You stayed up all night working on your presentation, and you thought you did pretty well. But once you’re done, your lecturer tells you that you need to do better.
Wondering where your mistakes are? We are here to help! Here are 7 brilliant tips that you should always keep in mind the next time you have a live presentation scheduled.
DON’T OVERCROWD YOUR SLIDES
The major key to attract your audience—whether it’s your lecturer or your coursemates—is keeping it concise and simple.
Remember to only include one main point in one slide. This is because too many points in a single slide will be too congested. It will keep your audience focused on the slides instead of your presentation, and they’ll feel bored pretty soon.
COLOUR
This isn’t as simple as it sounds, but the small details always make a big difference. Be sure to choose a font colour that contrasts with your background. This makes your slides attractive and it delivers your points accurately. As an example, a slide with a dark background must be paired with a brighter-coloured font to make your presentation stand out and readable.
FONTS
With so many font types easily available, it is a difficult choice to pick the right ones, especially when you are trying to deliver an excellent presentation. Take note that you must not use anything more than three font types. This is to ensure the consistency and the flow of your presentation. Too many fonts can just be overwhelming. Also, keep in mind that you may not want to use fonts that are difficult to read, such as cursives and calligraphy. Simpler font types such as Sans Serif, Times New Roman and Arial should do just fine.
TOPIC
Moving on, as a presenter, it is crucial for you to acknowledge the importance of understanding the topic that you are going to present. Put yourself in the position of a teacher/lecturer. Imagine that your audiences know nothing about your topic.
Thus, it is your job to explain each and every detail to them accurately. Most importantly, do not read from your slide. Know that your slides are only supposed to aid your presentation alone. No one wants to watch someone read off a slide because they can read the same thing. Also, be prepared to answer any question that may be raised by your audiences.
VISUALS
This step is necessary to spice up your presentation. Humans are attracted to visuals, videos and pictures. So, by putting this trick into action, you may be able to draw in your audiences to lend you their ears for a little longer. Never neglect the usage of a high definition image, as a lower quality image lowers the quality of your presentation. You don’t want your audience squinting at a picture that looks like it was downloaded in 2001.
BODY LANGUAGE
As a live presenter, everyone expects you to have some nerves. One way to overcome them is to fake it until you make it. Confident presenters use body language tricks like hand gestures and maintaining eye contact. Also, smile!
When you’re nervous, try to remember these gestures. They’ll make you seem confident, and once you seem confident, you’ll be confident.
REHEARSE AND REHEARSE
Once you’ve got your presentation scheduled, the first thing you want to do is finish your slides as soon as possible. Why? Because you must rehearse your presentation beforehand. Never wait till the eleventh hour to rehearse, as during rehearsals, you will definitely notice flaws. You’ll notice facts that you may want to amend or gather more information about. Be sure to practice numerous times, as practice makes perfect.
Finally, remember that things don’t happen overnight. So, hang in there, and make good use of all these exciting tips and tricks prepared specifically for you. Good luck!
