Top tips to enhance your presentation skills

Speak with passion

To give an inspiring, motivating presentation you need to speak on a topic you are passionate about or at least have an interest in. Public speaking is not the time to be cool or reserved, so don’t be afraid to show your passion. If you can’t be passionate about your topic, how can you expect your audience to be?

Often people fall into the trap of presenting information as cold hard facts which does little to engage the audience. Where possible, speak from your own experiences and learn to weave relevant stories and anecdotes into your presentation.

Everyone loves a good story because they evoke emotions. A good way to become a great story teller is to develop some personal stories where you triumphed in a challenging situation. Practice by telling these stories to family and friends whenever the opportunity arises.

Use the power of the pause

Although you need to be excited to inspire and motivate your audience you also need to take a breath to pause throughout your presentation.

As Mark Twain said, “The right word may be effective, but no word was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause.”

Pausing is something that most people don’t use very well during a presentation. Moments of silence when speaking are very powerful especially if they are used at the right time. A great time to use a pause is just before, or just after you make a bold or important statement. This either prepares the audience for what’s coming or it gives them time to absorb and process what has just been said. Pausing also gives the speaker a chance to think about what they are going to say next or to check their notes.

It’s the gaps between our words that often have the greatest impact, so don’t forget the power of the pause.

Harness the power of your nerves

When people ask me how they can get rid of nerves before a presentation, I tell them if they don’t feel nervous before a presentation to check their pulse because something is terribly wrong.
In 21 years of presenting to audiences of all sizes, I’ve always felt varying degrees of anxiety or nervousness beforehand. The feelings that everyone experiences before speaking to a group of people is actually positive energy. This is the type of energy you need as a speaker to inspire and motivate your audience. Instead of seeing these feelings as a liability use them to your advantage. Don’t try to suppress or worry about what you are experiencing as it’s normal and healthy to feel this way. Get used to this heightened state as much as you can because it won’t hurt you, in fact if you don’t feel like this beforehand you may come across as flat and lifeless. It’s just the little voice in your head telling you that you are about to do something that requires lots of energy and focus.

The feeling I get prior to speaking to an audience is similar to when I’m waiting to get on a fast rollercoaster ride at an amusement park. I’m scared and excited all at the same time. If I let go and enjoy the adrenaline rush as soon as I start speaking it’s a wild, fun ride. If I worry about it I get very tense and it’s not enjoyable. Instead of fighting or trying to suppress these feelings, learn to harness this energy by accepting it. If you are able to do this you will enjoy public speaking because the audience will respond to your enthusiasm and excitement.

All good speakers don’t try to be anything or anyone but themselves. Use these simple ideas to help you become an authentic speaker that can inspire and motivate any audience.

Sarah Harding

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