How to Improve Your Business Presentation skills
Here are 5 simple tips to improve your business presentation skills:
- Prepare – It sounds obscure, but the more you prepare your presentation the better it will be for those you are presenting to because you are confident with the material you are delivering.
You will be surprised how reading your presentation out a few times will allow your unconscious to soak up the content for later.
2. Understand your audience needs – Only when you understand whom you are presenting to and their needs, can you deliver the message effectively to your audience. At times you might need to change the presentation slightly to ensure the message is a match for the market it’s been delivered to.
3. Tell stories – Rather than boring facts and figures on the strategy and action points the whole time include stories. Even simple, short stories will change the impact of your message. Provided the story is relevant people can associate with a story and connect with you on an emotional level.
4. Use humour – We all like to laugh, we all have a sense of humour and while the audience doesn’t want you to tell bad jokes, they will enjoy a little humour in presentations.
Laughter is the shortest distance between two people so adding lightness to your presentation especially after sharing the nuts and bolts will mean the audience will stay engaged longer.
5. Use PowerPoint – When you use PowerPoint, include the subject matter such as bullets and demonstrations, and then expand on these points. Your audience is made up of thinkers, feelers and visionaries so having visual prompts will appeal to those who best learn from seeing.
6. Interaction – it’s been proven that the more you can apply your learning the better the content will stick. To help your audience succeed include activities that allow the new leaning to be applied.
7. Acknowledge – Encourage your audience to participate and reward them when they do. This starts momentum in the room and creates an environment of serving and support.
If after reading this you still feel presenting in front of an audience is way outside your comfort zone you might like to consider our fun, interactive public speaking workshop. You’ll go from shy and nervous to commanding and confident. More information on improving your business presentation skills is available here presentation skills workshop