Mojza Blog
The Presentation Playbook
Strategies for Success in Every Slide
by Maryam Attique | 14 JAn 2024
Have you noticed that whenever you start watching a show, the theme always plays after a brief eye-catching introduction? And perhaps how these shows manage to deliver their story all the time, making it fun and entertaining? Well, a presentation is almost like your own little show.
Up till now, you’ve probably been ‘going with the flow’ when it comes to giving presentations, but don’t worry! Here’s how you can easily become the best presenter in your class. There’s many things that you need to take care of when standing in front of the audience with your slides. It may be overwhelming to keep up with the following tips, but remember, it’s the little details that matter.
Remember the Purpose of the presentation
You always need to remember that everyone present in that room is there to listen to you. They are eager to learn and are curious about what you have to say, so it is important to bear in mind that the knowledge you are giving them is beneficial. You should be able to provide them with something that they don’t know and connect to them in a way that makes them appreciate your knowledge.
The prime purpose in most school settings is to test the confidence of a child in front of an audience; therefore, you should be able to radiate confidence as soon as you step on the front. Confidence in simple words is having faith in yourself and your abilities. Don’t doubt your presentation skills before you even get a chance to show them off. The ‘fake it till you make it’ tip comes in handy when trying to develop confidence. Speaking from experience, pretending like you know what you are saying and don’t have a nervous limb in your body can truly help you gain confidence.
Once you have begun presenting, your focus should be showing the audience that you indeed know your topic very well and are deeply passionate about it too. Even though you know absolutely nothing about what you are saying, (a situation you should never put yourself in, by the way) you should display enough passion to the audience that they too begin to feel the same excitement. It’s always a good idea to know your topic like the back of your hand, so that you can present it with interest and enthusiasm.
Lastly, the purpose of your presentation is also to let your ideas and opinions be heard. It is important to communicate them clearly and effectively, so that everyone in the audience sees your point of view and considers what you are saying.
Knowing the purpose of your presentation can come a long way because you are able to stay focused and meet the objective of the presentation.
Keep it Simple
When keeping it simple, it is important to not overcomplicate information and ideas or, in easier words, to say things which are relevant to the topic. If the audience feels that what you are saying does not relate to the topic you have them interested in, they will stop paying attention. Ask yourself the questions: ‘Does this piece of information relate to the main idea of my presentation?’ If it does, then add it! All information should answer the very question you are trying to answer and support the primary concepts you will be discussing.
For example, if you are giving a presentation on Shakespeare’s tragedies, it would be irrelevant to discuss his lifetime unless it deeply affected his work.
Throughout your presentation, it’s always a good idea to crack witty jokes and let your personality shine through. Of course, don’t overdo it. One or two very subtle jokes to make someone smile will be sufficient in keeping your presentation less boring. This is an excellent trick to keep your audience focused and invested.
Be interactive with those watching by asking questions and taking audience members as examples. You can drop a question and pass the mic around the room to create a change in atmosphere. This allows the audience to relate to you and gets them excited.
Content
Of course, whatever you add in your presentation needs to be well-researched and factual. Adding statistics here and there polishes upon the content you are providing too.
Within your content, using plenty of examples displays the reality of your topic and makes it even more fun to present. Personally, I like to explain ideas through examples; this gives more room for an informative yet still enjoyable presentation.
A Killer Intro
Us human beings are quite big on first impressions, which is why it is essential to have your audience in awe of you and your message right from the start. The introduction is crucial to the presentation as it is in the first few minutes where the audience decides whether they want to listen to you or not.
Starting by introducing yourself is always a good option, but there are plenty more! The most captivating presentations often start by painting a picture in the audience’s head, making them instantly develop a connection with your message. When the people know what you have to say concerns them, they are likely to become more invested. Here’s an example:
“Have you ever gone for a little car ride and spotted someone throwing a banana peel on the road?”
This starting for a presentation on pollution seems to be fitting, as you are introducing your topic without even saying it. This sets a scene for the audience to visualize and makes them much more curious.
You can otherwise start with a rhetorical question or a question in general like “Be honest, have you ever thrown a packet of crisps on the roadside?”
Once you have dropped your killer first sentence, you can begin to introduce yourself and your topic. Keep in mind that your self introduction should be short, there’s no need to give anything except your name and grade (or otherwise anything else that is important for the audience to know relating to your presentation.) As per your topic, simply saying its title would be sufficient, considering that you will explain it in the coming slides.
In your starting and throughout the presentation, you have to show the audience that you have something to offer. Show that you have knowledge that they need to know, and build up suspense for them, allowing them to truly appreciate what you have to say.
