Top 10 Things to Remember Before Giving Any Presentation

For those of you who have gone through your university life and are going to step into the professional world have probably already understood the importance that presentations hold. There is no denying that presentation skills have become a mandatory requirement that people need in most organizations and even colleges. Before we understand the things you need to keep in mind while delivering a presentation, let us wrap our minds around understanding why delivering a presentation is important in the first place.?

Presentations these days are a compulsory skill set and if you want to succeed in your objectives, delivering a successful presentation may just open up new doors to a better job, or better promotion. Presentation skills are thoroughly based on polishing your verbal skills as well in fact, speaking in front of an audience requires a lot of courage and practice. Most people just think that a good presentation is all about colour schemes and designs, however, all these aspects are just the tip of an iceberg. So, now we get to understand the Ten Tremendous Tips to give an effective presentation.?

TIP NUMBER ONE: Most of the times people lose track of the content that should be there in their PowerPoint presentations. They go on to talk about and elaborate on one thing and in the middle of it all they get on to discussing something else. This often confuses the audience as they also lose track of what the actual agenda is. So, before you deliver your presentation always keep in mind the main agenda of your presentation and include only all the relevant information. This will help in making your presentation more concrete and interesting.

TIP NUMBER TWO: As relevant as the material and content in your presentation is, it is equally important to also keep in mind the target audience in front of whom you are going to deliver that presentation. Believe it or not, a lot of thought needs to be put in to decide what content you will put in your presentation and it all depends on the people who will be witnessing it. If your presentation is going to be in front of senior team leaders and managers it needs to be accurate and to the point. Very crisp with all the facts and figures. Similarly, if the presentation is going to be given in front of your fellow team members then, you can keep it a little fun and light yet informative.?

TIP NUMBER THREE: Along with keeping in mind the type of audience it will also be a good thing to get an idea of how many people will be attending and listening to you while you deliver the presentation. This will ensure that you prepare to face them and also prepare yourself for the kind of questions that they might ask once you are done delivering the presentation. Getting an idea of the number of audiences will also give you the time to practice on your auditory skills and build on confidence which includes eye contact and overall body representation

TIP NUMBER FOUR: The next big thing to keep in mind is the venue where you will be delivering the presentation. Now, most people think that the venue is not a very big deal however, it is the biggest! The venue details will help you decide how you will give the presentation.? The size of the venue along with the seating arrangement can dictate what volume you need to speak in and how well you can move around connect with those people in the audience. It is an important point to remember that connects between the speaker and the audience is also an absolute must to keep up with at all times.?

TIP NUMBER FIVE: The next big point to take care of is to make a mental of note of and know exactly what all material will be available at the venue. You may have your presentation loaded on to a USB, but if there is no laptop there, you will need to carry one with you. Similarly, it is your job to see to it that all the arrangements for the projector and microphones are there in place. Knowing all this will help you ascertain what all you need to carry with yourself on the day of the final presentation.?

TIP NUMBER SIX: A very important tip sort of interconnected with tip number two is tip six. Tip six talks about how important it is to know the time duration. Once you know the time duration for which you need to speak you can plan exactly how much content and material you need to deliver. The last thing the audience wants is a long and lengthy speech or a rather short and abrupt one. This clearly means that you need to plan the content and the timing of your presentation very carefully.?

TIP NUMBER SEVEN: Point number seven happens to be the most crucial and important. It is a mandatory conclusion that people are the most alert during any presentation during the first thirty minutes or so. If your start of the presentation is fiery and interesting it will grab the attention of the audience, however, if you’re starting is not impactful, your audience will doze off mid-way, and this is something that no speaker wants.

TIP NUMBER EIGHT: Humor holds the key to everything. This stands true even when one delivers a presentation. It is understandable that when presentations are delivered especially in the corporate world, it tends to get boring. It depends on the skills of the speaker of how they can intrigue their audience by humouring them and connecting them with stories. This will give you a chance to unleash your creativity and keep your audience engrossed and alert.?

TIP NUMBER NINE: This tip is more for you than for anyone else. As you prepare to get on to the stage and deliver your presentation, it is very important for you to remember to be confident, calm and composed. Even as you deliver your presentation it is important to pause and breathe in between. This will give you a chance to catch up on your breath and also recollect what you need to say next. These regular breaks will provide you with a chance to relax and will give your audience a chance to take a break as well.?

TIP NUMBER TEN: The last one is a simple one and possibly the only thing that you can do. That thing is to prepare. Preparations hold the keys to a successful presentation and all the other things will fall in place once you prepare. So, carry on preparing and be confident at all times.?

Article Credit: Jarryd Desouja , a professional blogger contributes his thoughts through different modes of content and helps students with their assignments .