Here a five quick and easy tips to help you through a presentation:
- Your handouts should not be the same as your presentation slides. Ideally they should contain a lot more information than your slides, enough so that even someone who wasn't present at your presentation would be able to understand.
- Do not use the templates in PowerPoint, everyone uses these and if you choose to follow suite you will only be making it harder to grab the audiences imagination, especially if they have seen this template used before.
- Start off strongly; be sure of you r abilities enough to be able to show off a bit. the audience wants to see something new and exciting and whilst boring can be considered safer, it is very rarely going to win you any hearts and minds.
- Don't get carried away with slide animations or noises as these only help to detract attention away from you and can also be confusing and too much of a novelty.
- Try and find the right balance with humor. Ideally, a few clever and witty comments here and there is all you should be looking for, as this will not only help you to gain confidence but also help you too win over the audience. However there is nothing more cringing than an unfunny joke, don't try and force the issue and realise that the presentation comes before the laughs.
