Practice makes perfect:
giving a killer presentation

1.Start strong

It’s common knowledge: your first impression is crucial. Non-verbal communication – your posture and facial expressions – is even more important than what you are actually saying. Vanessa: “Enter the room in an enthusiastic way, make eye contact or make a joke to break the ice.”

The start of a presentation gives you the opportunity to include your audience in your story. “Give people a reason to keep listening,” says Vanessa. “Introduce yourself, explain the purpose of the presentation and the topics you will cover. This way, people immediately know “hey, that’s interesting”, and know what is expected of them.”

2. Make sure you know your story

Learn how to say what you want to say by heart. Reading from paper is killing for your persuasiveness. PowerPoint can help give a clear structure to your presentation, but avoid reading the slides. Only show the outline of your speech for example, or show some numbers in your PowerPoint presentation, and then discuss the topic orally. Vanessa: “It is a pitfall to be too focused on your PowerPoint presentation, because you will lose the contact with your audience. When you are too busy with your slides, your audience will be too. What you want, is them to focus their attention on you.” Think of a number of appealing examples (case studies) to breathe life into your story.

3. Keep it short

Especially when the subject is important to you, it is easy to sink into less relevant details. This can make your story too long and make the listener drop out. Go through your entire presentation and ask yourself at each point: what is the added value of this information for my listeners? Vanessa: “Always test your presentation with someone from the target group. This way you will find out whether there are aspects in it that aren’t that important for your audience, or points that need more explanation.”

4. Speak slowly

Speaking too quickly is often a sign of nervousness and can make it difficult for the listener to keep paying attention. Top tip: watch your breathing. When you breathe from your stomach you will find you are less likely to get out of breath. If you find yourself losing your natural rhythm, there are some tricks you can apply to regain control. “Try taking a sip of water every now and then. This will give you just the few seconds you need to calm down. Or keep asking your audience questions: “what do you think of this, do you have an example of this, who has a different opinion?” This gives you some space to catch your breath, and keeps your listeners involved in your story.”

5. Keep moving

People never stand completely still. If you always stand in the same place during a presentation, this will look unnatural. Move your hands, step aside or point to something on the screen. Look at different people in the audience to make a connection. In the beginning, this might make you feel very self conscious, but you will notice the difference after practising a few times. “The most natural pose is with two legs slightly apart, and your hands next to your body. You can alternate with this movement by holding something in your hands, however, be careful not to click with a pen.”

6. Pay attention to your voice

Nothing is worse than a speaker you can’t understand. Even when you use a microphone, it’s still important to pay attention to your voice. For example, intonation – the natural use of treble and bass – and clear articulation help to ensure you keep your audience involved in your story. “Many people tend to speak in one tone. They lose their natural intonation. The trick is to stay energized – then intonation comes almost automatically.”

More information

Vanessa Jansen gives presentation trainings to all Walters People employees. As a recruitment consultant, you get extensive guidance in improving your presentation techniques – a skill that will benefit you for the rest of your life. Want more tips to boost your career? Visit our career advice page.