Relaxed presenting
Are you faced with the task of presenting yourself? Then of course you want to stand there confidently. Captivate and surprise your audience with an original presentation. Not standard, just different from the rest. There are several ways to stand out. In this blog you can read how to give a presentation in a relaxed and confident manner.
Speaking in front of a room or group of people most people find exciting. There are few people whom it really leaves cold. Whether it is part of your job, you are booked as a speaker or it is the first time you have to give a presentation. Either way, it’s always going to be a bit exciting. Fortunately, there are things that do help take some of the pressure off. We give you 5 tips to present more relaxed.
Prepare well!
No matter how spontaneous, off the cuff and relaxed speakers sometimes come across, count on them to have prepared their story well. So read up well so you know everything about the topic. Don’t memorize a story, but make sure you can retell it in your own words. Practice this by speaking your story out loud. Also think in advance about how you can immediately captivate your audience. Think of a funny anecdote, joke or tell something personal. That way, you’ll make sure everyone is immediately hanging on your every word.
Speak the language of your audience
In your preparation, also think about certain words that are jargon. Can everyone follow your story? Otherwise, think about how you will take care of this in advance. And speaking of language. Who are those to whom you are going to tell it? For example, are they young, old, male, female, religious or learned? It helps to think about this beforehand.
Use current events
Your audience is not waiting for a rehearsed story. Everyone will notice this. But it is nice if you can respond to something that is happening at the time. This creates familiarity and so your audience is more likely to feel addressed. So think about how you can use current events to captivate your audience and create a bridge to your story.
Provide interaction
A trick often used by comedians is to also ask the audience for response. You do this by asking closed questions. For example: Who came by bicycle? Do all the men in the room want to raise their hands? Or make something up. Try to do this with humor. It is always nice to gauge a little bit of what is going on in the room first. By engaging people and getting back to it occasionally in the story, you keep people engaged.
Stand strong with perfect guidance
How does everyone else handle a presentation? What is the expectation of your audience? If you manage to exceed this then of course you are already 1-0 ahead. Is it customary to hand out handouts? If so, put out a blank sheet so your audience can take their own notes. In addition, of course, you have already won half the battle if you present a perfectly designed presentation.
Want to read how to go about this? Then read our blogs below again:
- “From blank to the perfect PowerPoint presentation”
- “8 tips for a professional PowerPoint presentation”
- “How to make a good PowerPoint presentation”
Can we help you create a flawless presentation? We have collaborated on numerous presentations and build the perfect PowerPoint, Google Slides or Prezi for you. Contact us!