Presentations are something most people will have to do at some point in their life, whether you love it or hate it.

Here are five key things to help deliver the perfect presentation:

Know your audience:

Before you jump in, take time to think about your audience. Consider their backgrounds, position and also how long you will have. Think about how they like to consume information and what are they hoping to get out of your presentation.

As an example, with our increase in school talks, we print off the presentation and leave out pens for the students to make notes on CV writing and interview tips.

Taking the time to sit and think about your audience before you start your presentation will laser focus on what your audience needs, this is the key to a strong presentation.

Know your aims:

After thinking about your audience, take time to consider your end goal. The best presenters know from the outset what goal they want at the end of the presentation. think about three key points/objectives that your audience can take away.

This will come in handy on the end slide of your presentation. we recommend having a 30-second elevator summary, this will end your presentation nicely and keep your core message focused and brief. The ball is then in the court of the participants if they would like to ask questions or take a business card to get in contact with you later, depending on your presentation.

Practise does make perfect:

It goes without saying, the more practise you put in, the less you need to rely on your notes/constantly reading word for word from the presentation. This will free you up to give eye contact with your audience so they are engaged.

There are three main parts of a presentation, so work on how you will open this:

  • The welcome
  • The introduction
  • The first topic
Getting this right gives you a strong start. If you are used to presenting to a script, try and use flashcards nearby to you with key points to cover. This will work as a prompt, giving you something to fall back on if you forget key points.

Remember: Don’t be afraid to take breaths when presenting to your audience!

Tell stories:

Humans are programmed to engage and respond to stories. They help us pay attention, and also remember things. If you can use stories in your presentation, your audience is more likely to remember your points after.

Top tip! tell the story as if it has come naturally to you, if you read it from a presentation it becomes less realistic.

Know your power:

Overcoming nerves and showing confidence is critical for the perfect presentation. if the thought of presenting also makes you feel uneasy, the more you do it, the better it gets… remember to know YOUR power.