Tips to Delivering a Memorable Presentation
Delivering Effective Presentations
Whether you are preparing a presentation for a business meeting or a group of students it can be time consuming and stressful. However, there are some common tips that can help ease the stress while making a great impression on the audience. The key to delivering an effective presentation is preparation! Make sure you understand the topic and practice before the big day. Listen to yourself and speak at a normal speed and clearly. You will want to be able to look around the room while presenting, making eye contact with the audience. Never read verbatim from your notes or slides. The more you practice the better prepared you will be at being yourself.
In most cases, presenting to an audience is like instructing a group of students. You want to pass along important information that is helpful and easy to remember. Doing this can be challenging if you are not familiar with how people learn. There are 3 basic learning styles; visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. Developing your presentation around these learning styles you will be able to connect with the audience and the information presented will have more meaning and be easier for them to retain.
Adding a visual aid to your presentation will help reach the visual learners while emphasizing key points. You can do this using several different means such as; chart paper, slides, handouts, writing on a white board, and objects related to the information being presented.
Here are some tips when using visual aids to deliver effective presentations:
- Don’t block the visual aid, stand on either side and refer to it as necessary.
- Don’t read from your visual aid. Always speak facing the audience.
- Leave your visual aid in view until the audience has had time to read and understand it.
- If you are done using the visual aid remove it, turn off the projector, or cover it up so it won’t be a distraction.
If possible you can reach more of the audience by getting them to participate, group discussion, or through experiments. However, depending on the type of presentation, this may not be possible.
The key is to form your presentation around the information you have to present and know your target audience. By meeting their goals and expectations you will walk away knowing you delivered.