Preparing for Presentations

7 Tips for Better Presentation Skills

Team leaders, managers and trainers often use presentations to communicate important information. While presenting might come naturally for some, most people need to work hard to develop their presenting skills.The following 7 tips will offer a good starting developing this key communication skill.

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Tip 1: Be Prepared

When you are presenting on a subject your audience already expert a certain level of expertise. This may cause some anxiety but good preparation is the key to overcoming this. Research your subject well, prepare your content with presentation delivery in mind, and get to know your material well in advance.

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Tip 2: Do Your Research

Research is a natural corollary of preparation, but the research I am referring to here concerns the presentation environment itself - the venue and the audience.Knowing the venue of the presentation in advance helps you understand what needs to be set up, how the acoustics are, how many people will be there, and whether there are any potential obstacles you'll need tackle beforehand.Knowing your audience means getting clued in as to their expectations, which will help you tailor the content of your presentation. Arrive at the venue early and talk to audience members to create a more personable bond with them.

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Tip 3:Practice Makes Perfect

Having your content perfectly researched and written up is all well and good, but the way you deliver it is just as important - if not more so.Practice your delivery. Read aloud, rehearse in front of friends or family, or perform parts of your presentation in front of a mirror.The more familiar you become with how your presentation sounds aloud, the more comfortable you'll feel on the day.

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Tip 4: Memorise Your Opening

It's natural to feel a surge of Adrenalin at the start of your presentation. You can better deal with this by learning the first few sentences of your presentation so well that you don't need to think about them. This empowers you to start strong and make a confident first impression despite any nervousness you might feel.

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Tip 5: Practice Positive Thinking

Sports psychologists have proven that an athlete's ability to vividly visualize his or her success creates a higher win rate.Before your next presentation, mentally walk yourself through the presentation. Picture yourself speaking with confidence and poise; see your audience responding positively.

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Tip 6: Take a Moment and Breathe

No matter how flustered, confident, excited or calm you feel, always try take a few moments to compose yourself.Take a few deep breaths. Deep breathing helps flood the brain with oxygen. Inhale through the nose slowly for 3 seconds, then breathe out through the mouth for 3 seconds. 

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Tip 7: Exude Confidence

As you present try remember a couple of things: for one, if you feel nervous or anxious, know that nobody else can see how you feel.Use positive body language to exhibit an air of confidence: stand tall, make eye contact, be expressive with your hands (but don't overdo it!), and be sure to smile and engage your audience.Another thing to bear in mind is that your audience assumes you are an expert, and if you've researched your material and practiced performing it, then your audience will be entirely right!Source

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