When it comes to presentations, I used to be a ball of nerves! Early in my presentation career, trying to talk in front of a large audience was nerve-wracking.

But presentations are important, they’re the best way I have of getting everyone on board with my ideas or plans for our team success! To help me out, I discovered 7 fantastic tips that make presenting easier to tackle: perfecting preparation; becoming engaged with your audience; structure & practice…you get the idea. It took some work, but mastering presentations like this is invaluable.

Here are those seven magical tricks which can help turn any presentation into an impactful success. Ready… let’s make some magic happen!

(1) Practice! Practice! Practice!

All the hard work, late nights and planning in my presentation come down to this. I need to practice speaking eloquently so that I can effectively communicate it with confidence. That’s why recording myself and getting feedback from friends and co-workers is a must! Also adding some hand gestures or movements will help create an impactful delivery of what should be said –so no matter where those nerves try to get me; thorough training has got my back.

(2) Tell Stories

My presentations used to be so dull and boring, but then I discovered the power of storytelling. Weaving a story around my numbers or strategies can make any presentation come alive! Even better if you add some humor into it – that’s sure to win over your audience! Although writing longer scripts for practice may take more time in preparation, this added effort has made my talks much smoother and engaging when presenting.

(3) Use Vocal Variety

As a presenter, I’m aware that data and content are important to reinforce my point. But when it comes to capturing the attention of audiences, nothing works better than an articulate voice with honest conviction. It’s all about knowing how to use your tone effectively; speaking quickly during exciting developments while slowing down for crucial details sends strong signals regarding what you’re trying convey from personal experience. With these subtle shifts in pitch taking place depending on context, effective communication becomes possible!

(4) Avoid Information Overload

As a presenter, I’m always striving to captivate my audience. That’s why when creating presentations, it’s important for me to keep the information concise and relevant – no one likes data overload! Before sharing slides with an audience, thorough editing is essential; if certain points are too tangential or unimportant, they should be cut out altogether. If there are further interesting details that can’t be skipped completely however then sometimes making another presentation dedicated solely to those topics works well as a solution rather than cramming them in.

(5) Make It Collaborative

I love it when my presentations have an interactive component! It’s such a great way to engage the audience and keep them interested. I like strategically placing comment or question/answer sessions throughout, so that we’re getting lots of opportunities for involvement – rather than just at the very end. Plus, there is nothing more satisfying then feeling well-prepared to answer difficult questions – this really helps deepen comprehension on whatever subject matter you might be discussing!

(6) Smile and Eye Contact

I find that one of the most important aspects to ace a successful presentation is by making sure I make direct eye contact with my audience and smile. This helps create an immediate connection between me, my subject matter and the listeners allowing them to build trust in me as well as feel more comfortable overall – which can surely be nerve-wracking! It’s not always about what you have on slides but also how you engage your viewers; it goes further than just presenting facts & figures.

(7) Remember the 10:20:30 Rule

Presentations have been made easier and shorter with the 10:20:30 guideline given to us by Guy Kawasaki. I stick to this rule so that my presentations never exceed 10 slides, last no longer than 20 minutes, and feature a font size of 30 or more for maximum visibility! From plain Power Point designs to Prezi’s creative animations – it doesn’t matter which platform you opt for as long as your message is clear in only two-thirds of an hour.

Keeping the audience engaged within such short time means selecting information wisely while making sure they can read what’s written clearly too – hence why legibility matters when choosing fonts!

Presenting can be a daunting task, especially when you’re feeling the nerves. But with preparation and practice – plus seven magical tricks I now have in my back pocket – presenting has become an invaluable asset to me as I strive for team success! So let’s make some magic happen together: time to get ready, engage your audience and structure your presentation like never before!

Photo of David Doerrier David Doerrier

As a proud US Air Force retiree and experienced instructional designer, corporate trainer, and train-the-trainer facilitator, I have made it my mission to show people how presentation skills are critical for success. Unfortunately, despite best intentions too often presenters end up overwhelming audiences…

As a proud US Air Force retiree and experienced instructional designer, corporate trainer, and train-the-trainer facilitator, I have made it my mission to show people how presentation skills are critical for success. Unfortunately, despite best intentions too often presenters end up overwhelming audiences rather than providing useful information due to inadequate training on effective audience engagement methodologies.

Which is why throughout the years of coaching countless individuals through these challenges I have been able to enable them to unlock their true potential as presenters – making sure they can deliver powerful messages every single time!

“Talking and telling ain’t training or selling!”

For anyone looking to up their presentation game, I’m here to help! With my expertise as a veteran of the industry, I’ll work with you on perfecting your engagement style and making sure your presentation is unforgettable.

“With the right processes, the right instruction, and the right amount of constructive feedback, you will be able to present your message with poise, impact, and engagement!”