Are you looking to improve your presentation skills and captivate your audience?
Regardless of your experience, learning new strategies can help you deliver impactful and engaging presentations. From avoiding filler words to setting up the right presentation environment, we’ve got you covered.
Here are 15 presentation tips that will boost your confidence and enable you to leave a lasting impression on your audience.
1. Create a comfortable learning environment
The room’s ambiance plays a major role in your presentation’s effectiveness. Make sure the environment is comfortable, well-lit and free from disturbances. This helps you retain the audience’s attention and facilitates a better understanding of the topic.
Consider the room’s layout, too. Arranging the chairs in a circular layout can facilitate interaction and discussion. Meanwhile, a theatrical style is better suited for formal presentations without interruption.
Check the thermostat to ensure the room isn’t too hot or too cold for your audience, and think about the space’s acoustics. Can everyone hear you clearly when you speak? This can significantly impact how the audience engages with your presentation.
2. Manage your anxiety
Feeling nervous before a presentation is quite normal. However, effectively managing your anxiety can be the difference between a successful presentation and a mediocre one.
Deep breathing techniques, positive affirmations and adequate preparation can all help reduce anxiety and set you up for success.
Practice your presentation multiple times before the actual event. Familiarizing yourself with your material can significantly reduce stress and the fear of forgetting what to say. Rehearse it in front of a mirror or record yourself. This will help you assess your body language and tone of voice.
Visualize yourself giving a successful presentation in the space to boost your confidence and reduce anxiety. If you are able to visit the room you will be presenting in, that’s great! This will give you time to get acquainted with the space.
Don’t forget that it’s perfectly okay to make mistakes. Even seasoned presenters make them. Simply stay calm, correct yourself and move on. Your audience will understand and appreciate that you’re human, too.
Remember this: possibly, you’ll be the only person to know you forgot something or made a mistake. If you don’t tell them or react, your audience won’t know!
3. Create a strong beginning and end
Start your speech with a strong hook to grab your audience’s attention. Conclude with a powerful ending to make your presentation memorable.
Use a compelling story, a dramatic question or a shocking fact to get your audience engaged from the start. Summarize key points toward the end and wrap up with a motivating call to action.
Remember, the beginning and end of your presentation are the anchors that will leave a lasting impression on your audience. Captivating them at the start and leaving them with a powerful conclusion will ensure your message resonates long after the presentation is over.
For more expert tips and tricks on how to become a skillful storyteller, discover the Pip Decks Storyteller Tactics Card Deck.
4. Incorporate universal design principles
Presentation design isn’t just about aesthetics.
Training your focus on readability, clarity and cohesion can make information more digestible. Utilize appropriate color schemes, text design and layout to make your presentation visually appealing. Avoid too many words. Rely on strong images to cue you on your content.
5. Create a dynamic presentation
A static presentation can lull your audience to sleep. Enhance your presentation’s engagement level by incorporating various forms of media. Videos, images, infographics, animations, audio clips and even memes can make your presentation more interactive and interesting.
Use media to explain complex concepts, illustrate facts or figures, tell a story or even pose a question.
However, be cautious not to overuse any single media form because it can distract the audience from your main message. Media should support and reinforce your content, not overshadow it. Remember to respect copyright rules and attribute sources when necessary.
Here are a few techniques to make your presentation more dynamic:
Use visual aids
Flip charts, diagrams, photos, props and videos can all help bring your presentation to life. They enable you to illustrate your points and keep the audience interested.
In this digital age, it’s easy to rely on videos and slides. But don’t be afraid to go “old school” with a flip chart to draw or write out key points.
Adapt your delivery
Vary your tone, pitch and speed to reflect the mood of what you’re discussing. This helps keep your audience engaged and better illustrates your points.
Watch various speakers and stand up comics. The latter have an incredible talent in varying pace to keep you engaged. They have learned the art of setting up the punchline.
Encourage feedback
Encourage your audience to give feedback throughout the presentation. This allows you to adapt your content to meet their needs and keep them engaged.
Incorporate breaks
If your presentation is lengthy, schedule short breaks. This allows the audience to rest, process the information and return refreshed. Learn to read the room.
If the audience is getting restless, throw in an interactive activity or icebreaker to break up the monotony.
6. Make your presentation interactive
Engage your audience by involving them in the presentation. This could be through Q&A sessions, interactive polls or group activities. Active participation makes the presentation more enjoyable and aids content retention.
Find a pattern that works for you. For instance, a facilitator starts most group public speaking sessions with an interactive activity, transitions into content and then brings the audience in to practice the content. There is a proven flow to keep everyone on track.
Interaction can take many forms. You can incorporate mini quizzes or games related to your topic or even host a short debate on a relevant issue. This utilizes the power of active learning, where your audience isn’t just passively receiving information but actively engaging with it.
Apart from making your presentation more lively and interesting, active engagement strengthens the audience’s understanding and recall of the topic.
7. Use gestures and facial expressions
Your body language can speak volumes and significantly impact the effectiveness of your presentation. Use gestures and expressive facial reactions to support your verbal content. Body language can bring your words to life, demonstrate your enthusiasm and create a stronger connection with your audience.
When presenting, stand up straight to show confidence and use hand gestures to clarify the message you’re trying to convey. Be careful about overdoing it. Excessive and irrelevant hand gestures can be distracting.
When preparing for a presentation, use the “superhero pose” to increase confidence (legs shoulder width apart, fists on hips, chest puffed out).
Facial expressions are also extremely important. Your audience will constantly look at your face for cues on how to react. Smile genuinely, raise your eyebrows and use other facial expressions when they fit naturally within your speech. This shows your passion for the topic and helps maintain an energetic and engaging presentation.
