Giving a presentation is a relatively stressful experience for even the most confident of public speakers amongst us. However, there are various precautions that you can take to ensure that it goes as swimmingly as possible, reducing your anxiety levels and allowing you to focus on your performance and delivery rather than other errors and problems. Here are a few for you to consider!
Have a Reliable Memory Stick
Nothing starts a presentation off on the wrong foot like fumbling around looking for your documents that you’re absolutely certain you sent via email before you left. If something can go wrong in the lead up to an important presentation, chances are that it will, and technology is tricky as it is. So, make sure that you have your presentation loaded and saved on a reliable memory stick. This means that when you start your presentation, you can simply plug your stick into a USB port and you’re rearing and ready to go. If you want to be especially careful and prepared, you could also bear in mind that the latest Apple Macbooks don’t have a USB port, so you might need to take along a USB c adapter.
Using Common and Popular Software
If you are using software targeted towards a niche audience or software that you have had to purchase to complete your work, you may find that it is not compatible with your audience’s devices. This can result in people falling behind or not being able to see what you’re talking about. So, try to use common and popular software wherever possible. This makes your work and notes accessible to all. Your best bet is probably Microsoft, as not only is it automatically downloaded onto all Microsoft desktop computers, laptops, and tablets, but it is also readable on Apple hardware too. To make the most of these programmes, do research on Microsoft word and consider Excel consulting services.
Practice Makes Perfect
The old phrase “practice makes perfect” really does ring true when it comes to presentations. Why? Because this is a set and complete piece of work that you then merely have to regurgitate to a listening audience. You don’t have to improvise. You just have to remember a few key pieces of information. So, practice, practice, practice. The further in advance, you can get started the better. If you are a nervous public speaker, you could also practice in front of familiar people beforehand to prepare yourself for an audience of strangers. This will slowly help you to familiarise yourself with your content and its order as well as the feeling of giving a speech. You could also consider questions that you might be asked after your presentation to help the Q&A section go more smoothly.
While giving a presentation is always going to be a slightly stressful experience, there are various things that you can do to prepare yourself for the experience. Hopefully, the above steps will help to make it as smooth and impressive as possible.