Effective Presentation Skills

What are presentation skills?

Presentation skills are the abilities and qualities necessary

for creating and delivering a compelling presentation that
effectively communicates information and ideas. They
encompass what you say, how you structure it, and the
materials you include to support what you say, such as
slides, videos, or images.

You'll make presentations at various times in your life.

Examples include:

Making speeches at a wedding, conference, or another

event

Making a toast at a dinner or event

Explaining projects to a team

Delivering results and findings to management teams

Teaching people specific methods or information

Proposing a vote at community group meetings

Pitching a new idea or business to potential partners or

investors

Why are presentation skills important?

Delivering effective presentations is critical in your professional and
personal life. You’ll need to hone your presentation skills in various
areas, such as when giving a speech, convincing your partner to
make a substantial purchase, and talking to friends and family about
an important situation.

No matter if you’re using them in a personal or professional setting,

these are the skills that make it easier and more effective to convey
your ideas, convince or persuade others, and experience success. A
few of the benefits that often accompany improving your
presentation skills include:

Enriched written and verbal communication skills

Enhanced confidence and self-image

Boosted critical thinking and problem-solving capabilities

Better motivational techniques

Increased leadership skills

Expanded time management, negotiation, and creativity

The better your presenting techniques, the more engaging your

presentations will be. You could also have greater opportunities to
make positive impacts in business and other areas of your life.

Effective presentation skills

Imagine yourself in the audience at a TED Talk or sitting with your
coworkers at a big meeting held by your employer. What would you
be looking for in how they deliver their message? What would make
you feel engaged?

These are a few questions to ask yourself as you review this list of
some of the most effective presentation skills.

Verbal communication

How you use language and deliver messages play essential roles in
how your audience will receive your presentation. Speak clearly and
confidently, projecting your voice enough to ensure everyone can
hear. Think before you speak, pausing when necessary and tailoring
the way you talk to resonate with your particular audience.

Body language

Body language combines various critical elements, including

posture, gestures, eye contact, expressions, and position in front of
the audience. Body language is one of the elements that can
instantly transform a presentation that would otherwise be dull into
one that's dynamic and interesting.

Voice projection
The ability to project your voice improves your presentation by
allowing your audience to hear what you're saying. It also increases
your confidence to help settle any lingering nerves while also
making your message more engaging. To project your voice, stand
comfortably with your shoulders back. Take deep breaths to power
your speaking voice and ensure you enunciate every syllable you
speak.

Posture

How you present yourself plays a role in your body language and
ability to project your voice. It also sets the tone for the
presentation. Avoid slouching or looking overly tense. Instead,
remain open, upright, and adaptable while taking the formality of
the occasion into account.

Storytelling

Incorporating storytelling into a presentation is an effective strategy

used by many powerful public speakers. It has the power to bring
your subject to life and pique the audience’s curiosity. Don’t be
afraid to tell a personal story, slowly building up suspense or adding
a dramatic moment. And, of course, be sure to end with a positive
takeaway to drive your point home.

Active listening

Active listening is a valuable skill all on its own. When you

understand and thoughtfully respond to what you hear—whether it's
in a conversation or during a presentation—you’ll likely deepen your
personal relationships and actively engage audiences during a
presentation. As part of your presentation skill set, it helps catch
and maintain the audience’s attention, helping them remain focused
while minimizing passive response, ensuring the message is
delivered correctly, and encouraging a call to action.

Stage presence

During a presentation, projecting confidence can help keep your

audience engaged. Stage presence can help you connect with your
audience and encourage them to want to watch you. To improve
your presence, try amping up your normal demeanor by infusing it
with a bit of enthusiasm. Project confidence and keep your
information interesting.

Watch your audience as you’re presenting. If you’re holding their

attention, it likely means you’re connecting well with them.

Self-awareness
Monitoring your own emotions and reactions will allow you to react
well in various situations. It helps you remain personable throughout
your presentation and handle feedback well. Self-awareness can
help soothe nervousness during presentations, allowing you to
perform more effectively.

