A few skills for a smart presentation

A few skills for a smart presentation

Becoming a competent, rather than just confident, speaker requires a lot of practice. But here are a few things you can consider to start sharpening your presentation skills:

-    10-20-30 rule – This is a rule that states that a PowerPoint slide should have no more than 10 slides, should take no longer than 20 minutes and have no text less than 30 point font.

-    Be entertaining – Speeches should be entertaining and informative. People expect some appeal to there emotions. Simply reciting dry facts without any passion or humor will make people less likely to pay attention.

-    Slow down – Nervous and inexperienced speakers tend to talk way to fast. Consciously slow your speech down and add pauses for emphasis.

-    Eye contact – Match eye contact with everyone in the room.  You shouldn’t focus all your attention on the decision maker, since  others in the room may hold persuasive sway over the decision maker

-    15 word summary – Can you summarize your idea in fifteen words? If not, rewrite it and try again. Speaking is an inefficient medium for communicating information, so know what the important fifteen words are so they can be repeated.

-    Don’t read – If you don’t know your speech without cues, it doesn’t just make you more distracting. It shows you don’t really understand your message, a huge blow to any confidence the audience has in you.

-    Stories – If your presentation is going to be a longer one, explain your points through short stories, quips and anecdotes. Great speakers know how to use a story to create an emotional connection between ideas for the audience.

-    Make yourself heard - Nothing is worse than a speaker you can’t hear. Even in the high-tech world of microphones and amplifiers, you need to be heard.

-    Practice – Practice your speaking skills regularly in front of an audience. Not only is it a fun time, but it will make you more competent and confident when you need to approach the podium.

-    Do apologize if you’re wrong – One caveat to the above rule is that you should apologize if you are late or shown to be incorrect.

-    Put yourself in the audience - When writing a speech, see it from the audiences perspective. What might they not understand? What might seem boring? Use “What’s In It For Me” to guide you.

-    Have fun - With a little practice you can inject your passion for a subject into your presentations. Enthusiasm is contagious.