How to Give a Good Presentation

Knowing how to give a good presentation is an essential skill everyone must have as you will need it at different stages of your life.  A good presentation is not just about having some good moments with your audience during your presentation, it starts from presentation starting line down to your conclusion. It is not a waste if you learn how to structure a presentation using PowerPoint and there are effective presentation tips for that including how to give a killer presentation. A good project presentation sample can serve as a guide to beginners, or you can just continue reading to understand more. Knowing this, it all balls down to how you prepare for a presentation.

Keep reading for tips on how to give a good presentation.

1. Table of Contents

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   Research

Research is an essential part of every work. Before giving a presentation, you must do your research. This is because your message must suit your audience and purpose. carrying out thorough research will not just provide you with substantial information, and make you come across as knowledgeable, it will also tell you more about your audience, who they are, the environment, what they wish to hear and how to deliver your message. The aim of your presentation is to send a message, to communicate, without adequate research, that effort will be marred.

2. Dress appropriately

Appearance is key in everything you do. To give a good presentation you have to look appealing to your audience. Your outfit must suit the occasion. For a board meeting, you would want to look corporate and for a brief talk at a university on a career field, casual corporate will do. The way you appear to some extent will determine the way you will be received or perceived as a speaker or presenter and addressed. A chaotic outfit will cause distractions during your presentation and even though, you are sharing a whole lot, your audience won’t hear or listen.

3. Be confident

Confidence is one of the keys to having a good presentation. When you are nervous your voice will expose you. When you’re nervous you are bound to make mistakes, jumble up your words and forget your presentation. It will make you look unprepared and incompetent. With confidence, you can sell any message. You may not understand a word of your presentation, but your confidence will hide it. confidence is what delivers a good presentation.

4. Have a captivating opening statement

Your presentation starting line must be captivating, this will steal your audience’s attention. The key to having a good presentation is keeping your audience glued from beginning to end. As an effective presentation tip, you must start off surprising, unusual and I don’t mean quotes from famous individuals, that trick is old. You must use words and an approach that will make your audience want to hear more or anticipate your next statement.

5. Make your points concise

The ears get bored or tired easily, therefore to have a good presentation you must ensure you make your presentation and points concisely. Keep it short and simple. In a presentation, your audience will be okay hearing and listening to more if they do not feel like they have been bombarded with information. Too much unnecessary information will make them forget. When stating figures, the trick is to approximate, you say 3.5 million as opposed to three million, five hundred and forty thousand. Leave the details in your supporting document and dish out the main points. A lengthy presentation will lead to a long and boring presentation.

6. Use supporting materials

Supporting material are documents that aid your presentation. It could range from cue cards, PowerPoint slides, to detailed documents for your audience to follow. Supporting materials make the presentation easier to deliver and understand. Also, materials like presentation slides will attract your audience if well designed and neatly arranged, it will make your presentation even better. You must bear in mind that a 10 slide presentation is a benchmark. You mustn’t place paragraphs in your slides. Que cards will help you remember key points in your presentation and allow you to move around to engage your audience. A detailed booklet of your presentation will have you looking efficient at a board meeting. Your colleagues can get more details on your presentation in it.

7. Be audible

You cannot communicate if your audience cannot hear you, therefore, you must be audible. You do not need to shout, just be audible enough for your audience to hear your words clearly, comfortably. This will keep your audience listening, as opposed to giving up on trying to hear. Also, it’s disruptive when someone from the audience says they cannot hear you. This can often make you feel nervous. So, project your voice, pace yourself and don’t forget to breathe.

8. Engage your audience

Engaging your audience is another trick when aiming for a good presentation. Engaging your audience comes in two ways, holding down their attention and interacting with them. It will make them feel a part of your presentation, it will make your presentation interactive if need be and keep your audience’s attention. This is key because it makes your presentation feel more like a conversation than a lecture. It will ease your nerves and make you more confident. It will also, set a good mood for your audience to receive your intended message and understand. To engage your audience, it is essential to move around, not nervously but deliberately. You don’t have to move too much, but a little movement will ensure you an engaging performance and your audience will move with you. The tone of your voice is another tool for engaging your audience. Change your pitch to create dynamics in your voice, this will make your presentation more colourful and lively.

9. Make eye contact

Make eye contact with your audience, it is important. By doing this, your audience would feel as though you are talking directly to each of them, it is also a sign of confidence. Nobody wants someone who is going to bury his/her head, read directly from a body of text or look to the sky as though they are reciting a poem they memorised. Eye contact is the oldest form of engagement and it works magic.

10. Practice

“Practice makes perfect” as the old saying goes. Practicing will help you know and understand your message and every detail of it. it will also help you become more comfortable with your presentation.  You would be able to make your presentation in your sleep. Practice is key to giving a good presentation.