How can you deliver an engaging presentation when public speaking isn't your strong suit?

Purpose and audience are two sides of the same coin. To uncover your purpose, ask yourself ‘if I could wave a magic wand what outcome would I like from this presentation?’ Then dig a little deeper and ask ‘What do I want the audience to do say think or feel.’ This will help you get clarity on what your objective is. Now Flip the coin - what expectations does your audience have? In their head they are saying ‘What’s in it for me?’ Focus on delivering three pieces of information 1. something that is easy for them to understand and action on 2. something that will require more time and resources 3. something aspirational Your final task is to remove everything that is not relevant to your objective and your audience.

I use a sticky note to write my purpose in one (no more than two) sentences. This helps me be really clear about my purpose. If you can reach out to audience members and find out what they are hoping to learn from your presentation. Even just chatting to a couple of audience members before your presentation can help. That way you can tailor your presentation towards their needs.

Before you start structuring your presentation still mind map. I call this ‘throwing the net wide’ collect and collate and classify all your information. Once you have exhausted everything that is in your brain, show your mind map to a colleague and ask them what other information you should include. Once you’ve thrown the net wide, you need to pull it in and focus on covering what is relevant to meet your objective but is also of relevance and interest to the audience.

If you are nervous try moving around a bit before the presentation to settle yourself, deep breaths can help too. These will calm your body down and help you be more conscious of your body language. Remember to smile at your audience, breathe and be comfortable creating space through silence to let your audience process key ideas and questions. When you are creating that space stand still so your body language doesn't distract your audience.

I had a client who was having to fill in for a colleague at a leadership seminar. Understandably he was very nervous. He started writing his presentation and as his writing was very formal it did not present well. I asked him if he was any good at his job, his answer was an emphatic yes! I recommended he have points in his notes that he wanted to cover, but wrap the information in a case study. Then imagine you have a client sitting across the table from you and share this information. This took his presentation from a nervous lecture where he read his notes to a highly engaging presentation where the audience hung on his every word.

Delivering an engaging presentation when public speaking isn't your forte requires preparation and practice. Here are some tips: 1. Know Your Material: Be thoroughly familiar with your content so you can speak confidently about it. 2. Practice, Practice, Practice: Rehearse your presentation multiple times to become comfortable with the material and the flow of your speech. 3. Speak Clearly and Slowly: Enunciate your words clearly and maintain a moderate pace to ensure understanding and engagement. 4. Seek Feedback: After your presentation, solicit feedback from trusted colleagues or friends to identify areas for improvement.