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Presenting in front of an audience needs a large amount
of confidence, but your presentation will always go more smoothly
if you've prepared well. From writing the script right through
to presenting it, here are some handy tips to help make sure
everything runs smoothly.
A presentation will only be successful if you present it
in the right way to your audience. If you're presenting to
children for example you need to keep it short, fun and interesting.
If you're presenting to a busy set of board members facts
and figures, along with graphs might be the order of the day.
Most people appreciate some light-hearted jokes, but be sure
not to say anything remotely offensive -- you may be able
to say certain things to friends but speaking in public is
the last place you want to make a bad-taste joke. In short,
tailor your presentation style to your audience and you'll
at least get a good reception.
The clothing you wear should also be based on your audience
and presentation style. For example a business meeting usually
requires a suit, unless you've come in as a creative in which
case they'll expect you to be a bit out there. Generally,
presenters need to look smart, if only for the fact that you'll
be taken seriously. This is especially important if you're
trying to impress or sway the opinions of your audience --
you'll need to appear as an authority on your subject.
Prepare some props for use during your presentation. These
could be anything from a flip chart, to pictures on a screen
to cartoons, keywords and jokes. Props give you something
to talk around and can act as memory aids. They also make
the presentation more interesting for your audience because
they having something to look at apart from you. The more
interesting your presentation is the more people will remember
your key points. If an audience is bored they just switch
off so keeping them engaged is key.
Whatever you do, don't make the mistake of using a long powerpoint
presentation. This is an old favourite of the presenter but
in reality, audiences have seen so many of them that they've
become a signal for boredom. If you use slides keep them short
and visual -- don't make your audience read or sit through
screen-wipes and sound effects.
A good presenter changes the pace of their speech, makes
eye contact with audience members and doesn't forget to smile.
Practice your presentation so that talking becomes second
nature and you can concentrate on these other things that
keep an audience involved.
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