Working on Confidence
As mentioned before, the ‘fake it till you make it’ trick always works. It is important to remember that confidence is a skill, not a quality. It is something you can attain; however, it won’t be overnight. Seeming confident can come a long way in actually becoming confident. Don’t be conscious of the people in front of you; you have the same capabilities as they do.
It is important to simply relax and breathe. Before your presentation, if you feel yourself getting slightly nervous, then take a seat and focus on your inhaling and exhaling. This allows your mind to divert focus to something else and potentially calm down. If you suffer from severe social anxiety and such, you can refer to our blog on dealing with social anxiety to better control your nerves.
Another trick that you might have heard before is to think that everyone in the audience is dumb, and you are the main knowledge provider. To an extent, that is true, so try this out in your next presentation and it might work!
Tone of Voice
One thing with your voice is that you should never keep it monotonous. Otherwise, your presentation can easily become boring. The best speakers always have changes in their pitch and tone of voice. Your tone of voice depends solely on what you are saying and whether your point needs emphasis. This emphasis comes when you switch to an assertive tone or a slightly louder pitch.
When you ask questions, really play the part, and use a tone of inquiry. If still confused, study how people talk in general; their tone of voice varies constantly. A presentation in a way is also a conversation where you are taking the lead. Go to YouTube, and watch speeches of famous speakers or even a few Ted Talks to gain a sense of how to use your voice as a way to hold the audience’s attention.
Bonus
you must have been told this before, but paper reading is never a good option when trying to impress the audience. If you do find yourself in a situation where you have to read, make sure to keep looking at the individual audience and walking around to exert confidence and understanding.
Slides
Presentations don’t need to be excessively long. Imagine sitting through a 10 minute presentation yourself – it would be an absolute nightmare! It’s also important not to stretch your presentation.
Putting too much information on your slides is something that many students tend to do. Don’t display whatever you are saying on your slide, rather just the topic of discussion/question or the key points. For example, on a slide for ‘types of pollution’, instead of explaining water, air, noise, and land pollution and writing their meanings etc, it would be a better idea to simply list down the four types.
Remember, you are giving the presentation, not the slides. The slides are there to help you share your knowledge in an organized and visual manner, which is why putting in too much information in the slides is not a good idea.
The recommended font size to use is no less than 30 points and personally, the use of colors and animations always leaves an amazing impression. A well designed presentation that matches the theme of your title shows that you have put hard work into your work and makes you stand out.
The Grande Finale
Your ending is just as important as your start. This is where you have to drop your final sentence that leaves the audience thinking, or otherwise motivated. In your ending, you should briefly sum up your main idea and highlight the purpose of your presentation.
If discussing an issue, you should urge the audience to take action and contribute. Make use of rhetorics, like, ‘We all live on planet earth, but are any of us willing to make it a better place?’ Such thought-provoking questions will truly make the audience see why your presentation is most memorable.
Adding a ‘Thank You’ slide is always a nice gesture if you see it as appropriate.
For further reading into other presentation skills, it might be well worth your time to give this guide a read.
How to deal with problems while presenting
Forgetting
In our pursuit of not reading from a paper and not putting extensive detail on slides, this obstacle may arise. Before your presentations, it is crucial that you practice multiple times. Imagine yourself in the situation and exercise what you will say and when. Aside from practice, having good knowledge about your topic prevents you from forgetting what to say. Even if you do, then you’ll have enough knowledge to say something else. Otherwise, forgetting often occurs from nervousness, so take care of those nerves and breathe! If you are someone who struggles with their self-esteem, then head over to our website and go through our blog tailor-made for developing self-esteem and -confidence.
Stuttering
This takes time to improve and diminishes as you keep practicing. You can train yourself not to stutter by talking more slowly and focusing on your words. It is important to be incredibly relaxed to prevent any pressure due to the audience from getting to you. Again, they are there because YOU have something to offer. Remaining clear-headed during speaking can be difficult at first, but putting yourself in social situations in general does wonders for your presentation skills.
When planning out your presentation, ask yourself whether you’d enjoy seeing what you are making. Everyone has the ability to deliver a presentation that would leave mouths open, but you can do so much better!
It all starts with confidence, and you’ve got it. Now grab that laptop, get to work and own the presentation stage you’ll be standing on!
Acknowledgements
Author: Maryam Attique
Proofreaders: Shaheer Ali and Hasan Nawaz
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Published: DD Month 2023
Last Updated: DD Month 2023
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