When you are about to make a critical presentation for business purposes, you might be nervous if it’s not something that you’ve done much in the past. There is no cause to be worried, though, provided that you took the time to set things up beforehand so that you won’t feel like you left anything out. These are the critical points that you must consider as you get ready to stand up in front of the room.
A Concise, Well-Written Introduction
Whether you’re delivering a presidential address or writing a book report, the way to get things started is with an introduction that gets everyone’s attention and spells out the message that you are trying to convey. A way to think of the opening is as an encapsulation of the body of the speech. In other words, think of the introduction like the presentation in miniature. You should briefly touch on the main thematic message that you’re trying to give before you launch into a more detailed version of what you have to say.
The Bullet Points
The body of your presentation is easier to deliver if you plan some bullet points that you can touch on as you go. This will make it easier not to neglect anything as you move along, and as you hit each bullet point, you can flesh out the idea with any details that you feel are relevant.
Visual Aids
If it is possible to do so, visual aids as part of a presentation are always welcome. Let’s say you’re talking about a new construction project that’s about to get started. It would be nice if you could have a model of the building that’s going to be built. That will make it easier for you to keep the audience’s attention as you go over the various features. If you’re delivering a sales report to the head of your company for the second quarter of the year, they’ll appreciate some charts and graphs that show how each product or sector performed.
Humor
It’s also great if you can use a little humor as you go along. You don’t want to act like the emcee at a comedy club, but whenever it’s appropriate, a little joke here or there to ease any boredom or tension is often appreciated.
Takeaway
Try not to ever show that you are nervous. Keep things moving, and don’t dwell too long on any one subject. Also, try to speak with a good deal of volume; make sure that the last row of people in the room doesn’t have to strain to hear you. If you feel like you might have a tough time remembering anything that you were going to say, check out Beautiful.AI’s smart templates to get an idea of how your presentation should look before you get started.
Make sure you practice the speech a few times beforehand as well. You can try it out in front of some friends or your family and then get some feedback from them. The more times you do this sort of thing, the better you’ll become at it, and soon it will feel like second nature.
