How to take your presentation skills to the next level as a business leader

Build your bank of stories

We mentioned that you must think about how you can engage your audience, grab attention, bring your messages to life and deliver a successful presentation.

Storytelling is one of the best techniques for doing this.

We all love to create and hear stories. Whatever you need to get across in your presentation, stories are vital to your success.

But you can’t rely on one or two.

Different stories will work better for different people.

So, build your bank of stories.

How do you do that?

Well, we hear stories every day. People tell them all the time.

The key for presenters, and something we stress during our courses, is to consciously look out for them and be disciplined about collecting them.

Then your story bank will begin to build and you’ll just need to choose the right ones to support your message in your next presentation.

 

Time to get personal

So, what are the best stories for your presentation or public speaking commitment?

Well, for memorable presentations, you need human stories.

During our presentation skills training, we stress to our clients and students that people want to hear stories about others, not policies, protocols and strategies. They want to know what your subject means for real people in everyday situations.

But to enhance your presentation and take it to the next level, you need to include personal stories and anecdotes.

These stories will stimulate emotions and persuade people to take action or support an idea.

So, share a bit of your life and career. Admit a mistake. Reveal what motivates and inspires you.  

And there is an added benefit to telling personal stories. In our presentation skills courses, we notice the presenters who share personal stories, examples and anecdotes are the ones who we see grow in confidence the most.

 

Smashing the first impression

Those watching will form an almost instant impression of you when you are presenting.

And they will only pay attention if you sound and look like a confident presenter who knows what they are discussing.

You could have as little as 30 seconds to make the right first impression.

We know it sounds harsh. It is a statistic that grabs attention during our courses.

But there are a few simple techniques and tips from those presentation skills courses we can share with you so you smash the first impression.

Firstly, think about what you wear. Our advice is that you should aim to be 10 per cent smarter than those you are speaking to.

Then avoid things like starting by tapping the microphone and asking whether people at the back can hear or opening with a phrase like “I haven’t had a lot of time to prepare”.

These behaviours are boring and don’t instil confidence in the audience that they will get much value from the presentation.

During our courses, we tell delegates that any negative introduction or self-deprecation will alert people to look out for flaws in the presentation they may never have noticed if their attention had not been drawn to them.

What should you do instead when you present?

Well, we’ve already stressed the value of stories in this presentation skills blog. Why not grab attention at the start by telling them a story?

Reveal a surprising statistic that could spark curiosity. Other presentation skills we recommend here include using ‘what if’ or ‘imagine’ scenarios. You could also use a powerful statement or quote – we opened this blog with a quote from Mark Twain.

Want a few more presentation skills tips?

Don’t underestimate the importance of a smile – smiling will make you appear confident and suggests you are happy to be there.

And try to inject passion, enthusiasm and energy into your voice. 

If you show that you are motivated and excited by a particular subject, it will help you connect with your audience.

 

The question of questions

How do you feel about questions?

On our courses, we find this is one of the biggest concerns people have about making presentations.

Delegates worry about being asked something unexpected and their skills and ability to answer those questions.

And it is a shame because being asked questions is a good thing. It shows people are interested, engaged and keen to learn more about your subject and ideas.

So, what communication skills do you need to handle questions during a presentation?

Well, it starts with anticipation and preparation.

The chances are you can probably anticipate the awkward questions.

If your presentation includes any controversial parts, then that could trigger questions. Any areas that are lighter on detail – perhaps because of time constraints – could also provoke intrigue.

It is worth googling your subject and searching social media as part of your preparation to see what questions people are asking. Also, check whether the topic is in the news.

Then think about how you would answer those questions.

If asked something unexpected, remain composed.

Any hint of frustration or unease at a question will be viewed negatively.

And they will remember how you reacted to the question rather than the message you hoped to deliver.

Pausing before answering a question is a good technique we often highlight during other communication skills training.

It allows you to buy some time to gather your thoughts and plan how you will respond. And it creates the impression you are carefully considering your response.

If you don’t feel comfortable, think about responding to the person asking the question with a little praise.

Saying something like “that’s a really interesting question” or “that’s an important point” will buy you a little thinking time to consider your answer.

And remember, there is nothing wrong with admitting you don’t know the answer to a question.

It is a far better approach than trying to bluff a response or getting drawn into speculating. But go on to tell them what you do know.

Perhaps the best approach to questions in presentations is not to leave them until the end.

Saying ‘any questions?’ as you finish can feel half-hearted and could be met with an awkward silence.

Additionally, you allow others to decide how your presentation ends, and there is a good chance it will not be on the main message you want them to take away.

 

Finish with a bang

How do you bring your presentation to an end?

This is one of those necessary skills presenters tend to not give enough thought to.

A weak ending could undo your work and leave those you are speaking to feeling uninspired or unclear on what you want them to do.

And, as it is the most recent part of your presentation, it is likely to be what they will remember the most.

We’ve already highlighted why you shouldn’t finish with questions earlier in this presentation skills blog.

So, what should you do?

Here are a few tips from our presentation skills courses:

Ditch the 'thank you' slide

We’ve all seen presentations finish with slides emblazoned with ‘thank you’. But what does it add?

Although well-intentioned, it is mundane, uninspiring and best avoided.

Summary

There are more creative and less predictable ways than ending with a summary.

But this can be a useful approach, particularly if you are discussing something complex.

Repeat something from the beginning

This is an excellent way of summing up your speech without it being obvious that you are summing up.

It works particularly well if you asked a question at the start of the presentation as you can revisit and answer it. Similarly, if you posed a problem, you can now offer the solution.

Another good way to do it is to finish a story you used at the start, like how a stand-up comedian might start his set with a joke and then go back to it at the end.

Call to action

Seize the opportunity to make it clear what you want people to do as a result of listening to your presentation. 

The key is to be as specific and detailed as possible – make it clear exactly what you would like them to do next and how they should do it. 

But you need to be creative – you don't need to have recently been on a presentation skills training course to understand that "make sure you look out for our product/service", for example, sounds pretty flat. 

Quiz

Instead of inviting questions, how about asking them yourself?

A short quiz is interactive and fun and will help your presentation stand out from others. It also enables you to assess how well you have landed your message.

 

Presentation skills training

Like the sound of our training? This blog is just a taste of the training, presentation skills and support we offer our clients.

If your business or team needs help with public speaking and delivering better presentations – or you are interested in one of our related courses – talk to one of our account managers now about your presentation skills training course options.

All our communication skills courses are bespoke. We create them to meet your specific requirements, personal development and professional goals.

Whether you or your team need help to manage nerves and boost confidence, develop professional public speaking skills and techniques, or build presenting experience, we can develop the right training option. And all our courses can be delivered face-to-face or online.

 

Media First are media and communication skills training specialists with more than 35 years of experience.

We have a team of trainers, each with decades of experience working as journalists, presenters, communications and leadership coaches, and media trainers. 

Discover more about our presentation skills training.

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