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Giving a presentation to a room or a hall full of people can be nerve-racking. It is also an opportunity to showcase yourself, your abilities, and the company/team/product or service you represent. Some people are born presenters with flair, gift of the gab, and inherent charm. While others have their work cut out for them, unfortunately. They have to work that extra hard on their presentations to appear effective and cogent.
There are some simple tips which can help all of us to give great, not good presentations:
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Few slides and text – Most people called upon to make presentations think “more is merrier”. Nothing is further from the truth. In order to be a great communicator, it's best to keep the number of slides to the bare minimum. Instead of boring the hell out of everyone present with 20 slides and rambling text, keep it short n sweet. Stick to 5 slides with minimal text. So out with PPTs which resemble The Bhagvad Gita in terms of slides and text, and in with the basic essentials.
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Avoid bullet points – Instead of being the preferred form of communicating the salient points in short and crisp language using bullet points, it tends to be received negatively by its recipients. Therefore great communicators and presenters use text and images or videos to support the text. The late Mr. Steve Jobs used text and images to make his point, not bullet points. Studies have shown that information conveyed using Images / videos along with the text is more effective and remembered far longer by its audience.
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Modulate your voice – Speakers who can modulate their voice (pace, pitch, and volume) capture the attention of the audience from the start. Modulation of the voice is an indication of the confidence level of the speaker. For example, great speakers raise their voices when emphasizing a key message, or pausing like the late prime minister Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee after delivering an important point. In fact, the pauses during speeches became his hallmark strategy to get maximum attention from his enraptured audience. So, raise and lower your volume as well as switch between a high & low pitch to convey the message in the most persuasive manner.
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Practice the speech – Practice, practice, and practice. The best speakers are those who make time to repeatedly practice their speeches / presentations to get it right. There is no second act or second cut if you screw up the presentation on the big day. Stand in front of a mirror to rehearse or get a friend / colleague to be the audience. These are sure shot ways to gain confidence as well as feedback on the changes in posture, voice, or text. Invest in yourself and your speeches / presentation to make a powerful impact to get it just right, each time. Your duration of practice could be a few hours a day or for a week, it's subjective and entirely your choice.
Follow the above tips and become the most effective speaker you can be. You don’t need to be a rock star to shine. Your hard work, intelligence, and investment in yourself are the stars needed to make you glow brighter and bigger on the day of the presentation.
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