30 Tips for Improving Public Speaking and Presentation Skills

2023-06-05 13:20:04

At some point in your career, you will probably have to speak in front of a group of people. Whether you’re presenting a new project to your team members or presenting an idea to a client, it’s important to have strong presentation skills. These soft skills can help you organize your thoughts and ideas communicate clearly and effectively to an audience.

In this article, we share 30 tips to improve your speaking and presentation skills and engage an audience.

1. Embrace breaks

If you lose your attention for a moment, pause for a moment to clear your mind. This is better than filling the silence with “um” or “ah”.

2. Present to a small group

Practice your presentation with a small group of friends or family members. This can help you get a feel for the real thing as you ease into the process.

3. Be a storyteller

If it makes sense for your presentation, include some personal anecdotes. These are short, funny stories that can help your audience empathize with what you’re trying to say.

4. Use some humor

Unless you’re presenting something very serious, consider incorporating a bit of humor into your presentation. This can lighten the mood and keep people interested in what you have to say. Come up with a work-related joke to start your presentation with.

5. Choose a texture

Make your presentation easy to follow by following some kind of structure or pattern. For example, consider formatting most slides the same way.

6. Follow a general outline

Your presentation needs a beginning, middle and end. Use the first few minutes to introduce your audience to what you plan to discuss. Then you can deal with the bigger details and additional information. you finish presentation with a summary and time for questions.

7. Give yourself time to prepare

Try to be in the conference room 15 minutes early. This gives you time to set up your devices and screens and become familiar with the environment. Having time to prepare for your presentation can help you feel calmer and more confident.

8. Stay hydrated

Bring a bottle of water to your presentation. This is very useful if your throat starts to feel itchy from talking. It’s also a good way to take a natural break and prepare for your next thought.

9. Connect with your audience

Before you start your presentation, feel free to have a chat with your audience. This can help you feel more comfortable and create a connection with your audience.

10. Be aware of your nonverbal cues

One way to show that you are a confident public speaker is to be aware of your nonverbal cues. Make eye contact with your audience during your presentation. You’re welcome to glance at your notes, but spend most of your presentation making eye contact with your audience. In addition to eye contact, try to smile.

11. Be open to questions

As you move on to the next part of your presentation, take a moment to answer someone’s questions. Try to answer as best you can, but also admit if you don’t know the answer. Another co-worker may even be able to supplement where you need help.

12. Figure out the technical details

Discuss with your technical department which technology you need for your presentation. Practice setting up your slideshow, video, and audio. Do a test to make sure everything charges properly in the space you’re using.

13. Relax your body and mind

Find a quiet, private space to prepare yourself mentally and physically. You can mentally prepare yourself by telling yourself positive affirmations. “I can do this,” “I’m a good speaker,” and “I have interesting things to say” are all useful mnemonics. You can prepare yourself physically with some deep breathing, stretches, and strength poses.

14. Present useful information

As you create your presentation, determine what information will be most useful to your audience. For example, if you are presenting an idea to your client, consider which aspects of the project are important to them.

You want to know and understand who your audience is before you start planning. Do some background research to find out who might see your presentation and what questions or concerns they might have.

15. Show some authenticity

While you want to be professional and polished during your presentation, you can also show a bit of personality. Telling jokes, sharing stories, laughing at comments, and smiling are all ways to be personal to others. Being yourself is an important part of creating an authentic presentation.

16. See how the experts do it

While practice can certainly help you become a more effective speaker, you can also learn from other speakers. Take the time to attend a presentation in person or watch online videos. Write down what these speakers do well and what you think they could improve on. Try incorporating some of their effective speaking strategies into your own presentation.

17. Ask for feedback

Ask your manager for feedback after you’ve finished presenting. Try to apply what they say to your next presentation. You can also ask for feedback from your friends or family members for whom you practice. This way you can learn what you need to improve before you actually start presenting.

18. Look at yourself in the mirror

As you practice your presentation, look at yourself in the mirror to observe your gestures and other nonverbal cues. You can even record yourself and watch the footage afterwards. Try to be involved in what you say during your presentation.

19. Use a visual aid

In addition to activating your memory, a visual aid can make your presentation more interesting. Consider speaking next to a slideshow. When preparing your slideshow, use as little text as possible.

Most of the information you share should come from you. Use slides to share statistics, data, charts, and images. You may also want to add a complementary video to break up your presentation and keep your audience engaged.

20. Summarize your main thoughts

At the end of your presentation, make sure to give a small summary of all your main points. This can help your audience remember the information you’ve shared. You can even send copies of your slides and other additional information to anyone.

21. Stay on topic

Hold your audience’s attention by staying on topic throughout your presentation. Try to keep your presentation as concise as possible, with information relevant to your audience. You can always do a follow-up presentation if you feel there are other important topics to talk about.

22. Use your presentation as an opportunity

Instead of feeling apprehensive about your presentation, see it as an exciting opportunity. Try to find ways to feel excited about meeting your colleagues or clients.

For example, if you’re presenting a project to a client, see it as an opportunity to impress them. And when you meet colleagues, think of your presentation as a way to communicate important information.

23. Volunteer to present

Of course, one of the best ways to become a more confident speaker is to speak in front of a crowd. If you get a chance to present something to you work, then consider seizing that opportunity. By starting with one small audienceyou may eventually become comfortable enough to speak for your entire company.

24. Memorize it

While you may choose to include cheat sheets, it’s best to memorize the presentation. But instead of memorizing every line or script, try giving your presentation in a loose format.

This strategy can help you develop a more natural flow of speech. Sometimes literally memorizing your script can make it challenging to get back on topic if you forget a line. Therefore, a general idea of ​​what you’re going to say can be more forgiving.

25. Know your time limit

When creating your presentation, work within a time limit. If a meeting is only an hour long, plan your presentation for 30 to 45 minutes to allow time for discussion or questions.

26. Positive thinking

Remember that you are your biggest critic and that your colleagues want you to succeed. Give yourself a little pep talk before your presentation. Remind yourself that you’ve put the time and effort into making a quality presentation and you’re going to do a great job.

27. Learn to slow down

Often people speak faster when they are nervous. When you practice your presentation, do your best to speak more slowly. You want everyone to hear your ideas clearly and have time to process them.

28. Dress appropriately

When you present to your team or clients, you want to be comfortable dress professionally. Dressing in an outfit you like will make you feel more confident and made-up.

29. Give yourself grace

Even if you are not a professional public speaker, most people would give you credit for your willingness to speak in front of an audience. Remind yourself that every time you present something, you are building your presentation skills. Making mistakes is an opportunity to learn and grow.

30. Speak loud and clear

Speak loudly enough so that everyone in the room you can hear. Do your best to enunciate your words so that everyone can clearly understand what you are saying. Practice this by recording your voice.