How to present effectively

Delivering a presentation sets you on public display. An audience not only listens to the ideas which you present bit it also responds to the way you make use of your voice as well as your body. You need more than a beautifully written presentation to produce an impact. You will also be required to deliver it in a vibrant, flexible and exciting way.

In this article, we suggest many ideas for invoking energy in your presentation style. When you begin your presentation, the audience will be curious about what you say. Use these tips to assist with keeping them interested across your entire presentation.

Tips for presenting effectively

Be excited

You are speaking about something interesting. If you don’t forget to be excited, your audience will feel it and then will automatically become more involved.

Speak with confidence

When you are talking, you are the authority on your subject but do not profess that you know everything. If you do not know the response to a question, admit it. Think about deferring the question to your mentor or offer to investigate the issue further.

Make eye contact with the audience

Your objective when you present is to communicate with your audience. Folks listen more if they feel you are speaking directly to them. As you talk, let your eyes settle down on one person for a few seconds before moving on to someone else. You do not need to keep eye contact with everybody, but make sure that you are connecting with all areas of the audience in the same way.

Avoid reading from the screen

Firstly, if you’re reading from the screen, you are not keeping eye contact with your audience. Secondly, if you put it on your slide, it is due to the fact that you wanted them to read it, not you.

Blank the screen when a slide is not needed

A slide which is not associated with what you are speaking about can confuse the audience. Pressing the letter B or the full stop key displays a black screen, which lets the audience focus solely on your words. Press the same key to reinstate the display.

Use a pointer only when necessary

If you are using the laser pointer, don’t forget to keep it off unless you want to highlight something on the screen.

Explain your equations and graphs

When you show equations, describe them fully. Point out all constants as well as dependent and independent variables. Along with graphs, tell how they back up your point. Describe the x- and y-axes and show how the graph evolves from left to right.

Pause

Pauses bring audible structure to your presentation. They emphasise critical information, make transitions obvious in addition to giving the audience time to catch up between points and then to read new slides. Pauses constantly feel much longer to speakers than to listeners.

Practise counting silently to three (gradually) between points

Avoid filler words. Um, like, you know as well as many others. To an audience, these are signs that you do not know what to say; you sound awkward, so they start to feel uncomfortable as well. Speak slowly enough so that you can gather your thoughts before you move ahead. If you actually do not know what to say, pause until you do.

Relax

It is difficult to relax when you are nervous however your audience will be far more comfortable if you are too.

Breathe

It is OK to be nervous. In fact, you should be. All great presenters are nervous every time they are in front of an audience. The most efficient way to keep your nerves in check – aside from a lot of practice beforehand – is to remember to take deep breaths throughout your presentation.

In the advertising industry, you’ll need to make presentations all the time.

Get in touch with the Digital School of Marketing

If you want to get into this industry then you should really do our National Certificate in Advertising. For more information, please follow this link.