The Dos And Don’ts Of Presentations

Written by: Laura Janzen / Communication Coaching / August 05, 2020 / 5 minutes read

Stepping in front of a crowd can be an anxiety inducing experience for anyone. You’re about to take the stage…your mouth is dry, your palms are sweaty and your heart is pounding out of your chest. How can you overcome the nervousness and deliver an engaging and effective presentation? This article outlines some of the most common mistakes as well as helpful pointers to ensure that when it’s time to take the mic, you can be confident that your presentation will resonate with your audience and leave them wanting more…

What NOT to do:

1.   DON’T show that you’re nervous (even if you are): 

When engaging in public speaking it’s normal to feel the familiar pang of anxiety in your stomach that tells you you’re about to do something that’s important to you and you want to do it well. Even if your pulse is racing, you don’t want your audience to sense the nervous energy and feel uncomfortable as they listen to you present. To make yourself appear more confident be sure to avoid:

• Tense body language and lack of eye contact

• Moving around, fiddling with clothing or touching your face/hair while speaking

• Reading directly from your slides or reading from a script

• Speaking very quickly and stumbling over words or using excessive fillers words (ex. “um” and “uh”) 

2.   DON’T be a bore! 

Even if you’re reading your grocery list, there are ways to make it interesting! One of the biggest mistakes presenters make is putting their audience to sleep. Some things that could turn your presentation into a snooze fest include:

• Using a monotone voice (not varying your pitch or volume to engage the audience) 

• Showing signs of disinterest in the topic or the audience

• Using jargon terms that aren’t familiar to the listeners

• Having overly simplistic slides that lack interesting visuals or other types of media

• Using slides packed with tiny type or difficult-to-read color combinations

3.   DON’T pretend to be an expert when you’re not 

Many speakers feel that if they act as if they know everything on the topic they are presenting, their audience will trust in their expertise and have full confidence in their knowledge. In reality, it’s better to focus on what you know and admit when you aren’t sure of something, as this helps your audience relate to you better. To avoid being a fake expert, make sure you do not:

• Make up answers to questions that you actually don’t have the expertise to answer

• Avoid or dance around a question rather than admitting you don’t know the answer

• Exaggerate your knowledge on a topic that is unfamiliar to you 

• Belittle people whose views differ from your own in order to avoid a discussion where you may be proven wrong

When engaging in public speaking it’s normal to feel the familiar pang of anxiety in your stomach that tells you you’re about to do something that’s important to you and you want to do it well.

What TO do

1.   DO exude calmness and confidence

It’s important that your audience feel at ease while listening to your presentation. When the people listening to you speak can trust in your abilities, they are able to relax and absorb the information you are providing to them. In order to emit a calm and confident energy make sure you:

• Use energetic and open body language and face the audience rather than looking at the screen

• Speak at a rate that is easy to listen to and use pauses to formulate your ideas rather than filling space with filler words

• Speak conversationally rather than in a formal tone

2.   DO engage your audience 

If you want to leave an impact on the crowd you’re presenting to, it’s key to have an engaging delivery that keeps them interested no matter what the topic is. There are many ways to add variety and excitement to your presentation including: 

• Using a dynamic speaking style by varying your pace, volume and pitch.

• Emphasize key words and articulate clearly

• Use humour or personal stories to connect with and entertain your audience

• Ask engaging questions, welcome their questions, give surveys or include some other type of audience participation activity 

• Use audio and/or video clips (in moderation) to balance the use of slides

3.   DO focus on what you know and be clear on key points 

It’s important when planning your presentation to be very familiar with the topic at hand. Prepare ahead of time by doing your research and thinking of possible questions your audience may have. Make sure you focus the presentation around key points and clearly establish the objectives at the beginning of your presentation. 

In Summary:

Public speaking is a daunting task that can set anyone’s pulse racing, but if you follow these important dos and don’ts, your audience will never know that your heart was in your throat seconds before you took the stage. Choose a topic you know and are enthusiatic about. Communicate your passion for the material by engaging your audience and remember, a presentation is a dialogue, not a monologue.

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