All business leaders need to be able to speak with confidence, clarity and purpose and have the ability to persuade, compel and influence.
Those who can produce successful presentations often find it a huge boost to career development.
But giving presentations is difficult and presents all of us with challenges.
Some of us don’t like public speaking. Some leaders lack effective presentation skills. Others prefer specific formats and audiences.
Maybe you have a favourite subject that you don’t like to move away from.
Perhaps you have little online presentation experience.
Whatever challenges you face, a dynamic presentation and public speaking training course can help.
And we’ve decided to share some of our expert tips and practical skills from that training to help you and your leadership team improve your presentations.
Block out the negativity
We'll get on to presentation skills. But before we do that, let's consider how we view presentations.
When we know we need to give a presentation, whether it takes place face-to-face or remotely, it can be easy to get into a negative mindset.
Many of us will have experienced those “I’m not very good at this” thoughts.
And our minds can focus on all the things that can go wrong.
It is a concern clients share during our presentation skills training.
To move your presenting skills to the next level, you need to work on blocking that negativity - which isn't conducive to the delivery of a successful presentation - and think more positively about public speaking.
Focus on the opportunity the presentation presents and what could happen if your message lands.
Realistic goals
But at the same time, when you prepare to deliver presentations, you must set realistic goals.
Don’t ramp up the pressure by setting the target of becoming an ‘excellent presenter’ - an aim we often hear at the start of our business presentation training.
Presentations skills – and the confidence that comes with them – take time to build. Success doesn't happen overnight.
If you’ve recently been on a presentation skills course, review the feedback from the trainer and identify the changes you feel you can make to produce a better presentation and improve your delivery.
If you are more of a seasoned presenter, think about a recent presentation you delivered and what you could do differently this time.
Do you want to focus on your body language? Find better ways to answer difficult questions? Do you need to improve your pool of stories and examples? Could your skills need refining with a presentation skills training course refresher?
Master the basics
Preparation is the key to great presentations.
There’s a famous quote from Mark Twain about this we often use during our presentation skills training courses.
He said: “It usually takes me more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech.”
That neatly sums up how we feel about presentations.
Bullet points, mind maps and message preparation sheets will all help you to plan your presentations effectively.
We tell our presentation training students they should always think about their audience and message. Can you come up with a one-sentence description that describes who you are talking to?
Once you are clear on that, you can focus on what you want to tell them.
What is the main point you want them to take away? How can you make what you say relevant, captivating and memorable?
Also, think about your presentation structure. This is one of those presentation skills that is often overlooked.
But that's a mistake. When a presentation is structured well, people can follow what is said and are more likely to leave inspired, motivated and clear on what they should do next.
But when the structure crumbles, they get lost as they are bombarded with uncoordinated facts, figures, thoughts and messages. When that happens, they inevitably switch off - and no matter how good your presentation skills are, it is almost impossible to recover.
You can discover more about the range of presentation structures in this blog.
Once you’ve prepared properly, it is time to practice your presentation skills.
Practice delivering your presentation with colleagues, friends, family, and even the dog – if it will listen.
If you don’t want to do that, record your practise sessions on your smartphone and watch your performance back.
The more you practice, the more confident you will become in your presentation skills. And the better you will come across when it is time to present for real.
In the meantime, those presentation skills will help you with more everyday interactions, like meetings.
Preparation and Practice are part of the four Ps we believe people should focus on to present confidently. You can read more about the others in this recent blog. We also feature it in the course materials delegates receive after their presentation skills course.
Balance
But, as we tell the delegates during our presentation skills courses, there is a balance to be struck here.
Prepare too much, and you could deliver a robotic, scripted performance, devoid of spontaneity –a dull experience for those watching.
If you try to memorise what you want to say, rather than focusing on your main themes and messages, you are overpreparing.
The same is true if you rehearse the gestures and facial expressions you intend to use to support the key points of the presentation.
This is something we cover in more depth on our online Presentation and Personal Impact online training course - a short course delegates can take at their own pace.
We say you are prepared when:
- You feel confident about delivering your presentation and that you have the skills needed for success
- You’re clear on the message you want to get across and how you are going to support it
- You know how you want the audience to feel
- You have anticipated the difficult questions
- You know the technology set-up, either on-site or online and have a plan B if anything goes wrong
And you are overprepared when:
- You are lying awake at night trying to memorise your presentation verbatim
- You have written and memorised answers to every tricky question you have anticipated
- You have rehearsed the facial expressions and gestures you will use at key moments
- You have put your entire presentation into a huge deck of PowerPoint slides
Build your bank of stories
We mentioned that you must think about how you can engage your audience, grab attention, bring your messages to life and deliver a successful presentation.
Storytelling is one of the best techniques for doing this.
We all love to create and hear stories. Whatever you need to get across in your presentation, stories are vital to your success.
But you can’t rely on one or two.
Different stories will work better for different people.
So, build your bank of stories.
How do you do that?
Well, we hear stories every day. People tell them all the time.
The key for presenters, and something we stress during our courses, is to consciously look out for them and be disciplined about collecting them.
Then your story bank will begin to build and you’ll just need to choose the right ones to support your message in your next presentation.
Time to get personal
So, what are the best stories for your presentation or public speaking commitment?
Well, for memorable presentations, you need human stories.
During our presentation skills training, we stress to our clients and students that people want to hear stories about others, not policies, protocols and strategies. They want to know what your subject means for real people in everyday situations.
But to enhance your presentation and take it to the next level, you need to include personal stories and anecdotes.
These stories will stimulate emotions and persuade people to take action or support an idea.
So, share a bit of your life and career. Admit a mistake. Reveal what motivates and inspires you.
