8 Uncommon Approaches to Better Presentations

When you accepted your leadership role, did you ever imagine that you’d be giving so many presentations to so many different people? If you have public speaking anxiety, the task can feel daunting, or even downright nightmarish. The fear of bombing in front of upper management or embarrassing yourself in front of your new team can be debilitating.

The good news is that with enough practice, you can get better. Follow these rules, and you’ll be giving powerful presentations in no time:

1. More visuals, less words. Your PowerPoint presentation likely has too many words, on every slide, and you are probably using way too many slides. Visual aids should be visual. Start replacing the words on your slides with images. Not just pie charts and line graphs, but pictures and images that help tell your story.
2. More emotion, less logic. It takes more than logic to move people. Give your audience the facts they need, but don’t overload them. Make sure you speak to the emotional part of people as well. Talk about why, and not just how.
3. More stories, less facts. We read books, watch TV and buy movie tickets because we love stories. When you create stories around your presentation or include relevant and passionate stories as a part of your presentation, you will be more successful.
4. More focus, less scatter. If you can’t put the key concepts and ideas of your talk on the back of an envelope or on one side of a 3×5 card, your message is too scattered. Hone in on your key message; know exactly what it is. If you don’t know it, how can you expect your audience to know (or remember) it?
5. More preparation, less winging it. Giving an effective presentation takes preparation and planning time. Too many people give poor presentations because they simply rely on their slides and muddle through. If you want to be a more powerful presenter, you must be prepared.
6. More belief, less bluster. Let your passion for your topic, your message and your recommendations show. If you believe in your message, let people know that through your words, actions, body language, energy and more.
7. More audience, less you. Hopefully you aren’t giving your presentation for your benefit, but for your listeners. So, focus more on them. Worry less about how you look or sound and more about helping them understand your message. A presentation should always be about the audience.
8. More you, less façade. No, this isn’t in conflict with the last point; you will be a more effective presenter when you are real, genuine and sincere. Drop the posturing and be authentic. Your audience will appreciate it, and they will listen and trust you more.

What other tips can you offer fellow first-time managers for overcoming their presentation anxiety? What has worked for you so far? Answer in the comments section below. 

Photo Credit: http://www.freeimages.com/photo/what-not-to-do-1-1245582