Picture this. You have a big presentation coming up, you’ve employed a custom printing company’s services for your paperwork and have gotten custom presentation designs. Doing these things will help with the presentation, but have you thought of the delivery?
Doing research and gathering all the data is only half of the presentation. You have to keep it engaging for the whole time. This will increase your audience’s retentiveness and pass your message clearly and easily.
The following tips will help you get all their attention.
Practice, practice, practice.
A good thing to do before you make a presentation is to visualize. Visualize how you want to move, talk, and interact with your audience. The next thing to do is to put your thoughts into action. Practicing will ensure your delivery is smooth and flawless. You can do this in front of a mirror, with your friends, or in any other way you choose.
Project confidence.
Human beings subconsciously assess body language, tone, and behavior. If you make a presentation looking timid, the audience may not take you seriously. To those who are bold and lack stage fright, we salute you. You need to have an assertive stance while presenting. This may be hard to do for some, but with a little practice before the show, you can nail it. As the saying goes, ”fake it till you make it.”
Jokes aside, adopting a confident body language will also boost your confidence. Infect them with your enthusiasm. (You do not want to overdo this, though). Stand tall, keep your head straight, do not mumble words, use open gestures, and smile when you need to. It is not what you do, but how you do it. You will hit the ball right out of the park.
Tell a story
Stories sell. They do. Facts are vital too, but you do not want to sound like a robot while giving your presentation. This will bore your audience in a flash. Tell an engaging story that relates to the topic you are giving. It is important to keep the story short. A good story will arouse their curiosity and keep them involved during your presentation.
Engage the audience
To grab and hold attention in a presentation, you have to keep them on your toes. You need to engage them right from the beginning. Interact with them, take polls, think out loud (no silly thoughts, it should be in line with the presentation topic.) Ask questions once in a while. The goal is to get their rapt attention. They do not have to answer; just throw it out to them. Doing this will make them focus on the topic and keep them thinking.
Use humor
Humor is a useful tool for communication. It helps to create a stronger bond between you and your audience. They will subconsciously anticipate the next moment you lighten the mood, which will keep them attentive. When you use humor, you need to incorporate it naturally in your presentation. You also need to tailor it to your audience and make it relevant to the story. Comedy is great, but you also want your audience to take you seriously. You may miss the mark if you overuse comedy. You are not a comedian.
Awaken their senses.
Some people pick up on visual cues much faster than auditory cues. You can take advantage of this. Tell them to imagine different scenarios. You can also use props to help illustrate better. Let them see the potential and reward of following a plan or using a particular strategy. How does that sound? Sounds fantastic, right?. Asking questions like this will make your audience think, this will keep them engaged and more interested in your presentation. Add a little flair.