How many of you have New Year resolutions which already lay in tatters at such an early stage of 2017? Oh… just me?
Whether it is a promise to be healthier and fitter or a vow to spend less money, if you are anything like me, all too often these aspirations are broken before we even get back to the office after the festive break.
So why not start again now by setting yourself a business goal of becoming a better presenter?
Whether you already have some public speaking experience or are likely to be presenting for the first time this year, the resolutions below, which are taken from our presentation training, will help you to become a better public speaker.
1. Make slides attractive
The first question you need to ask yourself about your public speaking is whether you need slides at all and what value they will add.
If you decide you do need them remember people don’t come to a presentation to read. In fact, paragraphs of texts will not only turn the audience off but also distract them from what you are saying.
So avoid text heavy slides this year.
Less here really is more. The odd headline statistic or tag line will help underline the message and some good animations and cartoons will add colour to your presentation.
To learn more about the effective use of PowerPoint in presentation watch this short presentation skills video with one of our expert tutors.
2. Don’t read from your slides
Another reason to avoid lots of text in slides is to remove the temptation to simply read them to your audience.
This is something we have probably all witnessed at some point and it is a particular risk when people present content or a subject they are not confident about.
But simply reading your slides to them will only reinforce this point and, if they only needed to read it to understand the issue, perhaps your presentation should have been an email.
The key here is preparation, which brings us nicely on to…
3. Prepare properly
On our presentation and public speaking training courses we often say that even the most experienced of public speakers should not ‘wing it’.
Presentations are not easy to do and the only way to ensure success is through careful planning and preparation.
Bullet points, mind maps and message preparation sheets will all help you to structure and plan your presentations effectively. Knowing that you have spent time thinking about what it is you went to say will help to build your confidence.
And, if you are going to take questions, then make sure you have done your research - not just on the core of your presentation but what related issues your audience may raise.
What are the topical issues around your subject? What is being discussed on social media? What news stories related to your topic are out there on the day?
Remember what Benjamin Franklin said: “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”
4. Improve your body language
The key to any good presentation is not just what you say – though obviously that is important - but it is how you say it.
Powerful body language and varying the pitch and tone of your voice will make all the difference to the way you deliver your presentation.
Avoid crossed arms and jiggling your legs and make sure you smile and make eye contact with your audience.
Your voice is also vital. Delivering you messages in a dull, flat monotone way will ensure audiences quickly switch off, so you need to inject passion, enthusiasm and energy in to your voice.
5. Dress the part
When you are presenting your audience will form an almost instant impression of you.
This will be based largely on what they see and hear and the reality is that it is only when they feel you look and sound like you know what you are talking about that they will pay attention to what you are saying.
So be smart and well-groomed, but not in something that restricts your movement.
Light blue shirts are great under spot lights but show the sweat patches more so than white. Clunky jewellery may get in the way of the lapel microphone and may be a distraction.
All black or all white never works. Block colours with a well-fitting jacket work best.
6. Tell more stories
Storytelling has become something of a communications buzzword in recent times, yet still many speakers do not incorporate stories into their presentations.
People love stories and good stories are memorable because they trigger an emotional response. Crafting storytelling into your presentation will make your messages much more memorable than a series of bullet points, particularly if those stories are about people.
Ask any journalist what makes a good story and the answer will be human interest. People like hearing about other people. So when you prepare your next presentation focus on what is in it for the people you are talking to and the impact what you are announcing will have on your customers.
7. Don’t overload your audience
As hard as it sounds the audience is not going to remember huge amounts of your presentation. In fact they are unlikely to remember more than three of your main points.
So you need to think really carefully about what you do want them to take away from your efforts.
Once you know those messages structure the presentation around them, ensuring you inject more enthusiasm into these parts and use pauses for emphasis.
As with your slides, less is more.
Happy New Year presenters.
Media First are media and communications training specialists with over 30 years of experience. We have a team of trainers, each with decades of experience working as journalists, presenters, communications coaches and media trainers.
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