Feature - Eye on Events

By Meera Jegathesan

Presentation Panic? Show No Fear…

Have you ever sat in your college lecture hall and wondered how your professor could possibly stand in front of hundreds of students and lecture for an hour without flinching for a second? Could you ever picture yourself in your teacher's shoes and imagine speaking in front of so many people while maintaining their undivided attention?

Well, public speaking is not everyone's forte, but many of us have to give presentations frequently in our personal or professional lives—whether the audience is 5 people on your team or 500 attendees at a conference. It's happened to me so much in my career that I have had no choice but to get past my own fears and make sure every presentation experience was a positive one. Regardless of your career, make giving a presentation look like a piece of cake. After all, every presentation is an event in itself!

DO relax before the presentation. Take a moment to breathe before the presentation and drink a glass of water. Get a good night's sleep before the day of the presentation so you are well rested. Do not dread the day of the presentation, as difficult as it is. Focusing too much on your uneasy nerves will affect you more negatively on the day of the presentation than you may think!

DO form an objective or purpose for your presentation (this is a must). Ask yourself what message you want your audience to leave with. I present every day to customers about the benefits of using my hotel for an event so my objective is to present in a way that will convince them to feel confident about my hotel's services and choose my hotel rather than the competition.

DO know your audience. Who is going to be listening to you speak? Your presentation to a group of students and a group of CEO's will be very different, so make it a point to understand the backgrounds and personalities of the members of the audience, so that you can tailor your speech accordingly. Ask for a list of attendees ahead of the presentation and, if that is not possible, ask the audience members to introduce themselves quickly so you can learn more about to whom you are speaking.

DO know your time constraints and be concise. Will you only be able to speak for three minutes or an hour? If your time will be limited (most presentations need to be short in order to keep the audience focused), you will need to make sure you do not run over your allotted limit. Be as concise as possible and don't go on tangents during the presentations. Your ability to stay concise will affect how focused your audience will be.

DO outline the topics in your presentation ahead of time, so you can create a normal flow to the speech. Always state the objective of your presentation first so you can set the audience’s and your expectations ahead of time. Start with an introduction, support your topic with examples and stories and always end with a conclusion. Keeping an outline will help you stay on track and keep the audience focused.

DO use technology if it can help convey the message. Most of us enjoy visual stimulation whether it involves images on a projection screen, flip chart or slides. Technology aids can also support you in making specific points. Maybe you are speaking about the positive actions of a nonprofit children's organization in a South Asian country. Showing pictures of children enjoying the resources that the nonprofit funding has created will probably leave a long-lasting impression with your audience.

DO use handouts if it is applicable to your presentation. Many people in your audience might not be able to see or hear you, so having a handout will help keep their attention. A short handout is a great reference tool that every member of your audience can use during and after the presentation, depending on the nature of the topic. Make your handout professional and eye- catching.

DO appoint another friend or colleague to assist you during the presentation. This person could help flip slides during the presentation, operate audiovisual aids, or arrange props if necessary. As a speaker, your focus should be on your topic and audience and taking time out of the speech to fix a microphone could disrupt the flow of the presentation.

DO engage the audience. Ask your audience questions so you know they are paying attention. Your questions might be open-ended or specific to one person. Use humor only if it is pertinent to your topic or your audience. Many of our presentations in the workplace are more likely to be serious and focused, but a few tasteful jokes might help put you and your audience more at ease.

DO make eye contact with the audience. Stand tall, look straight ahead, smile and speak confidently. Making eye contact is not only important in a presentation but also any time we interact with each other. If you look directly at your audience, they are more likely to pay closer attention to you!

DO practice in front of a friend. Reciting the presentation in front of a friend you trust ahead of time will make you feel more confident on the actual day of the presentation. If this is not possible, try presenting in front of a mirror so you can pretend you are speaking to someone else.

DON'T begin the presentation without introducing yourself. We often are so hasty when it comes to starting with our topic at hand that we forget to tell our audience who we are. An audience is most likely to feel more comfortable with a speaker they know rather than someone who is rushing through the presentation.

DON'T fidget. Body language is important during a presentation, and simple hand movements may help you feel more comfortable and get your point across effectively. But do not tap your fingers on the podium or play with your hair. You'll be surprised how quickly a focused audience can pick up on these cues and lose attention very quickly!

DON'T look down at the floor when speaking. You could be apt to do this if you are nervous. Engage the audience by looking straight ahead, believing in your topic and acting confident. You will be sure to leave a greater impression on your audience and make them feel more connected to you during the presentation.

DON'T memorize your prepared speech word for word. It will stump you and make you appear robotic and uncomfortable in front of your audience. And if a member of the audience has a question, it could detract you from your memorized speech. Refer to your outlined key points on note cards or on a screen and create a natural flow to the presentation.

DON'T speak too fast. You may only have a few minutes to present to your audience but that doesn't mean you should speak so fast. Speak slowly and articulately so everyone can understand your words as clearly as possible.

DON'T leave the presentation without asking for questions from the audience. Perhaps the audience might not understand a particular topic or want you to explain the topic a little more. Asking if your audience has questions shows your audience that you, as the speaker, care about them and their understanding of the presentation.

Hopefully these simple presentation tips will help make you more confident as a speaker and leader in your personal or professional life. Every presentation is indeed an event in itself, so careful preparation and thought will create a more personal and comfortable experience for both you and your audience. After all, giving a presentation is a way for you to shine—and confidence is key!

Meera Jegathesan works as a sales manager and event planner for a major hotel company in the San Francisco Bay Area. She always thinks outside the box and her next big idea is just around the corner.

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