Becoming an Effective Presenter

After reading Ragan’s PR Daily, a post written by Jon Thomas caught my attention.  It featured a very entertaining video titled “Every Presentation Ever” by Growing Leaders Inc. and Habitudes for Communicators.  The video includes every mistake and annoyance that every speaker has encountered at least once during a presentation.

While watching the video, I saw myself in the shoes of the presenter. This brought back chills because of the embarrassment I once felt during past presentations. But after reading the rest of the post I began to realize it is not necessarily the content, but the effectiveness of a presenter that makes or breaks a presentation. Communicators should be effective: Show enthusiasm, be credible about the topic and believe and have passion for the subject matter. The post presented 10 tips that I thought were important.  The 10 tips by Thomas are:

1.      Arrive Early to Prepare

2.      Craft a Strong Opening

3.      Don’t Make Fun of Audience Members

4.      Don’t Use Juvenile Slide Transitions

5.      Don’t Read Your Slides

6.      Practice, Practice, Practice

7.      Don’t Use Clipart

8.      Prepare for Technical Difficulties

9.      Be Careful with Lists

10.   End with a Bang

Why are these tips important? Think back when you were listening to a presentation. Did the speaker have a strong opening that engaged you in the presentation? No? It’s very important to have a strong opening. Humor can be a bit dangerous; if used make sure it is a relevant story to the presentation. Do not use this time to talk about yourself or why you are important to the audience. Sum up why you are credible on the topic and move on.

The biggest pet peeve for any presentation viewer is when the speaker reads directly off the slide. The purpose of slides is for the audience to view and sense as a focus point for the speaker. Also, the presenter should never have their back towards the audience and be careful with lists. They are useful when done properly. Lists in presentations should be short and to the point. This gives the audience an idea to what the speaker will be talking about and in return reminds the speaker what to talk about.

These tips can be also used for daily responsibilities. Communicators should always be prepared. Early preparation is key to be as effective as possible. It sets the stage for the rest of the project or task set before you. Everything designed for the project should be strong, not juvenile. Keep in mind that what is completed should always be professional. Once all completed the most important tip is: practice, practice, practice. The century-old phrase, “practice makes perfect” still stands true today. If practiced, every circumstance that could arise is expected and prepared for. Finally to keep your work memorable, end with a bang. End someway that everyone will remember you and will want to refer to your presentation in future conversations. When completed successfully, you should feel good for a job well done.

To watch “Every Presentation Ever,” please visit:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIABo0d9MVE&feature=player_embedded

For more details on the tips, please visit:

http://prdaily.com/mediarelations/Articles/10748.aspx