1.  Start with a joke or light hearted banter to engage your audience in the first two minutes.  This will capture your audience and calm your nerves.

2. Practise all your material well beforehand. Know your topic and what you are there to share.

3. Rebekah Radice records her presentations on her iPhone and listens to them fully to tweak any alterations that need to be made well in advance. Her presentations are made up to a month ahead and only small changes made closer to the time.

4. Talk it out loud to yourself in the mirror so that you can see what hand gestures you are making (watch out!)  🙂 or faces you might be pulling…  ‘sometimes I feel like an Italian – nail that hand down’! says Rebekah.

5.Prepare, Prepare, Prepare. Peg Fitzpatrick agrees with Rebekah that is the best way to create a successful presentation.

6. Know your stage.  You will present differently according to the size of your setting.  Your energy has to reach the back of the room, whether that is an auditorium or a small intimate space.

7.Match your energy to the size of the room advises Jeff Sieh.

8.Make sure you know how to use the tech.  Are you bringing your own laptop?  How does the clicker work?  There is more than one variety.  Make sure you are comfortable with your equipment.

9. Even with the best preparation, tech can fail and slides you have created for your presentation might not be available on the day because of technical issues.  Make sure you know your material thoroughly so you can still be comfortable with your ‘story’ if this happens.

10.  Tell a story in your presentation and one that is appropriate for your audience.  If you are re-using material be sure that is tweaked for the people who are listening on that day.

11. People are coming to see YOU. Your slides should be an extension of everything you are talking about.

12. Use text on your slides when you are ‘mentioning a resource or hard facts‘ advises Peg, so people can refer to it if they missed something you just said. Or if you want to emphasise a particular point or piece of information.

13.Wear suitable clothing that makes you feel good. Get your hair done, present yourself well. The better you feel, the better you will come across.

 

Women need to consider where the microphone pack will go as often you have to attach it in front of your audience.  Clothes with a pocket are helpful.  Be ware of wearing a skirt or dress if your audience is below you – watch the length!

14. Re-watch your presentations/live  video like Jeff Sieh does.  He checks out the footage however uncomfortable that might make him feel. This way you can learn what crutches to cut out in future like too many ‘um’s’ and ‘ah’s’ and see where to improve.

15. ‘Nerves can be good as they give you extra energy’ and Jeff advises taking that negative energy and harnessing it to turn it into a positive.  Peg takes a sip of water if she feels herself talking too fast and everyone suggested taking a breath as a good thing! Breathing is always useful!

 

For more information on How to Rock a Presentation visit Jeff Sieh’s site http://manlypinteresttips.com/

ps. if you are a guy and don’t want to get your hair ‘done’ rocking a beard might help 🙂