Yesterday, I shared the first five of my Top 10 Tips for Giving Great Presentations. Today’s post continues with the second half of the list:
- Simplify your presentation: No matter how technical your audience is, they aren’t as versed in your subject matter as you. Simplify difficult concepts, explain jargon, give examples, use anecdotes.
- Start by giving the audience a roadmap to follow: Different than simply stating your “agenda” – the roadmap tells them the 3 or 4 key concepts you want them to take away.
- Flag the concepts you want to make sure they don’t miss: Flags direct the audience’s attention to the most important material and bring wandering minds back to your presentation. Examples of flags: “Here’s the most important point…” “Here’s what I really want to get across…”
- Repeat your points at the end: Don’t assume the audience was following your presentation to the letter. Include a brief summary slide that re-emphasizes your key points.
- Relax: It’s not as stressful a situation as you think. The audience is rooting for you to do a good job and will happily forgive small gaffes or lapses. Give yourself permission to make small mistakes – everyone does. Don’t panic if you make a more serious mistake – stay calm, take your time and resolve the problem carefully.
And here’s a repeat of my “uber-message” from yesterday — it’s all about the content and the storytelling. If your story makes sense because it has a beginning, middle and end, if you organize your speech to take the audience from Point A to Point B in a reasonable amount of time, then everything else will fall into place. If your presentation is an organizational mess, no amount of coaching or tips will save it.
