3 tips which will add flair to your presentations

Speaking to a large group can be difficult at the best of times. When you’re then trying to effectively and thoroughly present information on a less-than-thrilling subject, keeping your audience engaged is an even more daunting prospect.

We’ve all sat through those humdrum meetings that are more likely to send us to sleep than keep us enthralled. How, then, do you actually go about sharpening your presentation skills and keeping your audience enraptured? These tips can get you started:

Sit or stand?

A big part of a successful presentation can be down to appearing confident. This can be aided in very minor ways such as getting your posture in check and making eye contact with as many people as possible.

Furthermore, consider whether you want to sit or stand. It’s usually best to present doing the latter and field any questions in the former. This way you create a sense of purpose and power when going through the information, but immediately become more approachable and open if and when you are asked anything.

Project your voice

Presenting in a relatively big space can make it difficult  for everyone in the room to hear you clearly. Making sure you project your voice appropriately can be key in keeping your audience engaged.

As a simple rule, aim to speak at about one and half times the volume you would during a normal conversation. Of course, this may take some practice. Too loud and your peers will likely think you’re being pedantic and shouting at them. Too quiet and you run the risk of your information getting lost and your audience not taking it in.

Put yourself in the audiences shoes

Whether you’re presenting to five or 500, judging your presentation from the audience’s perspective can be incredibly fruitful.

By all means, focus on the facts and get everything across that you need to, but insert the occasional joke or knowing reference if you want the audience to warm to you.

To reinforce this, try and video your presentation and watch it back long before you step out in front of the crowd. This is a simple and effective technique that can help you better understand whether you’re on the right track.