Want To Be More Comfortable In Your Next Presentation?
Think about it as a conversation and whatever you do, don’t read!
Want to be More Comfortable in Your Next Presentation?
1) Suppress the urge: To read, that is! When we read, we almost automatically look down. We want to see your face, not the top of your head.
2) Translate it: it’s your job to translate what’s between the lines and explain it to your audience.
3) Remember: Your audience wants to hear what you have to say. Consider providing a handout if you need to relay more detailed information.
When you’re comfortable using a podium for a talk or presentation, it may not go as smoothly as you’d like. That’s because it’s natural to want to hold onto it with an iron grip! Try letting go of it, whether figuratively or literally. Trust me on this: you’ll absolutely see the difference when you don’t have to rely on it.
If you’re not comfortable yet going sans notes, try using a second monitor or a white board placed directly behind your desktop or laptop. Try this: I like to use strategically-placed sticky notes with a few words to remind me of crucial points.
If you’ve prepared by writing out a script, don’t use that during your talk. It will be hard for you to see what’s important and it will almost certainly trip you up. Instead, use bullet points only, or try using post-its.