Giving outstanding presentations – 6 great tips

Would you like to develop the confidence and capability to give memorable presentations?  Then we have great news: there is hope for anyone who finds giving a presentation to be difficult. The skills needed to become a confident presenter can be practiced and learned. You can start by having a look at these 6 presentation tips.

1. Volume

Voice volume and projection are the two means by which your message reaches everyone in the room. Good volume and projection are the result of using the breath. Some people speak on the inward breath which loses the voice in the intake of air; some on a held breath which creates tension.

The best way to speak and project is on the outward breath. If, when you breath in, you fill not just the lungs and chest but also the diaphragm (the area of the abdomen below the tummy), you will have the maximum exhaling breath with which to speak. Always aim to project your voice to the back of the room, so that it hits and rebounds off the rear wall. This kind of voice projection comes as much from your mind as it does from your voice.

2. Opening Techniques

The following impact techniques can be used to grab an audience’s attention at the start of a talk:

• news – “I’d like to give you some news that’s just come in…”

• a quote – “It was Richard Branson who said that there’s only one way to make money…”

• a question – “Let me ask you a simple question: What would you all rather be doing now?”

• a story – “When I was in Cambodia during the reign of Pol Pot…”

• a fact – “Research shows that 7 out of 10 people will suffer some form of mental illness one day…”

• drama – “The next 10 minutes could change your life…”

3. Attention Spans

Research indicates that most people’s attention spans start to decline after about 17 minutes of non-stop listening.  Research also shows that attention is higher at the start and end of a talk than in the middle.

This means that you should time a once-off presentation to last no more than about 20 minutes. If your subject requires you to speak longer, think of using suitable breaks, intervals or a change of pace and style.

“No one can say just how long a message should be, but you rarely hear complaints about a speech being too short.  The amateur worries about what he is going to put in his speech. The expert worries about what he should leave out.  An artistic performance is concentrated, has a central focus.”  (Edgar Dale)

4. Rehearsing

Rehearsing – or “re-hearing” – is an essential part of preparing your speech. There are three ways to rehearse and you should use all three:

• To yourself: Internal rehearsal can be done anywhere at any time, even in bed before you go to sleep.  It means visualising yourself giving your speech, mouthing the words and going through each move.

• To the mirror: Rehearsing in front of a mirror, ideally ful-length, enables you to see yourself as others will see you; and to try out the moves and sequences of your talk.

• Dress rehearsal : You should practise your speech “for real” either alone or with an audience of colleagues. This allows you to time yourself.  Do this well in advance of your presentation so that you can make changes.

5. Writing and Speaking

Speakers who lack the confidence to speak directly to their audience tend to lean heavily on their prepared texts. This creates the risk of speaking the written word which can sound artificial and stilted. Conversational English on the other hand is natural and flowing. By creating the feeling of a personal chat, the conversational style helps to build audience rapport.

Idiomatic, conversational English is distinctly different from written English. It allows for occasional ungrammatical and incorrect use of words and sentences, as long as the meaning is clear and sounds right.  You would not, for example, say the grammatically-correct “For whom is it?” in place of the colloquial “Who’s it for?”

6. Persuasion, the 5 P’s of

The middle part of a persuasive presentation is an exercise in leading the audience through the current situation via the options for improvement to the solution.  One classic structure for the body of a persuasive presentation is the 5 P’s, consisting of present situation; problem; possibilities; pros and cons; and proposal.

“Space is now extremely limited in all the offices and has become critical since the increased workload. The result is cramped conditions for staff to work in, inefficient working practices and deteriorating customer service. There are three possible options: to cut back on the workload, to extend or to move.  It is not possible to cut back due to the legislative timetable. The building is at its physical limits. This leaves moving as the only viable option. It is proposed that a feasibility study be carried out urgently into the possibilities of moving to Windsor Street.”

Good luck with all that!

Would you like to learn more about what it takes to be a great presenter? Then “The A to Z of Presentations” written by Eric Garner is the right book for you.

 
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