Your company has a big event coming up where businesses from around the country will be coming to watch your presentation and take a fantastic deal away with them (or so your manager hopes!) and, to your surprise, you have been designated as the main speaker at the event.
Now, we all know how scary public speaking can be especially when you have the weight of the company’s success resting on your shoulders, not to mention your manager watching your every move. So, here are some tips to help you prepare for your big moment:
- The most important thing to do before your presentation is to actually create one. Despite the common phrase of ‘winging a performance’ take a bit of advice from us; it doesn’t work. If you don’t plan and develop your presentation properly you can almost guarantee a performance that will give you nightmares for the rest of your life. So:
- Know your audience and prepare with them in mind
- Decide the essential information you need to get across and include it
- Decide the desirable information you would like to get across and fit it around the essential content
- Don’t try to include too much information in the time available
- Build in some timing flexibility by leaving time for questions at the end of your formal input – if there are no questions, finish a little early … no problem!
- Include some light-heartedness but not jokes unless you are particularly good at telling them and you can think of something relevant to your content
- Decide on what visual aids you will use and make sure you don’t use too many slides and don’t talk to the screen when giving your presentation
- Decide on what to wear on the day, make sure it is appropriate and that you feel good in it – does that jacket you last wore several months ago still fit?
- Make a reconnaissance of the venue and decide where you will stand in relation to your audience and the screen showing any slides you may use
- The rehearse, rehearse, rehearse
- .. so that you can give your presentation without notes
- .. so that you can change your slides easily from your presentation position
- For really important presentations ask someone to video you so that you can analyse your body language and use of voice
- Practice in front of the mirror if necessary to get an idea of what your natural body language consists of and how you can develop it
Finally, consider the use of a performance coach to help you prepare and practice. This will not only help to enhance the quality of your performance but will enable you to portray a high level of confidence during your speech. The more confidence you have and the more enthusiasm you put into your speech, the more memorable and valued your speech will be.
Enquire about our public speaking performance coaching today and impress your manager at your next big event.
