5 Presentation Tips to stay
ahead of the game

Share your eye contact1

Eye contact is crucial to
all our behaviour - the movement of our pupils expresses different emotional states.

A simple technique for larger
audiences is to pick out individuals around the auditorium. As you speak directly to those people - holding their gaze – the twenty or so people around them will feel that you are also speaking to them. click on our logo for the full tip.

Tell great stories
2

"If history were taught in
the form of stories, it would never be forgotten” Rudyard Kipling

Think of great films -
the protagonist is never the same at the end of the film as they were at the beginning. They are fundamentally changed. ! Your presentation must take us on a similar journey. ! How have we changed at the end? click on our logo for the full tip. Stories have a beginning, middle and end - the journey from 'what was' to 'what is'.

Filler Words 3 right… umm…
errr… so… ok…

Speakers and presenters often use
them out of a fear of silence & tend to repeatedly employ the same words or phrases - ! something an audience will quickly notice. Filler words do just that – they fill spaces. They are unnecessary words and phrases that cover verbal gaps.

Try simply replacing these words
with a PAUSE. It sounds simple, and it is. It just may not be easy initially. click on our logo for the full tip.

4
Create an elevator pitch

then it’s safe to say
you probably understand what you want to achieve. If you can consolidate your message into a few clear sentences

Make sure you’re
ARMED

Make sure you grab our
ATTENTION The first minute is crucial. Challenge us - be controversial - make us care.

Make sure you’re RELEVANTWhy would
we listen?

Make sure you know your
MESSAGEWhat must we know?

Make sure you have a
clear EXAMPLEIllustrate your message with where it’s worked before.

Finally, what must we DOYour
audience needs to know what happens next.click on our logo for the full tip.

Handle difficult questions
5

Difficult questions are only perceived
as difficult if the presenter displays signs of discomfort. We have all seen colleagues struggle when being asked a question from someone who is well informed, more senior, or just likes to be heard.

As we are territorial animals,
the audience will sense the presenter retreating. The answer to this is to step INTO the difficult question. The physical gesture of moving forwards gives an unconscious signal to the questioner that the speaker is engaging with the question - whether they know the answer or not. Under pressure we physically step away from a difficult question. click on our logo for the full tip.

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