Have you ever listened to a presentation that dealt with an interesting topic, yet you still had difficulty paying attention until the end?

Have you ever lost your interest before the speaker had even got halfway through?

Was it because of the subject or was it the way the speaker presented it?

Unfortunately, because they are poorly delivered, many are instantly forgettable!

Use these 5 Tips to help you deliver more effective presentations:

1. Posture & movement

• The ready position. Look calm, confident and in control.
• Minimise ‘footwork’ and gestures which suggest you are nervous.
• Move from behind the desk and walk out to engage with your audience.

2. Gestures

• Allow natural gestures to surface, as they do when you’re in conversation with friends.
• Use facial expressions to add emphasis.
• Make gestures more purposeful by combining them with eye contact.

3. Eye communication

• Look at them all, and they will listen to you.
• Should be distributed equally and randomly – use the ‘lighthouse technique’.
• Don’t create ‘orphans in the wings’, by concentrating only on the main body of the audience.
• Pick a ‘friendly face’, but only for the first 20 seconds or so, or it won’t be friendly for long!

4. Language & non-words

• Use language the audience will understand and warm to.
• Avoid jargon, slang and especially swearing.
• Try to paint pictures with your words.
• Use pauses to replace non-words, such as “um”, “err” and “OK”.

5. Your voice

• Control your breathing to get the best out of your voice.
• Think of your voice as an instrument to penetrate the thoughts of your audience.
• Maximise variety, and use pauses to emphasise your key messages.
• Project your voice. Remember the back row!