I thought it might be nice to try and generate some more interaction on this blogsite so what I would like is for folks to add in the comments section below some presentation nija tips. Share those little thoughts that you have had that might improve presentations.
A few simple ones to get you going.
1. Sometimes there is a value in blanking the screen during a presentation. A planned blank slide is “The Best Slide in the World” OR off the cuff, pressing “B” will turn the screen (and potentially the whole room) Black. So if it’s a dark room go for “W” for a White screen. Re-pressing the same will return to the presentation.
2. Save your Powerpoint Presentation as .pps and when the icon is clicked it will launch directly into the SHOW rather than edit mode.
3. Save one back up of your presentation as a .pdf This can be viewed if there is Presentation software conflict at the venue.
4. A remote control frees you from being shackled to the podium. Buy your own for around £20. All you need is forward, back and blank.
5. Don’t speak to your title slide . If you are introduced, they will introduce your talk by its title. Repeating that again detracts from your presentation. Start your talk with an attention getter.
6. Starting and finishing with the same image gives a talk a visual completeness.
7. Practise once with no slides. It might happen.
8. Speak more slowly than that.
9. Immediately before you speak, stop and smile at the audience.
10. When considering your audience think, “Why should they listen to ME?” Seriously, write it down. Nothing that applies to who you are is relevant.
So please, what tips do YOU have?
Right, here are some, which you’ve doubtless covered elsewhere:
1. Always bring it in under time. Nobody will ever say “good presentation, but I wish they went on for longer”. This is doubly, triply true for tight programs and for interviews.
2. Make eye contact with everyone in the audience. And again. And again. This doesn’t come naturally – you have to practice it, and remember it. People will perceive a much more involved presentation, and you will prevent people drifting away or, horrors, off to sleep.
3. Think about how you’ll deal with rude folk – you know, sitting in the front row and talking. How you handle it will depend on the power gradient in the room, but remember most folk are there to hear you, not them. My favourite is to stop talking and grin at them. And continue to grin. And continue to grin. And when they notice, and stop talking, I start up again.