If you are like most people, you feel anxious about making oral presentations. With a few strategies and a bit of practice, however, you can gain the confidence you need to make a great presentation.
Before
- Organize your talk with a few main points and use them as prompts.
- Prepare an introduction (an anecdote, a question or some other device) that will immediately get your audience's attention.
- Practice your talk in front of a mirror and/or before a few friends.
- Time yourself to make sure you keep within the time limit.
- Do not memorize or read your text.
During
- Overcome nervousness by
- -telling yourself it's okay to be nervous,
- -taking a few deep breaths before you begin to speak,
- -establishing eye contact with a friend or looking just over the heads of those in the back row.
- Speak clearly and not too quickly.
- Begin by telling your audience what your talk is about and identifying the main points.
- Summarize your main points at the end of your talk.
After
- Invite the audience to ask questions.
- If you can't answer a question, don't bluff; tell the audience that you will find out.
- Distribute handouts after, not before, your talk unless you want your audience to use them as guides.
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