It can be nerve-racking to give your first presentation at work or even once you are a seasoned veteran giving an important briefing to your superiors. You may have a hard time knowing where to start or what to do. Successful presentations follow the same basic guidelines.
Know Your Audience
Before you plan any part of your presentation, according to PR Daily, you need to consider who you will speak to. The context and format could change drastically based on your audience. If you are speaking to possible investors, it may be helpful to gather background information on each person, so you can connect with them better. If your presentation is for people who are unfamiliar with your line of work, you will want to avoid the use of jargon and instead use terminology that they understand and can keep them engaged. Your audience largely dictates how your presentation will go.
Manage Your Expectations
Often people tend to dramatize how they predict their presentation will go. You either think that everyone is against you or everyone will praise you for coming up with such a great idea. In reality, according to Gideon Taylor, you can expect 40% of your audience to be evenly split between being on board and not being on board with your idea, leaving 60% of your audience uncertain and willing to go one way or the other. Knowing this, you can manage your own expectations, as well as the expectations of your audience. As a result, you will go into the presentation confident, but also realistic, which helps you adapt to your audience better during the presentation.
Plan Ahead
The need to plan ahead should go without saying, but according to HubSpot, it is crucial for a successful business presentation. For your audience to respect you and trust your information, you need to be prepared. Your preparation should include gathering all relevant data, creating a professional visual aid like a slide show, and brainstormed questions that the audience may ask. This will help your presentation be organized and will also prevent you from being caught off guard and risk not being taken seriously. You want to give your presentation the best shot at success, and planning is the key to accomplishing that goal.
Practice, Practice, Practice
Without practice, all your planning could fail. According to Study.com, practice helps you work out any flaws in your presentation with technology or your points. You will also be able to speak more confidently and naturally as you will be familiar with your material and will not have to rely on notes. If you practice with someone else, you can learn from their feedback and make corrections. Before your presentation, you can even practice good posture, which also helps you appear more confident.
After you worked hard gathering information and practiced, you are prepared to give a successful presentation. Your hard work will paint your idea in the best light and be more likely to persuade your audience to go along with your plan. In this case, a little work does go a long way.
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