Delivering presentations can be stressful, and there are too many balls to keep in the air: audience engagement, effective opening, visual aids, body language, anxiety management, and so on. On a positive note, your presentation and public speaking skills can be refined. Therefore, we have put together a list of six dos and don'ts that can assist you in delivering a killer presentation. If you have decided on your presentation idea already and are wondering how to effectively deliver it to the concerned audience, this story is just for you. Let us explore the basic rules of making and delivering a presentation. Do focus on the key message. Your audience, from the very beginning, should feel that your speech is leading to something crucial. This will spark their curiosity and keep them focused. To achieve this effect, you must have something vital to communicate, or your audience might feel like their time was wasted. The content of your presentation should resemble an arrow with a point and not a neverending speech leading to nowhere. Don't read from the projected screen. If you attempt reading from the projected screen, you will have your back towards the audience, and that might make you seem underprepared. It might get pretty boring too! Do plan the structure. Planning your speech ahead of time is the best way to avoid getting sidetracked. Structure your presentation in a way that makes its delivery interesting and most effective to the audience. First, provide your listeners with enough background information to make sure they get acquainted with the topic. After explaining all the need-to-knows, make a seamless move to convey the main message. Don’t end abruptly Make sure your presentation is properly rounded off. The perfect way of doing this is by asking yourself the question, 'How does the delivered presentation relate to your audience?' This question will help you summarise the content of your presentation to draw things to a close. Do maintain a conversational tone. Many public speakers try a tad bit harder to make their speech expressive and often end up appearing pompous and showy to the audience. To avoid this, use a simple conversational tone. Try communicating your message to individual people rather than a massive alien audience. It will help you connect better with the audience. Don’t rush To emphasize a point, pause after making a strong statement or asking a question. Spare some time for your audience to think and reflect. Allow a gap of silence before you present something exciting to create anticipation and suspense. Delivering an effective presentation is not a child’s play but definitely worth the effort.
