How To Beat That Presentation

Making a presentation is arguably the hardest part of being a student. As a student you could either be one that talks a lot but get cold feet in public or be someone who doesn’t talk a lot but makes quite an impressive speech in public or be someone who doesn’t even talk much and still cannot make any meaningful impact in public presentation, but whichever group you belong, a few tips can turn things around and bring out the best in you when making a presentation.

When I was pursuing my bachelors’ degree back in school, you will be doing yourself a huge disservice if you chose me to defend a group project in front of a panel, because I would gasp for air! Funny right? It was really difficult. But along the line I realized that it was not a permanent situation, and that  I could change all that, so I went searching and discovered the tips needed to make a good presentation. This tips worked so well for me. I couldn’t worry too much about my shakiness or panic attacks; I finally learned a way to drive my point home in a relaxed manner and in my own words.

So here we go the 5 basic presentation tips.

BE YOURSELF

This statement is very much underrated mostly because of its frequent use from around the globe. Everyone tells you to be yourself, at home, at work, in places of worship, basically everywhere. You could say “oh I’ve heard that too many times, just not working” but it’s never enough until you understand its contextual meaning. It’s more like get in touch with your inner child; become more aware of your thoughts; follow your intuition; RULE YOUR WORLD! Professionally act like you own this place; be in charge

SHOW YOUR PERSONALITY

You do have a personality, bring it on. Use your body, do not let the body use you; gesticulate; use your hands; walk around a fixed position. Make impressions; bring up scenario; tell a story within time constraint; make them laugh and hit the nail on the head.

FINISH BEFORE TIME

There is something about leaving people at the climax, when you begin in time, make your point as succinct as possible, be concise and confident; take your time, pause in between points to allow it to sink into the minds of your audience. Finish well and in time. If you have 10mins for a presentation, there is no crime finishing at the 8th minute. My uncle will always say “leave the stage while the applause is still on”.

BE AUDIBLE

Speak loudly enough to catch your audience’s attention, if there is a provision for a microphone, hold it with one hand for most of the time.

PRACTICE, REHEARSE

As they say, practice makes perfect. It is not just about knowing what to say, you have to practice how you are going to say it. Call a few friends together and rehearse in front of them. Get them to tell you where you are lacking that you should improve on and enjoy yourself.