Here's how you can avoid future failures in presentations.

This is the 1st step to a successful presentation. One should know the content so well that he/she can do the presentation without the slides.

Knowing your audience is as important as knowing your stuff. Pitch your presentation at the level that your audience will understand. If you are presenting to senior executives of varying backgrounds, you cannot be as technical as if you are presenting to technocrats in the subject. Also as much as possible use examples from the various fields where your audience are from in your presentation.

Focus on strong areas and strengths to engage audience. Put yourself in audiences shoes and predict the questions/critics you may face from the audience.

Practice out loud in a mirror. Know the one key thing you need to land on each slide, anything else you share is a bonus. But more importantly, be human in the way you present - laugh, move your body - your audience will connect with you more. Crucially don't be afraid to make mistakes, it happens to everyone. Take a moment to compose yourself and move forward. Everyone in that room will have messed up in a presentation and know how it feels.

The opening statement is your golden opportunity to grab the audience's attention and prime them for the message you want to deliver. A strong opener sets the stage for the entire presentation, making it critical to craft it strategically. Preview key takeaways: Briefly outline the main points you'll be covering, giving the audience a roadmap of what to expect.

An invaluable step towards adequate preparation to avoid failures in presentations entails practicing your presentation multiple times. Reducing nervousness and enhancing delivery is facilitated by several practices because it helps you feel comfortable with the information flow. Try to record yourself to assess your performance and make the required adjustments before the presentation. Furthermore, practice before friends and seek feedback on your body tone, speech pace, and confidence level.

Know your material thoroughly. Practice your presentation in front of a mirror, with colleagues, or friends, and encourage them to ask questions. If you use slides for your presentation, you should know the content so well that you could deliver it without the slides. This level of preparation ensures you are fully equipped to engage your audience confidently, even if technical issues arise.

One thing I’ve found invaluable is making time to practice. It is the most fail-proof form of preparation that stands the test of time over and over again. If you really want to nail the pitch, presentation, introduction or whatever the element is, don’t shy away from what you KNOW works. Practice makes perfect people. Put that work in!

You would also need to be aware of hesitation / discourse markers which by themselves could be annoying or distracting to an audience. When used too frequently they can also lead to speech disfluency. This can severely affect your delivery and how your message is received.

On big aspect of engaging with the audience is the power of relevant story telling - bringing in anecdotes that allow the audience to have that "ah now I get it" moment. In my experience having the ability to include these by reading the energy in the room both adds interest and more often than not a discussion after the presentation.

If appropriate for the presentation, actively involve the audience by asking specific and open-ended questions. Ideally, this can create a dynamic where the audience begins to engage and pose questions among themselves. Of course, this approach isn’t suitable for every presentation, but incorporating audience interaction through questions is generally beneficial. However, it's important to maintain control to prevent too much spontaneity, which could negatively derail the presentation. Questions and responses should be relevant to the topic to keep the audience engaged and prevent boredom. This requires a balanced approach and good judgment to gauge audience reactions and participation.

Story telling is a powerful tool to engage your audience … also knowing well the subjects you present and interests of the audience … don’t just read the slides, you need to adapt your voice tone and always put something to grab their attention … be prepared for questions and remember that if you practice well, and if you know well the subject you are talking about, you will be 100% ready … this will give you great confidence

Researching your audience is the cornerstone of any impactful presentation. (Know your audience) It's crucial to communicate in a language that resonates with them, tailoring your message to their needs and experiences. By sharing relatable stories, you create a connection that transforms abstract concepts into realistic ones. For instance, I once presented a complex tech solution to a non-technical team by illustrating its benefits through a simple story about everyday challenges they face. This approach not only clarified the solution but also engaged the audience, making the presentation memorable and effective. Remember, relevance and relatability are key to successful communication.

YOU are the presentation. Everything else is just props or content. Story telling is important in delivering an authentic message. So is engaging the audience by soliciting feedback. If you make Powepoint or excel the centre of the presentation you’ve probably diminished what was possible. If you’re looking for examples of story telling or compelling presenting then turn on the radio, watch a politician, or reflect on someone at your workplace who never uses props to deliver their message.

