13 Tips For Preparing A Good Public Presentation

In this article, I will provide you with a list of 13 tips that will help you have a better public presentation

Speaking in public is very scary for people that are not trained for such a thing. Before you start, keep in mind that the attending people do not care about how you look and how you are dressed, but they will listen carefully, because they most likely attend the event for enriching their knowledge.

I know, this sounds like a vicious circle, but the best way to become a good public speaker is to practice public speaking. Talk at as many events as possible and analyze what you have done wrong, to fix those things.

This is what you need to know when preparing your speech:

Have the audience in mind

Think about the reasons why people participate in the event and what they want to learn or achieve. This moment is not about you, but about the people paying for the presentation or to participate in the event. Try to provide them with the information they have signed up for.

Prepare your presentation thoroughly

While it is very important how you present the information, more important is what information you present. Take enough time to create a good presentation and document what you have to say. Repeat the main ideas in the mirror and think about the questions and objections that might arise from the audience. Do not wait until the last minute to think about what you are going to say in the presentation.

Choose a subject you are passionate of:

The more passionate you are about what you speak, the better your chances are. When you talk about something that you like, you will be more involved and the audience will get the message easier. This way, your body language, and your mimics will express the same as your words do.

Try to speak in public as often as possible

With the risk of repeating this, it is a key factor for a successful presentation. You need to practice, practice and practice. You should first try to present things to a group of friends and if when you do this well, you may even perform presentations for NGOs. With each presentation, you will become better and create your style.

Relax before the presentation

It is very important to be relaxed and positive before you start the presentation. Do not think that you will fail or that nobody will enjoy what you are presenting. Instead, try to leave for the moment and to conduct the discussion, but don't be stiff. Keep in mind that you have documented well and you have the needed experience to succeed with this.

Be yourself

People do not know you, so they want to discover you and figure out what kind of person you are. Instead of pretending to be somebody else, be yourself and let people know who you are. Insert personal details about your life during the presentation and share small things about you.

Start your presentation with something that draws attention. For example, if I were to have a presentation about success and entrepreneurship, I would start with something Michelangelo said:

"The problem people have is not that they target too much and fail, but they target too low and succeed."

And next, I would explain my way of interpreting the quote.

Define the purpose of the presentation

Set the presentation's direction from the beginning. Let the people attending know that you won't provide them useful information, you want to share your experience, your want to motivate them, or whatever you want to express. If you set your presentation from the very beginning and focus on it, it will be easier for you.

Say a story, use practical examples and pictures

If you want to emphasize some ideas, put them in a short story, provide practical examples, and insert pictures.

Joke

When you feel that the atmosphere gets a little tense or you want to earn yourself a few seconds, do a joke, or say something funny about what you are presenting at that moment. While you may not be a funny person, it is not difficult to insert some fun fact to relax the atmosphere.

Makes visual contact with the audience

To make a good presentation, you need to establish a relationship with the audience. Try to be interactive, watch a person for a few seconds and ask her something and then do the same with another person. Do not look at the ceiling, the floor, or the slides. Do not stand your head in a sheet that you wrote down the summary of your presentation.

Do not waste time

Nobody is capable of focusing on a big amount of time. Try to make your presentation straightforward and not waste precious time when performing it. In 30 minutes the audience's attention diminishes enormously, no matter how attractive the presentation is and how passionate the speaker is. To be able to respect the timetable, you need to practice at home and use a stopwatch to measure time.

Do not excuse yourself

Do not excuse yourself, although you may have done something wrong because this way you do not draw attention to a problem that maybe would have gone unnoticed. Do your job, give them the best presentation you can!

Public speaking is a very good skill, once achieved it. But like others, it needs a lot of practice.

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