Public speaking is consistently rated as one of the top human fears. In the disability sector, it’s also one of the most powerful tools available to a professional brand builder. There are more speaking gigs than proper speakers in my view so this is a great way to build a name for yourself and add value to the sector.
A single great presentation can do more for your professional profile than six months of LinkedIn posts. Presentations are my bread and butter and virtually all of my business come as a result of my presenting.
Here’s how to do it well.
Before you present
Know your one thing. Every great presentation has one central idea. Not three, not five. One. If you can’t state the core message of your presentation in a single sentence, your presentation isn’t ready. Don’t be greedy with people’s attention span, a 10 or 30 minute presentation is not long and cramming it with information isn’t helpful. Better to present one idea really well than 3 poorly. Also helps people remember.
Know your audience. Who are they? What do they already know? What do they need? What do they believe that you want to challenge or reinforce? Shape everything around them, not around you. It’s not what you think is interesting, but what will they find the most interesting. Build your presentation with them in mind.
Prepare the start and end obsessively. The opening and the close are the most remembered parts of any presentation. Improvise the middle if you must but never the beginning or the end. The beginning needs to be a hook that lets the audience know you’re ready to rock n roll on your presentation and a solid ending can drive movement if it’s specific and communicated. Opening and closing is 80%.
Rehearse out loud. Reading your notes is not rehearsal. Talking through your presentation however, standing up, out loud, ideally to another person now THAT is rehearsal. Do it until the words feel natural. Do it over and over again. Don’t assume you’ll just be good in the moment.
During the presentation
Slow down. Nervous speakers speed up. The audience needs time to absorb what you’re saying. Pause deliberately. Pausing gives people a chance to reflect, to think about the point you made, and wait for what you’re about to say next.
Make eye contact. Not scanning the room nervously but making actual eye contact with individuals, held for a beat. It actually steadies the nerves, and grounds you most of the time. Looking down at your feet or off to the side will cause disconnect with the room.
Use silence. The most powerful moments in a presentation are often the ones with no words at all. A pause after a key point lands harder than anything you could say to fill it. I love pauses and intentional silence, it’s how you use an exclamation point in a talk, not by yelling but by pausing.
Be a person, not a presenter. The best speakers sound like they’re having a conversation, not delivering a performance. Talking like a human and simply, will encourage people to engage you after the presentation. If you’re super formal then people may not feel like you’re approachable in person after the fact.
Handling nerves
Nerves don’t go away. The best you can do is get on top of them. I present professionally and I get nerves.
Experienced speakers feel the adrenaline and use it, it creates energy and presence. The goal is not to eliminate nerves but to stop letting them run the show.
The fastest fix: breathe before you start. Three slow, deep breaths before you open your mouth changes your physiology and settles your voice. Exercising the morning of is good, standing on the stage before the event starts familiarises you, and talking to people in advance creates more friendly faces in the crowd.
Exercise
Prepare a 3-minute presentation on any topic in your expertise area. Record yourself delivering it. Watch it back with the sound off first – what does your body language communicate? Then watch it with sound. What would you change?