Hello, people! Today we’re going to share some of our presentation tips. In college, I had to give a few presentations at conferences, classes, extra-curricular activities, and during internships. Now that I’m working, I still have had to do a couple formalized presentations, but I also have more informal changes every week where I have to present a little bit every week what I’m working on and also presenting to clients on my progress.
Personally, I think both of them can be nerve-wracking because you’re still opened to people digesting the information that you’ve stated leaving you opened for scrutiny or at least potential dialogue. I personally don’t like presenting because I feel so awkward every time, however, I’ve been told that I do an excellent job and don’t sound awkward at all. Here are my tips that I use to calm my nerves to help me sound confident and knowledgeable when presenting:
Prepare what you’re going to say.
It doesn’t matter how big or small the presentation is, you need to be prepared. Jot some notes down about what you plan on talking about so that even if you might forget everything you were going to say, you have some notes to help you stay on track.
Be concise and to the point.
I think it’s very easy to get on long tangents when it’s your time to present something, however, you’ll lose the interest of your audience or they may miss the point that you’re trying to make. Being concise first and then expanding later on the points you’re making shows 1) you’re organized in your thought and 2) that you’re confident in what you’re saying.
Don’t rush your speech.
If you talk too fast, your brain might not be keeping up and it may make you nervous. Speak slowly allowing your brain to thoughtfully process what you’re trying to say and giving you a sense of ease when you’re talking.
Practice!
Especially for big presentations, practice what you’re going to say. Run it over with a colleague, friend, or mentor and ask them to give you feedback. You’ll be even more prepared and can correct any mistakes you’re making.
Whether or not you love presentations, they’re pretty much unavoidable. Hopefully, my tips make it a little bit easier. What are some of your tips? Share them with us online on Twitter or Facebook!
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