How To Deliver A Killer Presentation!

Delivering A Killer Presentation

So you've heard from your boss, teacher or parent that you're due to give a presentation to a group of people, no matter how much you know about your presentation, you are still panicking. What if I'm not prepared? What if I forget what I'm supposed to say? What if they completely hate my presentation and laugh at me? Not to worry! Here is a brilliant section of advice on how to deliver a killer presentation!

If you're not keen on reading, here are some general bullets points which will some up most of what I am discussing.

★ Be passionate - people are much more interested in what you have to say if you seem enthusiastic!

★ Tell it like a story - keep your audience entertained (where suitable).

★ Use humour where necessary.

★ Use good props/backing/support - the presentation is there to back up your speech, it's more important than you realise.

★ Open up by adding a personal touch.

★ Go into the presentation with the aim of changing people's judgements beforehand - try persuading if necessary as well as informing.

★ Keep the message behind your presentation simple to avoid confusion.

If you are more of a visual learner, and prefer to learn from watching videos, here are a few I've found which are super helpful!

★ 3 Tips For How To Give A Killer Presentation - Expert Market

★ How To Give A Killer Presentation With No Notes - Charisma On Command

★ How To Deliver A Killer Presentation Confidently (Public Speaking) - BizMove

The software you use to create your supporting presentation is very important. The typical presentation software that comes to mind is of course Microsoft PowerPoint, which, may I add is incredibly good for just that, there is no need to add plenty of graphics, animations or complex timelines to a presentation, simply because the attention is on you. If you aren't the greatest with computers, I highly recommend using PowerPoint due to how easy it is to get your head around. Also, as the most popular presentation software out there, there are bound to be plenty of tutorials to help you. If you are looking for something a little different, there are plenty of other paths to follow with other software more suited for what you are looking for.

Though presentations may be something of a daily occurrence, they can be asked for instead of interviews, or after the interview stage, as terrifying as it can be, knowing your way around them is guaranteeing you an instant success. Use as many of the bullet points as you can. Do more than just inform your audience, really encapsulate them into your presentation, be enthusiastic, maybe even interactive at some points by asking for their input. Asking if they have any questions at the end of the presentation is a good tactic to show you are brave and well-prepared enough for any sort of curve ball questions they may fire your way.

Presentation Openings

Most presentations are, well, boring, and although few of them are supposed to be able to get the audience in knots of laughter, there are a few ways you can keep them engaged without going overboard. The main focus is to keep them listening to you, which can be tricky. It will take plenty of practise to get your presentation as exciting as you want to, all that is required is that you seem as though you are enjoying yourself whilst talking to them, a smile goes a long way.

Despite feeling the need to have cue cards or notes, this often isn't the best way to present at all. It's a known fact that the most effective presentations are rehearsed but not written word-for-word. There are a few reasons for this. Firstly, having the script written on the presentation isn't helpful, rather it draws the attention from you and on to the presentation behind you instead, it totally ruins the flow of the speech and is very disengaging. It is much better to have precise bullet points behind you for the audience to see and understand a summary of what you are discussing, and they are also a nice little hidden reminder for you if you get stuck. Secondly, lack of eye contact with your audience as a result of looking at scripts is far from professional, and again disengaging as the audience won't feel involved enough. As hard as eye contact can be, surfing your eyes across the sea of people is sure to keep everyone from seeming bored and it will prevent any disruption at all. As mentioned a little earlier, focus is important, but don't let it take away the flow of the presentation. A presentation that flows smoothly is a clear sign that you have been well-prepared, and this is a very good characteristic for employers to see. Flicking through notes is not the way to go, as the breaks in between switching the cards (no matter how small they may be) are very off-putting. 

Some things are out of our control however. I have been in a very awkward position before when giving a presentation to a group of around a hundred students, for the computer to run into an error and the presentation to not work at all. It is important not to rely too much on your support presentation for this very reason, sometimes, no matter how irritating it is, things out of our control can make our lives harder, but there is an easy way around this. If this worse case scenario does happen, relax, as long as you have prepared what you are going to say beforehand instead of relying on the presentation, you will be absolutely fine. A little improvisation never went amiss, although beware of going overboard - they will know it was made up on the spot and that isn't a good look.

Now you've been given the advice on how to deliver it yourself, here are some presentation software ideas I recommend. Each have their benefits and which presentation types they are more suited for, so I suggest you look into each of them where you can to make sure you have the best option for you!

★ Google Docs

★ Microsoft PowerPoint

★ Keynote

★ MediaShout

★ OpenOffice Impress

★ Microsoft PowerPoint Viewer

★ Corel Presentations

Best of luck for your presentation, you'll smash it!