It’s likely that any training you’ve had on how to give a great presentation is now outdated, and, to be honest, stinks!

It’s time to rethink how to give a presentation.

Instead of the age-old image of a boring, stodgy presenter that comes to mind when thinking about a presentation, think emcee! Imagine yourself as an emcee at a fun, exciting event. You get everyone in the audience talking, and interacting with you and each other.

Now, that’s a great presentation  –  one worth listening to!

Free ebook download – Ultimate Guide to Breaking Old Presentations Rules

 

Presentations That Get Rave Reviews

If you’ve ever been on the receiving end of a boring webinar or in-person seminar where the presenter treats the session like an information dump, then you KNOW you don’t want to repeat this mistake.

As an audience member, it’s an epic fail. You walk away from the presentation just glad to be free  –  and hope you can somehow get back those lost hours of your life. 

You can turn your boring presentations into engaging and purposeful moments by thinking of them as a 1930s radio show: clear, concise and entertaining. 

When you can grab your audience’s attention, they’ll ignore their email and phone and receive your message.

Here’s how to practice turning your presentation into a success.

Get Ready:

1. Prepare your material. Edit it down, then do it again. Get your message down to one  –  or three max  –  points.
2. Practice. A whole bunch. On your feet and out loud! Consider that as you practice, you can perfect your tone and presentation and get rid of distracting elements like your “ahs” and “ums.”

Get Set:

3. Include anecdotes and stories, instead of performing a data dump.
4. Use concise and punchy statements. Don’t use ten words to convey an idea you can relay in three words.
5. Refer to your slides and expand in their ideas, using your expertise. Avoid the trap of reading your slides word-for-word.

Go:

6. Liven up your tone of voice. Smile! It does wonders for how the audience hears your tone and message. Instead of staying in one place, move around or stand up; these actions will help you vary your tone.
7. Clarify your beginnings. Say, “I’ll be talking about three ideas…” or “This story will illustrate the theory of…”
8. Create a clear closing, too. “So, the moral of the story is…” or “In conclusion, the three main points show that…” 

It’s time to stop thinking about presentations that involve a podium, informative slides and a disengaged audience.

With practice, you’ll become a suave presenter, your audience will consider your presentation’s value, and who knows? You may even become a sought-after keynote speaker within your company, or beyond! 

Follow the steps in this activity within the next month, and notice the difference in the power of your presentations! 

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This article is 100% written by a human named Karen Hough. She is the Founder & CEO of ImprovEdge, in the top 4% of women-owned businesses in the US, a 3-time Amazon bestselling author, Yale grad, wife and mom of three.