The Art of Presentation

Presentations, or the idea of standing up in public and presenting, appear to be more terrifying than death  to me and to many people .

Presenters are practiced, not born !

 If you want to make sure that you are heard, that your message really does get through to others, you will need to work on – and work at – the quality of your communication. Effective communicators condense their messages, focus on what the other side wants to hear and are aware of when the message is and isn’t getting through.

Here are a few tips to mastering your own presentation:

1. Think of the final outcome

Before starting, think of the final outcome you want to achieve with your presentation. Have a clear overall picture and focus on it throughout the whole presentation.

2. The rule of KISS

 A presentation should always be concise and easy to understand. This rule refers to the importance of Keeping It Short and Simple. For a successful presentation, you need to stay on topic and always be clear about what you want to transmit.

3. Less is more

 Reiterating tip #2: make your presentation as easy to understand as possible, don’t complicate it - keep it simple. Explain your presentation in a way that everyone will understand, don’t overdo it with too much text but focus on key words instead. The less you have on your presentation slides, the better in order to keep your audience interested.

4. Connect with your audience

 Before a presentation always find out who your audience is and try to adapt your presentation to them. Know what your audience is interested in so you can adapt and capture their attention.

5. Right to speak

 Everyone gets nervous before a presentation - after all, public speaking is considered people’s number one fear. So try to relax, breathe and be calm. Don’t focus on how stressed you are, but rather try to focus on your breathing.

6. Be yourself!

 The most important piece of all – be genuine. Share your passion and excitement with the audience.

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