Delivering a memorable presentation

Keep it simple: focus on key points

What is the core message you wish the audience to take away? These key points should form the backbone of your presentation, from a memorable opening which grabs their attention to the final thoughts.

What’s the story? Engage with your audience

Take the audience on a journey. Engaging them with an emotional ride rather than firing off facts will provide them with a memorable experience: Martin Luther King had a dream, and it was powerful.

Use your voice: avoid monotone monologues

You may have the most interesting story to tell, but no one will truly hear it through a monotone monologue. Think about the most recent TED Talk you watched: the chances are, the speaker varied the speed, pitch and tone of their delivery to emphasise powerful points. As should you.

Don’t wing it: practise your delivery

Deliver your speech to your spouse, the motorway, the shower wall – there is no substitute for speaking it out loud when it comes to getting the feel and length right. Don’t rely on your natural charisma to pull you through – you’ll cheapen the experience and everyone will know you’re winging it.

Make eye contact to keep the audience attentive

If you are addressing a few people, try to make eye contact with each of them throughout the presentation. For larger crowds, identify three or four people in the room – at mid-distance – to ‘speak’ to. Shift eye contact after finishing a point. This will make everyone in the audience feel engaged – and that they ought to be sitting up and paying attention.

Body language: appear relaxed and confident

Body language is crucial to communication. Move easily around the stage – or even the audience, if appropriate – and be open and confident with your gestures. Pacing up and down with crossed arms, hands in pockets or hands clasped behind your back may feel reassuring, but it will paint a negative picture.

Tailor-made: speak to your audience

Adapt your speech for the people you are addressing. Who are they? What do they want to learn from the presentation? If you are unsure about an angle to take, actively asking for a ‘show of hands’ on a subject may help you.

Be authentic to gain trust

If you want people to trust what you say, they must be sure you are being yourself. Look at government ministers: they are advised by a multitude of people and, as a consequence, find it difficult to come across as genuine. You can be slick and authentic in parallel.

Believe in yourself: No one wants you to fail

It may feel like everyone’s waiting for you to mess up and that you’re totally alone – but that isn’t the case. The audience are human, like you, and there because you have something to say which they want to hear. It doesn’t matter if you make a mistake.

No joke: don’t force a laugh

Off-the-cuff humour to get a chuckle and put the audience at ease can truly make your presentation. However, don’t try too hard: well-rehearsed, natural-sounding jokes are the preserve of comedians and the process takes years to perfect. What sounds hilarious in the shower could prove a tumbleweed moment on stage.