Hone Your Presentation Skills With These Tips

Learning the art of the presentation is one of the most valuable things you can learn in the business world. The better you are at showcasing your business or presenting your business pitch, the more successful you will be. Here are some tips you can use to hone your presentation skills!



1. Observe Others

The first thing to planning an excellent presentation is figuring out how you want to present. Think about presentations that resonated with you and ask yourself some questions. What was it about the presenter that made the presentation engaging and interesting? What was their style? Did they use PowerPoint, props, Q&A sessions, humor, anecdotes?

You can also browse the Internet for some inspirations. Ted Talks are a great way to quickly peruse many different speakers. They have loads of different topics and a diverse selection of presenters to choose from; pick your favorites and analyze their presentation skills.

2. Understand Your Audience

Who are you presenting to and how does your topic relate to that audience? This will dictate how you and your audience will interact with each other. If the presentation is open to the public, take the time to understand who your presentation may attract.

Also make sure not to stray from your topic; remember that your audience has taken time out of their day to see you speak. Make the most of that time without going into unrelated points or details. Your audience will thank you for it and will remember your presentation for its effectiveness rather than its unnecessary length.

3. Learn how to Use PowerPoint

I’m serious. If you think you know it, go back and make sure. I can’t tell you how many presentations are ruined by a horrible PowerPoint slideshow. The last thing an audience wants is another solid colored slide with an unedited picture slapped in the middle of it. Make it fun and easy to look at but still professional. There are many examples of well-organized PowerPoints online. Here are some brief tips:

• Use no more than 20 slides
• Use bulletpoints and only put on relevant issues that summarize what you will be saying
• Don’t clutter the slides
  

PowerPoint is very effective if it’s used properly. There’s a reason it’s been around in the business world for so long – it moves forward in a linear format, giving the audience a sense of progress.

4. Practice

This may seem like an obvious tip, but you can never practice your presentation enough. Practice in different environments and in front of varying audiences. Record yourself speaking and play it back so you can hear your own presentation and edit it. The goal is to know your presentation so well that you aren’t just memorizing it; you can elaborate when needed and branch off to a different topic if an audience member poses a question.

Want to learn more about doing the perfect business presentation? Register now for the MACs Women business summit to attend the #MACsPerfectPitch presentation, along with many other informative sessions!