Presentation Skills
Discussion
OK, I know it's late but I'm having a bit of trouble sleeping. Got my first ever presentation to do next week - to 40 ageing sales men. Been kind of thrown in at the deep end. Basically after any hints/advice. Don't really think imagining them naked is going to help much though!
Cheers muchly.
Cheers muchly.
Know how you feel!
Some tips I have learnt on the way....
- Practice, practice and practice. When i had my final presentaions at uni it was a case of learning the whole thing off by heart. I even had my bedroom set up in the style of the theatre. That way you are almost in autopilot when you are doing the thing for real.
- Keep the overheads simple. Big text, clear, brief points. Keeps the auidiences attention on you!
- Start with a summary...."tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them, tell them what you have told them"!
Thats the basic rules I stuck to.
HTH
Try and use M.S. Powerpoint, it's far better than using an o/head projector.
Make sure that you get the eye-contact bit right, ie. not to little or too much.
Encourage comments/questions from your audience throughout instead of q&a session at the end.
Use bullet points in your own notes. This I find always keeps you from sounding as though you are just reading aloud.
Modulate your voice - very easy to start sounding monotone.
Hope this helps.
Stewy..
Make sure that you get the eye-contact bit right, ie. not to little or too much.
Encourage comments/questions from your audience throughout instead of q&a session at the end.
Use bullet points in your own notes. This I find always keeps you from sounding as though you are just reading aloud.
Modulate your voice - very easy to start sounding monotone.
Hope this helps.
Stewy..
It's all kind of making me feel sick at the moment. Not the most confident of people at the best of times. Ho hum - deep breaths, glass of water etc. I will get through it! I tend to get really hot and flustered in those situations 
Memories of a cello exam years ago keep coming back to haunt me. Got so nervous and flustered my glasses steamed up and my hands got so clammy I could hardly hold the bow
Somehow managed to pass though!
Memories of a cello exam years ago keep coming back to haunt me. Got so nervous and flustered my glasses steamed up and my hands got so clammy I could hardly hold the bow
Somehow managed to pass though!buckett said:
It's all kind of making me feel sick at the moment. Not the most confident of people at the best of times. Ho hum - deep breaths, glass of water etc. I will get through it! I tend to get really hot and flustered in those situations
Memories of a cello exam years ago keep coming back to haunt me. Got so nervous and flustered my glasses steamed up and my hands got so clammy I could hardly hold the bow
Know how you feel. 18 months ago it was a few sleepless nights, a packet of fags and a lot of Red Bull that i tried to calm my nerves. The only thing that really helped was to actually do the presentation...if you see what I mean?!
Basically, the more you practice the easier it is. Plus you will be amazed at how relaxed you are during the presentation if you are confident you know the material.
Good luck
Avoid long rambling explanations/ concepts. Brief punchy bullet points. Tell them at the beginning that you will answer questions at the end. And crucially if you want to get the message across
1] tell 'em what your'e going to tell 'em
2] tell 'em!
3] tell 'em what youv'e told 'em
This way there is the possibility that the message will sink in
Good luck!
1] tell 'em what your'e going to tell 'em
2] tell 'em!
3] tell 'em what youv'e told 'em
This way there is the possibility that the message will sink in
Good luck!
Avoid looking behind you at the projected slide images! This is a classic mistake, and I used to do it even when I knew my presentation inside-out! Obviously learn the pres enough so you don't have to bury your head in your notes too!
It's not easy, but try to 'look' confident - It'll make you 'feel' confident. Try to forget about being scared, as you'll look it!
Good luck. You'll forget about the fear AS SOON as you begin, and wonder what you were worried about afterwards.
It's not easy, but try to 'look' confident - It'll make you 'feel' confident. Try to forget about being scared, as you'll look it!
Good luck. You'll forget about the fear AS SOON as you begin, and wonder what you were worried about afterwards.
davrian said:
Avoid long rambling explanations/ concepts. Brief punchy bullet points. Tell them at the beginning that you will answer questions at the end. And crucially if you want to get the message across
1] tell 'em what your'e going to tell 'em
2] tell 'em!
