Presentation Skills

For many people the mere thought of giving a presentation fills them with fear. This article sets out some hints and tips to make it a success.

Planning

It seems really obvious when someone says you need to plan your presentation. Often however this is an area that is skimmed over.\r How long?\r As a general rule, I suggest that you take the time allocated for the presentation time and multiply it by 3 to give you an indicative time for your planning.

Structure

If you are going to get your message across you need structure. One of the best tips I ever received was to think of the presentation like a newspaper article. You have:

A headline

Two or three messages

Slides

Many of us will have heard the term death by power point. Presenters can often:

Have too many slides

Have too much content on the slides

Use too many graphics

Again, as rule of thumb, if you are doing a presentation lasting 10-15 minutes you are unlikely to need more than 6 slides.

Practice

No matter how many times you have delivered a presentation you need to practice you presentation in advance. Start with standing in front of a mirror. Then move on to practising in front of your family or partner. Then colleagues and friends. Try to do at least 3 practice runs.

Feedback

Ask and listen carefully to the feedback you are receiving about the structure, slides and delivery. See this as an opportunity to turn a good presentation into a great presentation.

Delivering Presentation

For many, this is the part they dread. Here are a few tips to ensure things go smoothly.

Check the equipment in advance

Make sure you know how to load the presentation

Take a few minutes to relax yourself before you start

Dont worry about memorising the words, just remember your headline and key messages

Pace yourself

Try not to be too serious

Have fun

Duncan Brodie is a Leadership Development Coach and Management Trainer at Goals and Achievements http://www.goalsandachievements.co.uk\r He specialises in helping and accountants and professionals to make the transition from technical expert to manager and leader.

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