More and more interviewers are asking interviewees to make a presentation to discern if they understand what they are presenting.
However, public speaking isn’t easy and for some people It can be extremely nerve racking! Do you find that to be the case? That’s why, along with developing your own personal speaking style, you need to develop impressive presentation skills to wow those interviewers.
One important thing to remember is the MAT presentation model. Now, this will help you in both your preparation and delivery. But what does it mean?
M – Memorable
A – Actionable
T -Trustworthy
We will touch on all of these and how best to include these into your presentations.
Now, unfortunately we can’t all deliver the next best presentation but there are many things that you can account for which will help you to have a better presentation overall. Here’s 10 tips to remember in order to improve your skills…
- Practice makes perfect!
No matter how busy you are…, if you want to deliver a great presentation, it is essential to make the time to practice. Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse! Remember the more you rehearse, the more you’ll remember, don’t just take your chances and wing it. Some strategies suggest rehearsing what you want to say in various positions – that being standing up, sitting down etc. Or even in different settings – in the living room, kitchen, bedroom etc. The more you mix up your settings and positions the more comfortable you’ll get with the presentation you are going to deliver.
And if you can, do a practice run with a family member or a friend or even record yourself to see the areas you need to work on and improve.
- Change those nerves into Enthusiasm.
Studies show that an enthusiastic speech will win the audience over an eloquent one. So, make sure you are as enthusiastic and energetic as possible before presenting. But how? Listen to music that will get you in the mood, drink an energy drink, do what you know gets you pumped up!
- See how others do it. Attend other presentations.
The best way to learn is to see how others do it, learn from what they do right and also what they may do wrong. Learn what kind of presentation you are to do and see what others do in similar situations.
- Be early.
Living on the edge or being late only add extra stress, who needs it? Always allow yourself plenty of time to get to your destination and settle.
- Meet and Greet
Always engage with your audience. This will instantly make you seem more likeable and approachable. And they then may give you insight into how to best present your presentation.
- Positive Visualisation.
When we imagine a positive outcome to a scenario in our mind, it’s more likely for it to play out the way we think. Positive thoughts can be incredibly effective – give them a shot.
- Take deep breaths.
Yes, everyone says it, but its true! When we’re nervous, our muscles tighten to the point that you may even catch yourself holding your breath. So, take those deep breaths to get the oxygen flowing to your brain and then relax.
And don’t forget to smile. Smiling increases endorphins, replacing your anxiety with calm and making you feel good about your presentation. It will also give confidence and enthusiasm to those watching your presentation.
- Remember to take breaks.
Now this doesn’t mean breaks as in toilet breaks, this means pauses. When you are nervous, it’s easy to speed up your presentation and then you just end up talking too fast. But we don’t want that as you’ll only end up more nervous and panic. Pausing can help you to not only stay calm but emphasise certain points and help your presentation feel more like a conversation.
- Don’t try to cover too much material.
Knowing what to include in a presentation, and what to leave out, is crucial to its success. If it feels like it is too off-topic or its only slightly relevant, leave it out. Better to leave it out then to waffle on.
10. Be Confident.
Ensuring you have a confident body language is another way to boost your pre-presentation jitters. When you physically demonstrate confidence, your mind will follow suit.
So, what does an effective presentation need?
The features of a better presentation are focused around its content and delivery, but what are they?
· Memorable – How can your audience act on your presentation if they can’t remember it. Therefore, it’s vital to make sure your presentation is memorable, how? Use patterns for your content e.g. acronyms etc., engage with your audience, give them a reason to be interested and repeat things, yes repetition might be boring, but it helps fix things in your audience’s head. But this is just a few ideas, there are plenty more.
· Actionable – Can your audience act on what you’ve told them in your presentation? The less information your presentation includes, the better the chances are of your audience remembering it. Remember, this information is all familiar to you, but all new to your audience… try not to overwhelm them. Always finish with an action plan for your audience, a simple CTA will help them to know what they should do next.
· Trustworthy – Is your presentation trustworthy? Show authority with what your saying – speak slower and move less.
If you would like to improve your presentation skills and are interested in taking our presentation skills training course, don’t hesitate to contact us for more information – 01933 678110 or email info@lblskills.co.uk.
