Effective Presentations

Effective presentation  for me, (as I found out recently) incorporates some key factors. Factors, that if omitted may lead to your presentation not living up to it’s full potential. These factors are in no particular order,

1. Know your subject matter.
Having an excellent knowledge of your chosen subject will not only inspire confidence in yourself but also in your audience. This is also extremely helpful if you not just giving a presentation but are allowing for a Q & A session afterwards. Being knowledgeable about your subject also allows you to keep the audience attentive.

2. Know your audience.
This may seem obvious but knowing whom you are speaking to prevents any possibility of embarrassment. You certainly do not want to offend a potential client or employer.

3. Know your Self.
Knowing what you are and what you are not capable of beforehand will also prevent any embarrassing moments. You do not want to be midway through you presentation and then realise that you are in fact not equipped to tell the hilarious joke you were told in pub last week. Do not try to get too technical or in-depth with the subject matter just because you know what you are talking about, keep it relative.

4. Prepare your script.
Again stating the obvious here. If you are using cue cards then make sure they are clear, concise, relevant, in order and legible. Have an opening/introduction, a main body and a conclusion. Very important to CONCLUDE.

5. Have a theme.
Try to make sure that you have a constant theme that runs through your presentation. You do not want to find yourself losing audience interest because you are flitting from one topic to another without there being a constant, tying everything in together in cohesion.

5. Rehearse-rehearse-rehearse.
Make sure that you run over your presentation a number of times, especially if you are restricted for time. Also make sure that you rehearse with any visual aids or props that you may incorporate into the presentation. All to have often we have seen presentations being given and have laughed at how a product refuses to work or something falls over. I love this, it is the perfect example of being caught out.