The Do’s and Don’ts of Giving an Effective Presentation

April 8, 2017
When it comes to presentations, no matter what industry you’re in, creating that first impression and providing a presentation that will win over your audience comes with its pressures. Standing in front of that audience and involving them in what you’re saying is important in the success of any presentation. If you have great content, your presentation has a great starting point for success and will help to give you confidence as a presenter.

The content of your slides will set the scene of your presentation, where the words used really do matter. You also need to take into consideration all three elements of physical communication when presenting – words, tone of voice and body language. With the right preparation and the right attitude, you can channel your nerves and improve your confidence. Words, tone of voice and body language all must be in harmony with each other for effective communication. For an interesting and gripping presentation, your words need to be interesting, as well as your tone of voice and you should engage with the audience with your body language to keep it interesting as well.

Some key do’s and don’ts for communicating your message effectively are as follows:

The key Do’s of presenting:

Practice your presentation
Introduce yourself to the audience
Maintain eye contact with the audience
Use props, handouts and videos for added interest
Always ask if the audience has any questions

The key Don’ts of presenting:

Talk at a steady speed, not too fast or too slow
Avoid reading from your slides at all costs
Try not to pace up and down due to your nerves
Avoid saying ‘um’ within a sentence
Try your best not to fidget with your hands

As well as the points mentioned above, there’s some further advice and facts outlined in the below infographic, created by Walkerstone, which will help to boost your confidence and give an effective presentation which will help you keep the attention of your audience.