And there is an added benefit to telling personal stories. In our presentation skills courses, we notice the presenters who share personal stories, examples and anecdotes are the ones who we see grow in confidence the most.
Smashing the first impression
Those watching will form an almost instant impression of you when you are presenting.
And they will only pay attention if you sound and look like a confident presenter who knows what they are discussing.
You could have as little as 30 seconds to make the right first impression.
We know it sounds harsh. It is a statistic that grabs attention during our courses.
But there are a few simple techniques and tips from those presentation skills courses we can share with you so you smash the first impression.
Firstly, think about what you wear. Our advice is that you should aim to be 10 per cent smarter than those you are speaking to.
Then avoid things like starting by tapping the microphone and asking whether people at the back can hear or opening with a phrase like “I haven’t had a lot of time to prepare”.
These behaviours are boring and don’t instil confidence in the audience that they will get much value from the presentation.
During our courses, we tell delegates that any negative introduction or self-deprecation will alert people to look out for flaws in the presentation they may never have noticed if their attention had not been drawn to them.
What should you do instead when you present?
Well, we’ve already stressed the value of stories in this presentation skills blog. Why not grab attention at the start by telling them a story?
Reveal a surprising statistic that could spark curiosity. Other presentation skills we recommend here include using ‘what if’ or ‘imagine’ scenarios. You could also use a powerful statement or quote – we opened this blog with a quote from Mark Twain.
Want a few more presentation skills tips?
Don’t underestimate the importance of a smile – smiling will make you appear confident and suggests you are happy to be there.
And try to inject passion, enthusiasm and energy into your voice.
If you show that you are motivated and excited by a particular subject, it will help you connect with your audience.
The question of questions
How do you feel about questions?
On our courses, we find this is one of the biggest concerns people have about making presentations.
Delegates worry about being asked something unexpected and their skills and ability to answer those questions.
And it is a shame because being asked questions is a good thing. It shows people are interested, engaged and keen to learn more about your subject and ideas.
So, what communication skills do you need to handle questions during a presentation?
Well, it starts with anticipation and preparation.
The chances are you can probably anticipate the awkward questions.
If your presentation includes any controversial parts, then that could trigger questions. Any areas that are lighter on detail – perhaps because of time constraints – could also provoke intrigue.
It is worth googling your subject and searching social media as part of your preparation to see what questions people are asking. Also, check whether the topic is in the news.
Then think about how you would answer those questions.
If asked something unexpected, remain composed.
Any hint of frustration or unease at a question will be viewed negatively.
And they will remember how you reacted to the question rather than the message you hoped to deliver.
Pausing before answering a question is a good technique we often highlight during other communication skills training.
It allows you to buy some time to gather your thoughts and plan how you will respond. And it creates the impression you are carefully considering your response.
If you don’t feel comfortable, think about responding to the person asking the question with a little praise.
Saying something like “that’s a really interesting question” or “that’s an important point” will buy you a little thinking time to consider your answer.
And remember, there is nothing wrong with admitting you don’t know the answer to a question.
It is a far better approach than trying to bluff a response or getting drawn into speculating. But go on to tell them what you do know.
Perhaps the best approach to questions in presentations is not to leave them until the end.
Saying ‘any questions?’ as you finish can feel half-hearted and could be met with an awkward silence.
Additionally, you allow others to decide how your presentation ends, and there is a good chance it will not be on the main message you want them to take away.
Finish with a bang
How do you bring your presentation to an end?
This is one of those necessary skills presenters tend to not give enough thought to.
A weak ending could undo your work and leave those you are speaking to feeling uninspired or unclear on what you want them to do.
And, as it is the most recent part of your presentation, it is likely to be what they will remember the most.
We’ve already highlighted why you shouldn’t finish with questions earlier in this presentation skills blog.
So, what should you do?
Here are a few tips from our presentation skills courses:
Ditch the 'thank you' slide
We’ve all seen presentations finish with slides emblazoned with ‘thank you’. But what does it add?
Although well-intentioned, it is mundane, uninspiring and best avoided.
Summary
There are more creative and less predictable ways than ending with a summary.
But this can be a useful approach, particularly if you are discussing something complex.
Repeat something from the beginning
This is an excellent way of summing up your speech without it being obvious that you are summing up.
It works particularly well if you asked a question at the start of the presentation as you can revisit and answer it. Similarly, if you posed a problem, you can now offer the solution.
Another good way to do it is to finish a story you used at the start, like how a stand-up comedian might start his set with a joke and then go back to it at the end.
Call to action
Seize the opportunity to make it clear what you want people to do as a result of listening to your presentation.
The key is to be as specific and detailed as possible – make it clear exactly what you would like them to do next and how they should do it.
But you need to be creative – you don't need to have recently been on a presentation skills training course to understand that "make sure you look out for our product/service", for example, sounds pretty flat.
Quiz
Instead of inviting questions, how about asking them yourself?
A short quiz is interactive and fun and will help your presentation stand out from others. It also enables you to assess how well you have landed your message.
Presentation skills training
Like the sound of our training? This blog is just a taste of the training, presentation skills and support we offer our clients.
If your business or team needs help with public speaking and delivering better presentations – or you are interested in one of our related courses – talk to one of our account managers now about your presentation skills training course options.
All our communication skills courses are bespoke. We create them to meet your specific requirements, personal development and professional goals.
Whether you or your team need help to manage nerves and boost confidence, develop professional public speaking skills and techniques, or build presenting experience, we can develop the right training option. And all our courses can be delivered face-to-face or online.
Media First are media and communication skills training specialists with more than 35 years of experience.
We have a team of trainers, each with decades of experience working as journalists, presenters, communications and leadership coaches, and media trainers.
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