3] tell 'em what youv'e told 'em
This way there is the possibility that the message will sink in
Good luck!
I'd deff agree with this, also I find holding onto somethink like pen is helpful, it seems to stop my hand shaking.
I find learning the presentation helpful, although I wouldn't suggest you then go in and recite it - for me just the fact that I know what I'm going to say helps to steady the nerves and enables me to "go with the flow". Good luck!
I noticed that you pointed out the number of people attending your presentation (40). It doesn't make any difference whether you're talking to 1 person or a 1000. Just pretend you're explaing something to 1 person.
P.S. The most important thing is to enjoy it (or at least appear to) otherwise your audience will be cringing for you all the way through!
P.S. The most important thing is to enjoy it (or at least appear to) otherwise your audience will be cringing for you all the way through!
davrian said:
Avoid long rambling explanations/ concepts. Brief punchy bullet points. Tell them at the beginning that you will answer questions at the end. And crucially if you want to get the message across
1] tell 'em what your'e going to tell 'em
2] tell 'em!
3] tell 'em what youv'e told 'em
would certainly agree with the above, also:
don't have too many slides, for a quarter of an hour presentation 4 or 5 slides with a few bullets on each are enough, otherwise you end up rattling through them at a huge rate of knots and losing everybody.
Tell the audience upfront if you want them to keep questions until the end that way it stops them breaking up your flow.
If you use powerpoint don't be tempted to make them to busy i.e. using a different fade or build on each slide, keep them clean and simple.
Take all the change and keys out of your pocket to prevent you sticking your hand in your pocket and jangling them.
When you practice it yourself speak the words don't do it silently, the timing will be quite different, you'll also be more likely to spot tongue twisters you can edit out.
Then practice it to someone else.
Most importantly go for a beer afterwards. mmmmmm beer
Good luck
NRE
I'd actually recommend giving a practise presentation to a friend (preferably someone that knows at least something about what you're presenting). Helps you time it, and they'll tell you if you're rushing or doing anything else wrong. There's nothing worse than trying to practise a presentation to a blank wall!
All the other advice (brown trousers aside) is bang on. And it'll almost certainly turn out way better than you think it's doing at the time... I presented to a couple of hundred people at a conference in 2002, and thought I was a bit crap, despite being used to giving training courses. However, a month or so ago, I got a plaque in the post: Most Valued Speaker Award. So I did alright then?
All the other advice (brown trousers aside) is bang on. And it'll almost certainly turn out way better than you think it's doing at the time... I presented to a couple of hundred people at a conference in 2002, and thought I was a bit crap, despite being used to giving training courses. However, a month or so ago, I got a plaque in the post: Most Valued Speaker Award. So I did alright then?
Marshy said:
I'd actually recommend giving a practise presentation to a friend (preferably someone that knows at least something about what you're presenting). Helps you time it, and they'll tell you if you're rushing or doing anything else wrong. There's nothing worse than trying to practise a presentation to a blank wall!
This is the best advice going. Try to do this at least three times, and be sure your friends are honest (fluffed that bit, too confusing, bored, didn't sound like you knoew what you were talking about). Adjust the presentation and try again.
Other tips:
- Write prompt cards (or use PP's notes function)
- Know you're timing - for sections, for the whole presentation, where and when slides build.
- Keep the slides simple. Split slides if they are too busy.
- Add colour. Graphics, even a line or border helps.
- Present to one person for each slide. Make eye contact with them. Change the person for each topic. They like it, and you get focus.
- Stand still, but use hand gestures. And face the audience at all times. If your hands are shaking, clasp them together. It keeps focus, and hides the shakes.
- Don't rush. Be prepared to pause and breathe (a couple of seconds) when you change the slide. They can read the new point on screen, and you have a moment to remember what you wanted to say.
- Just remember - they want you to do it well as well.
1) Don't read your presentation word for word of a script.
