Twenty Tips for Presentation Success

Contrary to what many believe, a speech is more like a relationship than a performance. Like a good relationship, a speech requires trust, openness, accessibility, and two-way communication. Here are twenty tips to help you transfer your people skills to the platform:

1. Clarify the Expectations- Who asked you to speak and what do they expect? Ask direct questions beforehand like, “What do you want me to include in my presentation?” or “What problems or concerns would you like for me to address?”
2. Speak from Your Heart and from Your Head – Choose a topic that you care about and also one that you know about. If you can’t establish expertise, you will lose your audience.
3. Plan Before You Speak – Practice as much as possible, prepare an outline to use during your presentation, and get a sense of timing and phrasing before you deliver your speech. Planning will do wonders for any stage fright you might experience.
4. Dress Appropriately – Dress in a manner that is slightly nicer than what you expect the audience will be wearing. You are the guest of honor. However, keep it simple and don’t overdo things like jewelry and make-up.
5. Be Prompt – Arrive early and stay late is a good rule of thumb when giving a presentation. No audience likes to wait on the speaker and they will probably want the opportunity to ask questions afterwards, so don’t disappear after you finish speaking either.
6. Be Gracious and Friendly – Try to greet some of the audience members when they come in the door. Shake hands and make them feel welcome. The audience will definitely appreciate the gesture.
7. Take the Time to Get to Know Your Audience – Ask the event planner about the attendees. Take time to get familiar with some of the audience members before you speak.
8. Put Them at Ease – Straight rows of chairs are deadly. When an audience member has to strain themselves to see the speaker, he or she will lose interest quickly. Request curved seating ahead of time, but rearrange chairs yourself if you must.
9. Communicate Clearly – Choose one main point. Doing otherwise can leave audience members feeling lost and frustrated. What exactly do you want people to take away from your presentation? Share your main point at the beginning, middle, and end of your speech.
10. Be Organized – Choose 3 to 5 minor points to support your main point. Keep it short. People can’t remember everything you say, especially if you get too long-winded. Besides, a speech that is too long will lose and audience.
11. Speak Intentionally – Speak more slowly than you normally would-without going overboard. Make appropriate pauses and use vocal variety.
12. Gesture Naturally – Or, if it’s a bigger room, gesture a little bit bigger than you normally would.
13. Be Original – Do not use other speaker’s material. That’s tacky. Besides, the audience wants to develop a relationship with YOU-not some other speaker.
14. Involve the Audience – If possible, refer to a few audience members by name. Or invite someone on stage to demonstrate a point. Involving the audience makes them feel important and will help keep their interest.
15. Make Eye Contact – Make eye contact with one person for an entire sentence at a time before moving on.
16. Get Personal – Tell relevant personal stories to illustrate your point-and reveal some of your own humanity. The audience will be able to identify with such things.
17. Get Close – Walk out from behind the lectern. Don’t be afraid to approach or get closer to the audience.
18. Be Lighthearted – Plan ahead if necessary to include some wit and humor in your presentation-provided that it is appropriate. Humor will relax you and your audience.
19. Send Thank You Notes – When you speak you are creating a relationship with the audience and the person/persons who invited you to speak. A thank you note is a nice gesture that is almost always appreciated and remembered.
20. Learn From the Experience – Like any relationship, a relationship with an audience can teach you a lot about yourself; your strengths, your weaknesses, hopes, and dreams. Don’t be afraid to take something useful from the experience of giving a public presentation.