How to create a perfect presentation

Facing a room full of people who are ready to hang on your every word is a nightmarish scenario for some, but good public speaking skills come with practice and preparation. Whether you’re presenting a report to your company’s board of directors, or sitting in an interview, here are a few helpful hints for success.

If you’re new to speaking, or if you simply need help building confidence, find a mentor who can lend you a hand. Before you start creating your presentation, edit your ideas so you can develop a clear message. Be sure to rehearse without committing your speech to memory, as this will come across in your delivery and won’t sound sincere to your audience.

Your presentation should begin with an eye-opening insight that naturally leads into our message. Build it around carefully crafted stories, but use quantifiable facts to support your argument. Don’t rely on your projector slides – include more pictures and less text so your audience is paying attention to you and use blank screens if you don’t have an image or graphic to illustrate certain points. Keep it short and informative – your peers will think you like the sound of your own voice if you go on too long.

The key to public speaking is maintaining a confident composure, so match your eye contact with everyone in the room. Use gestures to convey your energy, but avoid distractions such as touching your hair, tie, or jewellery. Adding a bit of humour for entertainment makes others pay attention to you, while speaking with conviction shows that you’re passionate and knowledgeable about your presentation.

Pace your speech and pause from time to time in order to give yourself and your audience time to reflect on something you’ve said. Lastly, think about the questions that might be asked after your presentation and prepare brief answers for each.

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