerves is to control your breathing. Not only will slow breathing impact the tone and speed of your voice – making it easier to listen to for your audience – but it will have a huge physiological impact on the rest of your body.

Research shows that controlling your breathing can lead to a slowing of your heart rate . The reason you want to slow your heart rate is that your body is more likely to succumb to the natural fears associated with presenting, which manifest themselves in shaking, sweating or nervousness.

To this end, you shouldn’t start speaking until your breath is under control. Primarily, this is because you will find it harder to speak if you are constantly searching for your breath.

But controlling your breath will also help you to gain a sense of control over the situation and also put your audience at ease.

Once you are all set – stand in front of your audience, take a moment to control your breathing and then begin.

Not only will it fill you with confidence but that moment of silence before you start will grab the audience’s attention and give them a sense that this is going to be a strong presentation worth listening to.

4. Bad Past Experiences

As mentioned above, you might have only presented a few times before. What’s worse, those few times you did present to an audience you may have had a bad experience.

You might have fluffed your lines, made a bad joke that didn’t land or even had to fluster around before it began to get the PowerPoint loaded on the screen, leaving you stressed and short on time by the time it came to speak.

However, chances are that the first few times you perhaps ran into bad luck! It’s important to remember that presenting is a skill and just like any other, it requires a great amount of training, work, and dedication to become a master in the art of presenting. Michael Jordan didn’t get great at throwing a basketball into the hoop overnight, and neither did Barack Obama get great at speaking to crowds without practice.

If you simply take your one bad experience as proof that you can’t do it, then the truth is that you never will get any better at it. However, if you bite the bullet and try again then the chances are, you’ll improve at least one element of your presenting ability each time .

After all, if it went genuinely horrifically badly the last time you tried, and that is why you are hesitant now, then the chances are you can’t do any worse!

So, what have you got to lose?

5. Fear of Handling Technology!

As mentioned above, a problem that many of us have faced at some point is a failure of technology leading to a less than perfect presentation. It might have been a faulty microphone, an unsuccessful attempt to insert a video into your slides or even a failure to transfer your presentation on the destination computer!

Firstly, I highly recommend that you always carry a USB stick loaded with not only your presentation but also your other media files with it. A high-speed USB stick, like this one from Samsung [on Amazon], is critically important

These things happen and sometimes there is no avoiding them. So, the first way to prepare for this is to always be ready to present with no technology at all. In this way, whatever the situation throws at you, you will be able to still provide the audience with the verbal content they need from you.

On top of this, you can also do a number of things to lessen the number of potential technical issues. For example, if you are using a presentation on a memory stick, then you can also email this to yourself or a colleague beforehand . In the case that you have an issue with the memory stick, there will be another copy saved digitally on both your email and that of your colleague.

Meanwhile, you should test any links and/or videos that you have inserted into your presentation beforehand to make sure that they work . This can form part of your practice if you are someone who needs to rehearse or can simply be done by clicking through the presentation as if it were happening prior to saving it and sharing it in front of others.

If you get good at preparing well for your presentations, not only will you feel more comfortable with regards to the technology, but you will also find it easier to speak on your given subject too.

You will know your presentation inside out and will be ready for any mishaps that might get thrown up on the day.

CIO Dialogues

• LEADERSHIP LESSONS

TED Talks on how to become great at public speaking

These powerful talks will show you how to craft memorable and compelling presentations.

As a leader there’s no getting away from public speaking. Whether it’s at a board meeting, investor meet, company offsite, Christmas party or office town hall, it’s an art all leaders have to master. Here are five insightful TED Talks that will help you hone your skills.

1. Chris Anderson: “TED’s Secret to Great Public Speaking” TED founder and curator Chris Anderson reveals that there’s a key ingredient to any successful talk. In this candid video he explores the elements of this ingredient and the four guidelines that follow from it. It’s almost like a four-step path to building an idea in people’s minds in an interesting and impactful manner. Watch it here. Photograph: James Duncan Davidson/TED/Creative Commons

2. Gordon Kangas: “Giving Presentations Worth Listening To” Gordon Kangas is an attorney, but more importantly, he’s also the founder of Fluent Presentations, which helps companies as well as individuals learn how to improve their presentation skills. And this is exactly what he discusses in this TED Talk. To make your presentation a success, Gordon outlines a simple approach that will improve its effectiveness, engage the audience, and inspire people to act. Watch it here .

3. Nancy Duarte: “The Secret Structure of Great Talks” Is there a story structure that defines great speeches? Nancy Duarte thinks there is. In this insightful talk she shares what we can learn from some famous ones, from Steve Job’s iPhone launch speech to Martin Luther King’s ‘I have a dream’ speech. Nancy discusses how to deliver a talk so that people can envision your idea, ingest it, get enveloped by it and are fired up for action. Watch it here .

4. Amy Cuddy: “Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are” Whether we realise it or not, our body language is an important communication tool. It affects people’s perceptions of us and our abilities. In this talk, Amy draws on the links between posture and psychology to show how one can have a huge impact on the other. She reveals how people can use ‘power posing’ to boost confidence, make an impression, and project their authority. Watch it here. Photograph: PopTech/Flickr

5. Megan Washington: “Why I Live in Mortal Dread of Public Speaking” This talk is for those who are painfully shy of public speaking. Megan Washington is a singer and songwriter who has struggled with a speech impediment since childhood that has made public speaking traumatic. Over the years she’s come up with a variety of ways to cope with her stutter, from tricking her mind to finding unusual tricks. The idea isn’t to wallow in what’s holding you back, but to find a way around it so that you get the job done. Watch it here

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TEDxEMU - Gordon Kangas - Giving Presentations Worth Listening To - YouTube

Presentations can be among the most painful experiences in both school and the working world -- and that includes listening to them. The way most of us give presentations is broken and ineffective, but it doesn't have to be that way. What if small changes in the way we prepared to speak could drastically improve our dynamism and effectiveness? Gordon will explain a smart and simple approach to creating presentations that engage audience and inspire action.

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