The Art of Presentation
A compilation of handy advice for the verbal storyteller.
We’ve all been there, amiright?
Words are my currency and I'm generally a person of few (at least verbally). I don't like to waste words and if I'm honest, it bothers me when other people waste them. While I generally fall into the “introvert” category, a part of me loves the feeling of holding an audience captive with different combinations of letters and dramatic pauses that come together to create a story. The same goes for my writing. I've been blessed to have the opportunity to spend my currency in various ways, and I'm constantly on the lookout for ways to improve it’s value. Here are a few bits of advice on the art of presentation that I’ve pick up along the way.
Note: this post is continually updated—stay tuned.
Know Thyself
As a communicator, it’s vital to understand your style—your strengths and weaknesses. Sometimes, it can be hard to self-assess. So, here’s a great link to a communication assessment by leadership expert Tim Elmore.
TED Talks
Watch them. Watch a lot of them. I’m an addict. My “List” on Netflix is full of them. In the meantime, read this article from Forbes on 9 lessons you can learn from TED speakers. (Photo Credit)
What You Can Accomplish in 9 Minutes
Take the time to be concise. As this great article says, don’t just use the “show up and throw up” approach. As Churchill famously said: “I’m going to make a long speech because I’ve not had the time to prepare a short one.” Don’t be that guy.
(Photo Credit)
Be Brief, Be Sincere, Be Seated
On a related note, this favorite rule of speaking is attributed to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Words I try to live by. However, as noted in this post, it’s important not to go too far.
Engage Your Audience and Keep Them
Hamilton College Oral Communication Center provides some common-sense advice on how to grab the audience from the get-go and keep them tuned in until your final word. *Note: Standing ovation not guaranteed. (Photo Credit)
10 Tips for Powerpoint Presentations
You can have a great presentation without including a lot of visuals. Sometimes, though, you just need a slide or two, or maybe a video. This is totally fine (encouraged, even), but please trust me when I say you can totally blow your presentation if you don’t do this well!
Quite Possibly The Worst Presentation Ever
If you're one of those that just wants to know what NOT to do, skip everything else and look here. This is a Powerpoint file from Elmhurst.edu. There’s nothing okay about this. Nothing.
Whatever you do, do it wisely. Words are currency, but you can't get them back.