I have had experience presenting to leadership at Apple Inc. Much like their product launches, I have learnt to reduce text in slides to bare minimum. Easy to understand graphs and few high impact figures help a lot. I always try to voice out the story behind the slide and try to get the audience to listen to me rather than read off the slide

Making the presentation visually appealing to your audience will also get them to participate and understand you a lot better

Many presenters tend to rely extensively on visual aids and slide decks as speaking notes and to stay on track. These decks can sometimes become quite lengthy, which can detract from the presentation. It's often more effective to use fewer slides and instead focus on connecting and engaging directly with the audience, rather than having the slides drive the delivery. Visuals and decks should serve as supplementary aids, not as the primary focus. The goal should be to have a balanced approach where the presenter maintains a strong connection with the audience.

keep it to 3 points per slide. This is based on the human attention retention. Anything beyond 3 becomes noise and therefore gets distracted. End also with the 3 points you wanted to make (recap)

Keep Going! Nobody's going to know what you messed up or what you forgot because nobody knows what you were going to say anyway. Keep it flowing and try not to back up or allude to the mistake. Yes, maybe you'll end up leaving something out but there's always an opportunity at the end to circle back or follow up as an answer to a question.

Everyone has bad days. In the event that mistakes happen, and they will, understand that from the audience's perspective it's generally far less catastrophic than you might perceive as the speaker. This one nugget of wisdom has helped me over and over again: Never forget that your audience is hoping that you will succeed.

Stay calm, composed, and positive. Briefly acknowledge the issue, use humour if appropriate, and ensure you're well-prepared with backup plans and knowledge of your material. Engage the audience. For example, if a slideshow fails, discuss key points with the audience until the problem is fixed, maintaining a smooth transition back to your main content.

Stay cool when unexpected issues arise during your presentation. Crack a joke to lighten the mood, take a breath, and have a backup plan for tech glitches or memory lapses. Your calm and collected approach will keep the audience on your side

I like recording my presentations because it's the best way to learn from your mistakes. It also builds confidence, as watching the video often reveals that any perceived blunders weren't as bad as they seemed. This helps you understand how you come across to the audience. Every experience is an opportunity to learn and improve your skills.

One thing I like to do is ask for feedback both from the client and any team members that joined. This helps learn how to get better in the future and the feedback from the client helps get feedback on how it went. Prior to big presentations, I like to schedule a debrief with key contacts with clients afterwards. This helps get feedback sooner than later and hear firsthand how it went.

Reflection becomes your debriefing moment where you assess the positives and negatives of your presentation. It should be an integral component of your presentation style- reinforcing what went well and improving what can be done better for a future scenario.

Reflecting on a presentation is absolutely crucial. As the presenter, I often notice many things I could have done better. I always try to incorporate these insights into improving my next presentation. Additionally, I make it a point to gather feedback from colleagues who witnessed my presentation. This practice helps me understand different perspectives on what worked and what didn't, allowing me to fine-tune my approach. Reflecting isn't just about critiquing; it's about continuous learning and adapting, using each presentation as an opportunity to enhance my skills and resilience. This approach has been invaluable in honing my presentation skills effectively.

Try to learn from your experiences when you present. I always keep post-its ready during and after presentations to note where I went wrong, where I can improve. Then I act on these to be able to prep better in future.

Solicit feedback. When you leave the stage, reach out to audience members with whom you made eye contact. Ask them what kept their attention. What worked? What didn’t? What did they take away?

Case Studies: Presenting case studies from successful projects or initiatives can illustrate real-world applications of the concepts discussed. For example, if you're talking about marketing strategies, sharing a case study of a well-known brand's successful marketing campaign can provide valuable insights and engage the audience by showcasing practical examples. Incorporating interactive elements like polls or quizzes related to the presentation topic can actively engage the audience. For instance, during a presentation on environmental sustainability, conducting a quick poll on current recycling habits among the audience can make the content more interactive and relatable.

Know your audience. In my experience, knowing what motivates, interests, inspires your audience is instrumental. Some key points to ponder about your audience: - Why are they atending the presentation? - How should they feel after the presentation? - What happened the last time you presented, do you need to consider a special formulation in your presentation to some attendees? Presenting is a service. Your audience are receiving this service. Put them at its center and you shouldn't fail.

Pitch Your Presentation at the Right Level: Tailoring the difficulty and complexity and depth of your presentation to match the audience's knowledge level is very important. If your audience is experienced in the topic, delve into advanced details. For a general audience, simplify concepts, avoid technical terms, and provide clear explanations. Using analogies and examples can help bridge the gap in understanding. By pitching your presentation at the right level, you ensure the presentation is valuable to all attendees.

Do your research and understand your topic from a practical perspective. Don’t just know about it on the surface level, ask experts and gain in depth knowledge. That way you speak from a point of ‘knowing’ and with practice and more practice, you would ace the presentation.