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1. Focus on a Spot at the Back of the Room

To avoid feeling nervous, stare at the wall at the back and pretend the audience doesn’t exist.

Truth it, the quickest way to lose your audience is to ignore them.

Instead, make eye contact with your audience members. This will help you create a deeper connection with your audience.

 

2. Memorize Your Script

To avoid making mistakes, memorize your script and deliver it like a robot.

Truth is, if you are concentrating on your script instead of focusing on your audience, your audience is going to sense it and they’re going to tune out of your speech.

Instead, know your main points and your subject so well that you can talk comfortably without having to memorize your script.

 

3. Keep Your Hands Straight by Your Side

Stand still, don’t move around too much and keep your hands firmly glued to your sides.

Truth is, your non-verbal communication is at as essential as the words you speak.

Instead, let your hands move naturally. Your hand gestures should help show what you are saying. For example, if you are describing a man in your story who is taller than you, then use your hand gestures to indicate how tall he was!

 

4. Facts, Facts, Facts

Include lots of facts in your presentations. The more facts you have, the smarter you seem and the more persuasive you will be.

Truth is, facts are boring and bland. If you simply spit out numbers instead of showing your audience how those statistics impact them, you will drown your audience in sea of numbers.

 

5. Always use Powerpoint

When people think of a presentation, the first thing that usually comes to mind is Powerpoint!

Truth is, you don’t always have to use Powerpoint. You should use  Powerpoint only if you have graphs, charts and pictures to show your audience. Powerpoint should be an aid…not your entire presentation!

 

6. Use complicated, technical words

Use lots of complicated jargon. It makes you sound smarter.

Truth is, using complicated jargon may make you sound smarter, but it will isolate your audience.If your audience doesn’t understand what you’re saying, then your presentation is a complete failure.

Truth is, you should aim for a conversational style of speaking which explains ideas in the clearest, easiest-to-understand way.

 

7. Stand Still

Stand still in the center of the stage. Say what you have to say and don’t move on stage.

Truth is, you should make full use of the stage. You should move with a purpose on stage. For example, you can use the stage as a timeline so that the left side of the stage indicates the past, the center is the present and the right side of the stage is the future.

Another way is to split the stage into different scenes so that the one scene is placed on the left side of the stage, another scene in the center a final scene on the right side of the stage. Thus, each scene in your story occupies a different part of the stage.

 

8. You’re Either Born a Great Presenter…or Not

Some people are great at presentations…and others become engineers.

Not quite true. One of the best presenters I know is an engineer.

Making great presentations is a skill…it can be learned and acquired through practice!

How do I know? Because I used to be a terrible presenter! However, after working on improving my presentation skills, I recently won the title of Hong Kong Public Speaking Champion. One of the audience members came up to me later and said my speech was “brilliant!”

If I can transform my speaking from boring to “brilliant”, then so can you!

Keep learning and keep practicing!

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