Writing skills

Writing is a form of presentation. Sharp writing skills can help you

master your presentation’s outline to ensure you stay on message
and remain clear about your objectives from the beginning until the
end. It’s also helpful to have strong writing abilities for creating
compelling slides and other visual aids.

Understanding an audience

When you understand your audience's needs and interests, you can
design your presentation around them. In turn, you'll deliver
maximum value to them and enhance your ability to make your
message easy to understand.

How to improve presentation skills

There’s an art to public speaking. Just like any other type of art, this
is one that requires practice. Improving your presentation skills will
help reduce miscommunications, enhance your time management
capabilities, and boost your leadership skills. Here are some ways
you can improve these skills:

Work on self-confidence.

When you’re confident, you naturally speak more clearly and with
more authority. Taking the time to prepare your presentation with a
strong opening and compelling visual aids can help you feel more
confident. Other ways to improve your self-confidence include
practicing positive self-talk, surrounding yourself with positive
people, and avoiding comparing yourself (or your presentation) to
others.

Develop strategies for overcoming fear.

Many people are nervous or fearful before giving a presentation. A

bad memory of a past performance or insufficient self-confidence
can contribute to fear and anxiety. Having a few go-to strategies
like deep breathing, practicing your presentation, and grounding
can help you transform that fear into extra energy to put into your
stage presence.
Learn grounding techniques.

Grounding is any type of technique that helps you steer your focus
away from distressing thoughts and keeps you connected with your
present self. To ground yourself, stand with your feet shoulder-width
apart and imagine you’re a large, mature tree with roots extending
deep into the earth—like the tree, you can become unshakable.

Learn how to use presentation tools.

Visual aids and other technical support can transform an otherwise

good presentation into a wow-worthy one. A few popular
presentation tools include:

Canva: Provides easy-to-design templates you can customize

Powtoon: Animation software that makes video creation fast

and easy

PowerPoint: Microsoft's iconic program popular for dynamic

marketing and sales presentations

Practice breathing techniques.

Breathing techniques can help quell anxiety, making it easier to

shake off pre-presentation jitters and nerves. It also helps relax your
muscles and get more oxygen to your brain. For some pre-
presentation calmness, you can take deep breaths, slowly inhaling
through your nose and exhaling through your mouth.

While presenting, breathe in through your mouth with the back of

your tongue relaxed so your audience doesn't hear a gasping sound.
Speak on your exhalation, maintaining a smooth voice.

Gain experience.

The more you practice, the better you’ll become. The more you
doanything, the more comfortable you’ll feel engaging in that
activity. Presentations are no different. Repeatedly practicing your
own presentation also offers the opportunity to get feedback from
other people and tweak your style and content as needed.

Tips to help you ace your presentation

Your presentation isn’t about you; it’s about the material you’re
presenting. Sometimes, reminding yourself of this ahead of taking
center stage can help take you out of your head, allowing you to
connect effectively with your audience. The following are some of
the many actions you can take on the day of your presentation.

Arrive early.

Since you may have a bit of presentation-related anxiety, it’s

important to avoid adding travel stress. Give yourself an abundance
of time to arrive at your destination, and take into account heavy
traffic and other unforeseen events. By arriving early, you also give
yourself time to meet with any on-site technicians, test your
equipment, and connect with people ahead of the presentation.

Become familiar with the layout of the room.

Arriving early also gives you time to assess the room and figure out
where you want to stand. Experiment with the acoustics to
determine how loudly you need to project your voice, and test your
equipment to make sure everything connects and appears properly
with the available setup. This is an excellent opportunity to work out
any last-minute concerns and move around to familiarize yourself
with the setting for improved stage presence.

Listen to presenters ahead of you.

When you watch others present, you'll get a feel for the room's
acoustics and lighting. You can also listen for any data that’s
relevant to your presentation and revisit it during your presentation
—this can make the presentation more interactive and engaging.

Use note cards.

Writing yourself a script could provide you with more comfort. To

prevent sounding too robotic or disengaged, only include talking
points in your note cards in case you get off track. Using note cards
can help keep your presentation organized while sounding more
authentic to your audience.