If you are presenting at a conference, people are expecting you to be professional.
A professional presentation will show that you are serious about the subject and passionate about the work.
It’s also good to know what you will talk about in advance so that if you have an opportunity to fill time, you can discuss one of your points in more depth.
How to Give a Good Presentation
Good Presentation Tips
– Make sure all of your presentation materials are in order beforehand.
– Practice with a friend or family member beforehand.
– Give yourself time to practice with the microphone beforehand.
– Be prepared for questions during your presentation, if you are not prepared please don’t be afraid to say “I’m glad you asked – I can talk about this in more detail”
– Stand, do not sit. This will keep all the people engaged and interested in what you have to say
– Make eye contact with the audience members when speaking to them instead of reading off your slides
– Keep your feet shoulder width apart and turn from the waist to keep people engaged
– Make sure you have a few jokes or anecdotes about yourself up your sleeve so if you run out of things to say, you will have some filler material
– Be willing to laugh at yourself. People might ask silly questions that do not require a serious answer. If this happens, laugh it off and move on
– Be genuine! It’s easy to be nervous but make sure you are yourself. People can tell if you are faking it.
– Don’t apologize or say “umm” too much
Be confident in what you have to say.
Good Presentation Delivery Tips
– Practice, practice, practice! It’s better to go over it a million times then look like an idiot because you didn’t know what you were talking about
– Pace yourself. If your presentation is really long – try and space out the information so people are not overwhelmed by too much detail at once
– Be passionate about what you are saying. If you don’t care, why should anyone else?
– Speak loudly and clearly. This will help everyone to hear what you have to say without difficulty
– Try not to read off your slides word for word if possible. It is much more engaging when the presenter talks about the subject in their own words. If you are not allowed to read off the slides, make sure you practice delivering your presentation without looking at them
– Be expressive! Gesture with your hands when speaking about different things
– Always, remember that there is no such thing as a stupid question. Do not talk down to someone just because their question may seem “dumb” or “uneducated.” Answer the question to the best of your ability and move on.
– Don’t apologize for your slides not being projected correctly. If it’s something that can be fixed in a matter of seconds, do it without saying anything – if it will cause too much delay, tell the person asking the question you will give them more information after your presentation.
– If you have any visual aids, make sure you practice with them before hand. It’s embarrassing when the presenter is trying to get their laptop , projector, etc to work while they are introducing themselves
– Practice using technology or programs that may be used during your presentation beforehand. This will help everyone involved if you already know what you are doing
– Write out your introduction and conclusion beforehand. This will help if you do not have time to prepare the rest of your presentation during the day
– Don’t apologize for things that are out of your control, like computer glitches or projector problems
Good Communication Skills Tips
– Make sure you use “appropriate” language. This means no jokes or off color comments
– Don’t talk down to the audience
– Use nonverbal cues when speaking so you don’t look like a robot reading off your slides
– If someone in the audience is being disruptive, politely ask them to stop what they are doing and address it after your presentation
– If you know your stuff, people will respect you for it
– Be respectful of the audience’s time. You do not want to go over your allotted time because then you leave less time for questions and answers. Give yourself some extra lead time just in case
– It is okay to get emotional about a topic or subject! People will appreciate your honesty and passion
– Don’t apologize for things that are out of your control, like computer glitches or projector problems
– If you get stumped on a question, do not just stare at the person asking. Try to repeat the question back so you have more time to think about what they are asking
– Use formal language; do not use slang or casual language
– Do not put your hands in your pockets when speaking unless you are standing by a ledge
– It is okay to sit down if you are getting tired. Just make sure that the audience can see your face
– It’s okay if you mess up, just laugh it off and fix it
– Relax! You are doing great
Speech Presentation Tips
– Make sure you do research on your topic so you can give a well rounded speech encompassing all of the different aspects
– Give yourself plenty of time to prepare. If possible try and memorize your presentation, but if that is impossible keep your presentation in order so you can easily navigate through it
– Come up with a general outline. This should include the introduction, main points, and conclusion of your speech
– Practice, practice, practice! Make sure you have two to three rehearsals so you don’t leave anything out or mess up your delivery
– Have a backup plan if something does not go as planned (An example could be not having the correct slide displayed)
– Encourage participation. If your audience asks questions it shows they are interested and will make them more likely to remember what you said
– Use a microphone if possible
– Don’t apologize for looking at notes, looking off into space, and thinking about what you are going to say next. If the audience knows that you are still working out what you want to say they will be more patient
– Be confident! Don’t apologize for your voice being high or low, if it is just how your voice naturally sounds then there’s nothing wrong with that. The audience already paid attention long enough to notice
– Keep a steady pace. Do not speed up or slow down unless you have a specific reason for it
– Make sure your facial expressions match what you are saying to show that you are being serious about the topic at hand
– Practice using technology or programs that may be used during your presentation beforehand. This will help everyone involved to not waste time and will prevent any technical difficulties
– Practice using the technology or program that you will be using during your presentation. If necessary go through the whole presentation yourself without talking
– Make sure you use “appropriate” language. This means no jokes or off color comments
– Don’t talk down to the audience
– Do not use big words or jargon unless you are absolutely sure that your audience will understand. Using big words just makes you look unintelligent since the majority of people in your audience know what you are talking about
– If there is a microphone, be mindful of how close to the microphone you are speaking
– Do not rush through things
– Do not lose your place or trail off
– Do not fidget around
– Make eye contact with the audience, but do not stare at them
– Do not lose sight of your objectives and message
– Make sure you end on a high note to leave a lasting impression
The most important thing is to be confident! If you are not confident in your speech or presentation, it will show through. If there is a question that you cannot answer, just tell the audience that you do not know and promise to get back to them later with an answer. If necessary, ask other people who are more knowledgeable about the topic than you are.
– Don’t apologize for your rusty speech! If you have not given a presentation in a long time, do not apologize for being nervous. Just try your best and know that everyone else is going to be just as nervous as you are
– Use notes or cue cards if needed, but keep them out of sight from the audience
– In general it is better to under prepare rather than over prepare. This means only memorizing what you absolutely need to and just bringing your outline with you if it is short
– If possible, get the audience involved. If someone asks a question that leads into another topic then follow that tangent and continue on
– Remember this is not about impressing anyone, so be yourself. If you are funny, be funny. If you are not then don’t try to force it
– Relax and do not over think things
– Remember, these are college students so they appreciate honesty. Let them know if you have things to say but would rather not because of something in your past or present
– Do not talk down to the audience
– Do not apologize for your voice being low or high, your nervousness, your appearance, or anything about yourself
– Keep a steady pace. If you feel like you are running out of time and could use more time then ask if others would like to present as well
– Make eye contact with everyone in the audience, not just one person
– Practice in front of a mirror beforehand if you need to (this is what I did for this presentation)
– Use “appropriate” language. This means no jokes or off color comments
– Stay on topic and do not go off on tangents unless it is completely necessary for the audience’s understanding
– Make sure your facial expressions match what you are saying to show that you are being serious about the topic at hand
– Do not talk down to the audience
– Practice using technology or programs that may be used during your presentation beforehand. This will help everyone involved to not waste time and will prevent any technical difficulties
– Practice using the microphone if you are planning on using it
– Ask if there are any questions that your audience may have at the end
– Do not apologize for anything! It is better to be over prepared than under prepared. If you do not know an answer to a question, ask someone else who might know. Remember, college students appreciate honesty
– If you have a slide deck then use it
– Try to avoid using notes if possible since they can be distracting. If you do use notes then try to memorize them and keep them out of sight from the audience
– Make sure your visuals match what you are saying
– Practice with any technology or equipment beforehand.
