Tips on How to Nail Your Presentation
Presenting and public speaking can be tough. Many people dread having to present anything. For me, I’ve always liked talking, so this translated very easily for me. Even though I believe that I was always a very strong public speaker, there are always ways to have better presentations. I started making presentations early in middle school, and the first thing I realized was that my presentations were always better when I was prepared. Preparation is key for presenting as well as public speaking. Not only does it make you sound more informed on your topic, but you come off as more confident which makes your presentation flow better. Prior to my presentations, I would always run through my presentations and actually practice them out loud. A key resource in doing this is friends and family. Most presentations wouldn’t take up too much of anyone’s time, so those close to you are usually happy to help.
It is also very important to be very educated on your topic. This is important because in your Q&A portion of your presentation, you may receive questions about your topic not mentioned in your presentation. This is crucial to be able to answer because anything in the subject of your presentation can correlate with your presentation, and it can hinder the authenticity of your presentation. “the first thing I had to do was become an expert on the subject. This gives me not just the ability to explain in a simple and condensed fashion complex material but being knowledgeable and prepared works wonders for your confidence.” (Covino, 2018). When you are an expert on your subject, oftentimes during your presentation you may even think of extra things not mentioned in your PowerPoint.
These “adlibs” can make you sound more informed on your topic, and even strengthen your presentation. I agree with Covino’s tactics because from personal experience I believe preparation, as well as becoming an expert on your topic does nothing but strengthen your presentation. Lastly, I strongly believe using these tools will make your presentation better and more successful.
References
Covino, S. (2018). Presentation Time!. Public Speaking. Retrieved from https://medium.com/importance-of-public-speaking/presentation-time-11ef4f27e989
