Five top tips for presenters
It’s July and we’re now deep into congress season. For speakers and presenters of all types, with all levels of experience, this means one thing – how to take to the stage, stand out, and not get lost amid the clutter and clamour of a packed conference programme.
At TFI Lodestar we don’t just organise these congresses, run programmes, and physically build the stages – we also get involved with presenters and their topics, training speakers to make sure their voices are heard, their stories resonate, and their messages cut through.
Sometimes we train presenters one-to-one, sometimes we give all-day workshop sessions to larger groups – but it always boils down to five essential focus areas…
1: DECIDE WHAT YOU’RE GOING TO SAY BEFORE YOU START THINKING ABOUT HOW YOU’LL SAY IT.
If you had to reduce it all down to a simple statement, elevator pitch, or something you can explain over a cup of tea with your gran, what is it that you’re going to be saying in your presentation? It’s not twenty things, it’s one thing. What is it? Get this clear in your head before you go any further.
2: WRITE IT DOWN – BULLET IT OUT INTO A SIMPLE STRUCTURE.
Give it a beginning, middle and end. Keep it crisp and simple. Assume that your audience is easily distracted and won’t remember much of what you said, so make it easy for them to follow and remember. Try to have your ending refer back to the beginning in some way; it makes it more elegant and memorable if you do.
3: DEVELOP YOUR PRESENTATION FLOW AND SLIDES AT THE SAME TIME.
Making your slides while you’re still developing the flow will help you remember both elements when you’re finally on your feet presenting. You can move it all around while you’re working it out, and when it all slots into place it will be fixed in your memory. Trust us: this really works.
4: KEEP YOUR SLIDES SIMPLE – AS FEW WORDS AS POSSIBLE.
If you want to lose your audience’s attention, just show them a slide that’s covered in bullets and words and data. They’ll stop listening and start trying to read it – and in the process they won’t hear what you’re saying and they won’t understand what they’re reading. A picture is worth a thousand words – if you can get away with it (and you almost certainly can) just show them a picture.
5: REHEARSE.
This is the most golden of the golden rules. No time spent rehearsing is ever time wasted. Run your presentation in your head – in the shower, walking the dog, commuting – every chance you get. If you’ve ever seen someone give a speech or presentation and thought “they’re a natural at this”, they’re not, they just rehearsed. A lot.
Now…get out there and be heard! The audience is waiting!