2) Don't read out anything that's written behind you. If you do, you may as well just sit down and let them read your slides.
If you cock up, the computer explodes or sometihng LAUGH ABOUT IT, then everyone will laugh with you then, not about you later.
2) Don't read out anything that's written behind you. If you do, you may as well just sit down and let them read your slides.
If you cock up, the computer explodes or sometihng LAUGH ABOUT IT, then everyone will laugh with you then, not about you later.
Sorry for the late answer. Hope it's still on time
The other posters gave some sound advice so I'll just complement some things based on my personal experience:
1. Don't worry about the pressure before hand. Once you're up there it usually disapears.
2. The major significant thing that's important in my presentations is me being confortable about the subject in discussion. When that's not possible well ... I allready bullsh1ted a few ones
3. Try to avoid using "anchor expressions". Don't know if that is the correct name in english but that's what we call filling your phrases with Ahhhhh and similar. There's no problem in using silence in between words or phrases. It also helps you to breath (very important). Other examples of anchors is constantly saying "know wat imean" things (listen to Beckhams interviews
). Avoid them. Some guys told me that the best is to film/tape yourself and then later watch it to see the things that you say and do, and that you're totally unaware of. Never tried it myself but seems a good idea.
4. In powerpoint DON´T use funny animations and effects. In the day of the presentation Murphy's Law WILL come in to action and the PC/software/whatever will f
k it!
5. If you have time and want to perfect the bringing of ideas I strongly recomend you to study classical examples like Kennedy acceptance speech and Martin Luther King "I have a dream" Washington speech. These are some of the most brilliant examples of rethorics you will ever find, and beautifully convey the techniques used to express and illustrate your ideas when speaking in public. Current politicians use them constantly (mostly unsuccessfully tho). Try to google and find some analysis of them in the internet.
6. Practice brings perfection. If you want to be keen on it (and it helps in most careers) grab any chance you have to make presentations. You will soon discover what works with you and what doesn't.
I'm fairly shy and introvert and in my teens I would prefer to do root canal work without anesthesia then to speak in public. After I started working I had the chance to do some business presentations. The first was lousy but then started to learn some things to the point that in the end I could do it to a room full of CEOs and managing directors and be applauded. So ... good luck and enjoy it.
The other posters gave some sound advice so I'll just complement some things based on my personal experience:
1. Don't worry about the pressure before hand. Once you're up there it usually disapears.
2. The major significant thing that's important in my presentations is me being confortable about the subject in discussion. When that's not possible well ... I allready bullsh1ted a few ones
3. Try to avoid using "anchor expressions". Don't know if that is the correct name in english but that's what we call filling your phrases with Ahhhhh and similar. There's no problem in using silence in between words or phrases. It also helps you to breath (very important). Other examples of anchors is constantly saying "know wat imean" things (listen to Beckhams interviews
). Avoid them. Some guys told me that the best is to film/tape yourself and then later watch it to see the things that you say and do, and that you're totally unaware of. Never tried it myself but seems a good idea. 4. In powerpoint DON´T use funny animations and effects. In the day of the presentation Murphy's Law WILL come in to action and the PC/software/whatever will f
k it! 5. If you have time and want to perfect the bringing of ideas I strongly recomend you to study classical examples like Kennedy acceptance speech and Martin Luther King "I have a dream" Washington speech. These are some of the most brilliant examples of rethorics you will ever find, and beautifully convey the techniques used to express and illustrate your ideas when speaking in public. Current politicians use them constantly (mostly unsuccessfully tho). Try to google and find some analysis of them in the internet.
6. Practice brings perfection. If you want to be keen on it (and it helps in most careers) grab any chance you have to make presentations. You will soon discover what works with you and what doesn't.
I'm fairly shy and introvert and in my teens I would prefer to do root canal work without anesthesia then to speak in public. After I started working I had the chance to do some business presentations. The first was lousy but then started to learn some things to the point that in the end I could do it to a room full of CEOs and managing directors and be applauded. So ... good luck and enjoy it.
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