Make sure your facial expressions match the emotion you’re sharing. If you are happy, show happiness. If you are sharing a sad moment, be solemn.
Don’t forget the power of eye contact. This simple act can make each member of your audience feel included and engaged. Rather than fixing your gaze on a single point, shift your focus across the room, making brief eye contact with each person in the audience. When you are making a point, look at someone. Next point, another person and so on.
8. Avoid distractions
A successful presenter maintains their audience’s focus from start to finish. Therefore, it’s best to eliminate all possible distractions. This includes everything from a noisy environment to frequently using filler words.
“Um,” “ah,” “like,” “so,” “you know,” “actually,” “basically” and “seriously” are common filler words that many of us use subconsciously. While using these words can sometimes be natural and acceptable, too much can distract your audience and dilute the impact of your message.
To minimize your use of filler words, practice your presentation and pay attention to when you tend to insert them. With practice and increased awareness, you can gradually eliminate most, if not all, of these words from your speech.
Note that silence can be powerful in a presentation. Instead of filling gaps with meaningless sounds or words, just pause. This can create suspense, give you time to collect your thoughts and allow your audience a moment to digest what you have shared.
Besides not using filler words excessively, you’ll need to make sure your presentation environment is quiet and free from interruptions. If you’re presenting digitally, turn off all notifications and close irrelevant tabs or programs on your screen.
Visual props should have a simple and neat design. Avoid cluttering your slides with too much text or overly complex graphics. Stick to a clean, consistent design with clear fonts and contrasting colors for easy reading.
9. Be prepared: practice makes perfect
One of the most effective presentation tips is also one of the simplest: practice makes perfect.
The more familiar you are with your material, the more confident and engaging you’ll be during the presentation. Trust yourself in this process.
Start by rehearsing your presentation out loud. Go over it multiple times. This helps you get familiar with the flow of your content, work out any awkward transitions and strengthen your delivery.
You can practice in front of a mirror, record yourself or even present to a small audience of colleagues or friends before the main event.
It’s also smart to anticipate possible questions your audience may have about the content. By preparing answers to these questions beforehand, you’ll be ready for any audience interactions during the Q&A session. This level of preparedness not only highlights your authority on the subject but also helps manage any presentation anxiety.
Finally, familiarize yourself with any technology or tools you’ll be using during the presentation. Master your slide transitions, learn to operate the projector and figure out how to share your screen during a virtual presentation so you’re confident with the tools you’re using and can have a smooth presentation experience.
Always bring backups to your presentation in case technology fails you.
10. Speak freely
While you want to be prepared, avoid sounding too rehearsed or robotic during your presentation. Aim to speak naturally and conversationally. This will make your presentation more engaging and build trust with your audience.
Don’t memorize your speech verbatim. Instead, familiarize yourself with the key points and speak about them freely. This approach allows for spontaneity and flexibility. It enables you to adapt your presentation to the immediate reactions and needs of your audience.
Your audience is there to listen to you, not to a predetermined script. Show your personality, share anecdotes and use humor where appropriate. Make your presentation a two-way conversation as much as possible. This personal and flexible approach will resonate with your audience and ensure they stay engaged.
11. Use effective pauses
Silence is often underused in presentations, yet it’s one of the most powerful tools you can employ. Use pauses to emphasize a point, create suspense, give your audience time to absorb information or punctuate your speech.
Pauses can also help you pace your presentation. When they are well-placed, they can create a sense of anticipation.
Speaking too fast can overwhelm your listeners. Talking too slowly, on the other hand, can bore them. Aim for a conversational speed and use pauses naturally, just as you would in a regular conversation.
12. Choose the right angle
Your stance during the presentation can send messages to your audience about your confidence, openness and enthusiasm. Stand straight and make sure your stance is open and welcoming.
Use your space. Moving around can make your presentation dynamic, but bear in mind that excessive movement can be distracting.
When presenting virtually, maintain eye contact by looking directly into the camera. Make sure your upper body and face are clearly visible. Just because you’re seated doesn’t mean you should forget about your posture. Instead, maintain an upright position to display a professional image.
13. Try the 10-20-30 rule
This rule, coined by Guy Kawasaki, is a simple and efficient method to create effective presentations.
It states that a presentation should have 10 slides, last no more than 20 minutes, and use a font size of at least 30 points.
The rule is a guideline to keep presentations concise, comprehensive and easy to read. Of course, depending on your presentation’s purpose and context, you might need to adapt the rule. However, it serves as a useful starting point for creating engaging presentations.
FAQs
What are the 5 key elements of a presentation?
- Content: ensure your presentation content is insightful, relevant and well-structured.
- Design: use appealing and clear visuals to reinforce your message.
- Delivery: speak clearly and confidently, using an engaging and natural style.
- Interaction: involve your audience in your presentation to boost engagement.
- Preparation: practice extensively, familiarize yourself with your tools and anticipate possible questions.
What is the 5-5 rule in a presentation?
The 5-5 rule suggests that a slide should not have more than five bullet points, and each point should not exceed five words. This helps keep your presentation clear, focused and easy for your audience to understand and remember.
Delivering a captivating presentation isn’t effortless. It requires a blend of effective communication, good design, meticulous preparation and the ability to engage your audience. By implementing these presentation tips, you have a high chance of delivering a winning presentation that leaves a lasting impression on your audience.
Level up your career with Pip Club
Join 100,000+ leaders who get unique tips every week on storytelling, leadership and productivity - plus exclusive how-to guides, first-dibs on upcoming Pip Decks and our very best discounts.
One of the few newsletters I look forward to.
— Dave Cunningham, Head of DesignOps @ NHS
