7 Things I Do Before Every Presentation

Giving a presentation can be nerve-wracking, but I’ve learned a few tricks along the way that help me feel confident and prepared. Here are seven things I always do before stepping up to the podium.

1. Research and Prepare

First things first, I dive deep into the topic of my presentation. Whether it’s reading books, articles, or watching videos, I make sure I have a solid understanding of what I’m going to talk about. This way, I can answer any questions that come my way.

2. Practice, Practice, Practice

They say practice makes perfect, and they’re right! I go through my presentation multiple times, rehearsing my delivery and timing. This helps me feel more comfortable and ensures that I don’t stumble over my words during the actual presentation.

3. Visualize Success

Before the big day, I take a moment to close my eyes and imagine myself giving a successful presentation. I visualize the audience engaged and nodding along as I speak. This mental preparation boosts my confidence and helps me stay focused.

4. Dress for Success

Looking the part can make a huge difference in how I feel on stage. I choose an outfit that is professional and comfortable, allowing me to move freely and project confidence. When I feel good in my clothes, it shows in my presentation.

5. Warm Up My Body and Voice

Prior to the presentation, I do a quick warm-up routine to loosen up my body and warm up my voice. I stretch my arms and shoulders, do some deep breathing exercises, and even practice vocal exercises to ensure my voice is strong and clear.

6. Arrive Early

I always plan to arrive at the venue early. This gives me time to set up any equipment, familiarize myself with the surroundings, and mentally prepare for the presentation. Being early helps me feel calm and collected before stepping on stage.

7. Stay Positive

Finally, I remind myself to stay positive and embrace any nerves as a sign of excitement. I focus on the valuable knowledge I have to share and the opportunity to connect with my audience. This positive mindset helps me stay confident throughout the presentation.

By following these seven steps, I set myself up for a successful and engaging presentation. So, the next time you have to give a talk, give these tips a try and see how they work for you!

Presentations are your chance to make an impression. It doesn’t matter if you’re facing 100 important leaders or just a few familiar faces – how you present and what you say can either make you shine or bring you down.

It might seem like the key to a successful presentation lies in how you deliver it at the moment, but that’s not entirely true. The real secret lies in how you prepare in the days leading up to that moment.

When I talk to people who give amazing presentations, they often share similar strategies for preparation. If you want to leave a lasting impression, try following these pre-game strategies:

1. Learn About the Place

When it comes to giving a presentation, where you do it can make a big impact on how well it goes. Let’s say you have two scenarios: presenting to a big crowd in a large auditorium with a great sound system, or presenting in a small meeting room with good acoustics for a smaller group. I bet you would have to change your approach for each one, right?

The size of the place, the number of people, how formal it is, and even the equipment available to you should all influence how you structure your presentation. There’s no one-size-fits-all presentation that works for every situation. It’s important to research and understand your audience ahead of time so you can tailor your presentation to their needs.

2. Get to know your audience

To make sure your presentation is effective, it’s important to research your audience. Who will be attending? Are they mostly men or women? How old are they? What roles do they have? What are their interests in your work?

Getting to know your audience is crucial. You need to understand what aspects of your project will interest them the most, and what kind of jokes they will appreciate. This understanding will guide you in shaping the tone, structure, and content of your presentation. Without it, there’s a risk of delivering a speech that is completely inappropriate.

3. Create a Framework of Key Points

So, here’s what I do when I need to give a great presentation. First things first, I make sure to start with an outline of all the important points I want to cover. This outline is like a roadmap for my presentation. It helps me stay focused and makes sure I don’t miss anything important.

Now, when I say outline, I don’t mean writing out full paragraphs. That would be too detailed and overwhelming. Instead, I stick to bullet points. These are just short phrases or sentences that capture the key ideas I want to talk about.

Step 4: Time to Create a Presentation

Alright, let’s get ready to put together your entire presentation, no matter what kind it is. You might want to make a model or get ready to show something interactive. Or maybe you just want to keep it simple and use a PowerPoint presentation.

Whichever option you go with, make sure you’re only focusing on the presentation itself, and not writing out a whole speech. It’s okay to take some notes, but don’t get too caught up in writing every little detail. You don’t want to come across as overly rehearsed.

Step 5: Practice, but not too much

When I have an important presentation coming up, I always make sure to practice beforehand. But I don’t want to come across as too rehearsed. It’s important for me to have a natural and conversational style, rather than just reading from a script. So, I practice until I feel comfortable and confident enough to present.

During my practice sessions, I make sure to cover all aspects of my presentation, not just the words I’m going to say. I focus on my body language, posture, eye contact, pacing, and the tone of my voice.

6. Ask for Feedback

So, here’s the deal: nobody’s perfect, even the best public speakers. When I work on my presentations, there are always going to be some mistakes, either in how I planned them or in how I actually deliver them. I can catch some of these mistakes as I practice and review my presentation, but I can’t catch all of them.

That’s why it’s a good idea to reach out to people I respect – like my friends, family, or mentors – and ask them to give me feedback on my work-in-progress. This stage is so important because it gives me the perspective of someone who isn’t too close to the project and can spot flaws or errors that I might have missed.

7. Make Improvements

When you make an outline for your presentation and bring it to the main event exactly as it is, you’ve made a mistake. I’ve learned that every presentation can and should be improved before you show it to the audience. Otherwise, all the work you put into preparing will just be for show.

Once you’ve practiced and gotten feedback, it’s important to take a fresh look at your outline and presentation materials. You should make any changes that can make your work better. In general, it’s good to cut out as much as possible, because most speaking formats prefer shorter presentations.

There are seven strategies I want to share with you that will help you prepare content that really speaks to your audience. By following these strategies, you can deliver your presentation in a way that leaves a lasting impression. Of course, your performance on the day of the presentation is important, but the majority of your success will come from how well you prepared beforehand.