15 Practical Tips to Help You Ace Your Next Presentation

Once you have crafted the materials for your presentation, it time to start reviewing and practicing so you are comfortable and ready to engage your audience and leave them with a memorable, positive impression.

Master these 15 steps and ace your presentation

PRACTICE

1. Read through your script several times and then put it aside – don’t memorize it, or your presentation will likely sound stiff.

2. Next practice your presentation with your slides using them to move you from idea to idea.

3. Go back to your script once or twice between practice runs to make sure you have all your key points.

4. Practice out loud – not in your head. You don’t really know what your voice will sound like unless you say it out loud, and you can’t improve unless you can hear yourself.

5. Practice some more – you need to get so comfortable, that you are not thinking about every word – it should feel like a conversation.

BODY MOVEMENT

6. How you stand is very important – If you are standing without moving behind a podium, it’s important not to sway from side to side. To help you with this, have one foot positioned slightly in front of the other – this makes it harder to sway your body.

7. If you don’t have a podium be careful to eliminate nervous body movements Try capturing your practice runs on video, to see if there are recurring movements you are making that may seem distracting.

8. If you want to move from one side of the presentation area to the other, keep it to a minimum, and move without rushing – don’t pace back and forth.

9. No arm flapping. Keep your hand and arm movements to a minimum – you can gesture, but again recurring movement can be distracting to your audience.

FREE TOOL: If you need help building the content for your presentation, you can download our free easy to use tool

ENGAGEMENT

10. Sometimes nervousness can make us rush our speech – try to have a nice comfortably paced rhythm – give yourself time to tell your story. Let it unfold.

11. Make eye contact with your audience and engage with the people who are listening to you.

12. Smile – it will add warmth to your voice.

13. Be confident and allow yourself to fully believe that you have something of value to share.

14. Have good upbeat energy – try jumping up and down a few times before you go on to get yourself energized. You need to have a nice even pace with your voice – but don’t confuse speed and talking with energy. 

15. Allow yourself to enjoy your moment.

If you can master these 15 tips, you will ace your next presentation.

Free Tool

If you need help building the content for your presentation, you can download our free easy to use tool: Your 5 Step Guide to Plan a Great PowerPoint Presentation

Enjoy!