- Presentations boil down to this: It’s not what you want to say, it’s what they need to hear.
- Use one-handed gestures to look relaxed and confident.
- If you open with the data, it will be picked it apart.
- Never start or end a presentation behind a piece of furniture, such as a lectern or table.
- Walk left or right on transitions, walk forward for stories.
- Be authentic—presentations are you, just a little louder, a little bigger, a little slower.
- If you’re not looking at eyes, you should be pausing, not talking.
- Inflection adds the meaning to your message and tells the audience what’s important.
- Speaking at a slower rate gives audiences time to process what you’re saying.
- Before you start writing your content, figure out what you want the audience to know, feel, and do when you’re done.
- Audiences crave meaning, so share during the opening how your content is relevant to them.
- Talk at their level, not above or below.
- Tease your key points in the opening to provide mile markers the audience can click off as they listen.
- Facts fade, data gets dumped, stories stick.
- Open with a hook to engage the audience, not “Thank you” or ”Today I’m going to talk about…”
- Openings and conclusions need to be delivered eyes-up, not looking at notes.
- Have the content and visuals ready a few days ahead of the presentation date to give yourself time to practice.
- Video record yourself during practice sessions and watch the playback to catch what you do and don’t like about your delivery.
- To reduce nerves, focus on what the audience is about to gain by listening to you, not on your shaky hands or voice.
- Remember: Audiences don’t come to see you; they come to hear the content.
- Say it one way, show it another way, and give it to them in a handout a third way.
- Insert a short Q and A before your conclusion, instead of at the very end.
- Be ready with one question to ask and answer yourself in case no one asks any.
© Jill Bremer 2021