Presentation Tips.
Public Speaking Strategies - How to Do a Presentation?

presentation tips, public speaking strategies, presentation tips for public speaking

Presentation Tips - 1
Visualize

I was going to anchor in a blind-date fun competition in college. Large crowds of students from across the region would be gathering around me in a circle as I'd ask the participants inside the circle interesting questions. One day before the event, I locked myself in a room and imagined myself talking to the audience. I even held my fist under my mouth to imagine a mike! I imagined my audience cheering me! I imagined myself walking around in the middle of the circle of people with confidence, relaxed. I could feel the energy all around, I was actually getting excited as I started the competition in my mind! I asked the audience to give a big hand and they roared! I said “Hi” to my audience and spontaneously started speaking to them as if they were really present!

After this imagination bout, I felt VERY confident about the event. I felt like I could face any problem that occurred – nothing could stop an awesome performance!

I don’t really know why this visualizing helps, but try it once, because it does give a nitro-boost to your confidence.

Presentation Tips - 2
Audience Involvement

If the audience is interested in what you’re saying – all is well.

In an economics presentation in college, I had prepared an example to tell the audience about inflation. I don’t remember the exact example, so I’ll tell you what I remember. Just as I was about to say something to the tune of – "..suppose a person lends 20 rupees, to another person for one year, and yet another person for 3 years", I saw Karan and Vikanshu and Karthik – 3 of my friends. I said, “Now suppose Karan here – and I pointed at Karan, lends Vikanshu there 20 Rs for an year and he lends Karthik there Rs 20 for 3 years…” Suddenly everybody was excited while the three boys themselves smiled. :)! The whole discussion became lively! Maybe because the audience felt involved, instead of being made to listen to “drone, drone, drone..”..:)

Another thing I’ve seen whenever I’ve anchored a quiz, is that members of the audience jump and cheer for audience questions. Even in my own economics presentation, the part where people asked me questions and grilled me – and we had a discussion – was much more interesting and exciting for everybody then the part where only I was talking.

Say you’re making a presentation explaining stocks and shares and the stock market.

Now after you’re done with a small part – like what stocks are, ask the audience if they understood it! Then when you’ve completed a few more portions, again ask the audience if they had any doubts! This way the audience will get everything CRYSTAL clear.

So could you do these 2 things?

- Involve the audience by giving examples INVOLVING some actual AUDIENCE CHARACTERS.

- And ask the audience questions again and again!

Tell me, wouldn’t you just LOVE it if the speaker kept asking you if you understood things, if he DID everything to make YOU understand stuff and if he even gave examples which involved your friends? You would be interested. :)

Presentation Tips - 3
Just Before the Presentation

Just before my blind date anchoring session, I turned on my favorite celebration songs play list and flowed to the tune of upbeat songs and even danced! I forgot about my presentation and celebrated for a while! This made my mood sky rocket – and by the time I was actually facing my audience I was like – “Yo man, Yo!”

The event was a success.

JUST before your presentation, do something that will LIFT YOUR MOOD. Listening to upbeat songs AND singing along and dancing is a fantastic “mood-upbeater“ ;) Going on stage when the event hasn’t started and talking casually with the audience is another fantastic "mood-upbeater". Sing. Dance. Jump. Run. Exercise. Whatever, Just rock your mood BEFORE the presentation.

Presentation Tips - 4
Pictures and Videos

Won’t you be tempted to say – “What the heck?”

If instead he shows you a video – with sound effects! Won’t you be hooked?

In my second year of college, I conducted a quiz contest and I put Looong questions that got displayed on the slide. And then looong answers that got displayed on the slide. The quiz failed miserably.

An year later, I conducted another quiz – a quiz on Gandhi. I made sure EVERY slide had a picture. I showed questions which had a video of Gandhi talking to a fellow prisoner or Gandhi leading a march.

I asked the contestants to identify people in the picture, to find mistakes in the PICTURE. PICTURE – VIDEO - PICTURE.

Of course other factors were there too, but the reaction from the audience was AMAZING. They were really interested.

How could you put a LOT of pictures and videos in your presentation? Could you use charts and tables and Pictures instead of bullet points? Or could you DRAW them a nice picture?

But the point is – rock your presentation. I mean, why not?

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