Giving presentations – a skill that can be learned
Autumn. The time for conferences, both small and large. The time for communicating your message to your relevant target audience. Autumn is a great time to reach out to key stakeholders to shape the future together.
No matter whether you are giving a speech in front of 1,000 people or are tasked with providing a convincing presentation to management – how you speak and express yourself is crucial if you are to inspire and win over your audience. The ability to present well is an important skill in both professional and private contexts. And the good thing is: this is a skill you can learn.
Key steps for giving a successful presentation:
Set out your main message and show appreciation:
Think about the message you want your audience to take away. What idea, what insight should they remember? It is important that the content of your presentation brings added value to the audience. Your presentation should be a gift that people are happy to receive. Because everyone’s time is precious and this is how you convey to your audience that you appreciate them being there.
Know your audience and meet their expectations:
Who is the audience? What do the listeners expect or need? What “language” do they speak? What are their values and attitudes?
Learn as much as you can about your audience ahead of the presentation so that your words meet their expectations and have a lasting impact.
Determine your storyline and structure:
Develop a common thread that runs through the entire presentation. Consider how you can take your audience on a journey and design the presentation so that they enjoy listening to you right until the end. In the introduction, it is essential that you immediately grab the audience’s attention. In the main part, focus on being persuasive and don’t forget to come back to the main message at the end.
Demonstrate real expertise and authenticity:
Know the content of your presentation inside out and be an expert or draw on your own original experience in your speech. This is the art of persuasion. By identifying with the content, you will gain the trust of your audience.
Practise, practise, practise:
Content is one thing, but your stage presence is just as important. The audience reacts not only to what you say, but also to how you say it. Your body language, your tone of voice, your eye contact – all of this plays a key role in ensuring your presentation is both credible and successful. This means you need to practise, practise, practise. In front of the mirror, in front of your partner, while jogging – practise everywhere to make sure that everything is just right and that you are able to react smoothly to any unexpected occurrences.
Find out more in our guide.
