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Master the Art of Giving Presentations

The fear of giving presentations ranks number one in the minds of the majority of contractors especially project managers.

When it comes to standing in front of a crowd most of us look forward to the applause and being appreciated for all the hard work but hate the nerves and stress that go with the delivery.

Without doubt, a presentation’s great content can be ruined by poor delivery and lack of preparation. Similarly, no amount of great technique will make it up for bad content. One great thing about presentations is that it is not as intimidating as we perceive it to be. In fact, most contractors who give presentations regularly can’t wait to give their next one.

Your first experience with presenting in front of a group of people, might not turn out to be the pleasant experience that you had hoped for. Perhaps you could even think of it as a total failure, but very often that is not the case. If still, in your opinion you are not a successful presenter, one solution would through thorough preparation and putting into practice the following tips which will improve your skills.

It’s in your eyes
Eye contact provides you with an opportunity to determine who is actually listening to you. Making eye contact with your listeners may seem intimidating but the last thing you want to do is stare at your notes, at the back wall or floor, anywhere really but at those sitting in the room. However, you should not go too far and stare at one person but instead maintain eye contact with each member of the audience in turn. That is how you will look like you’re trying to connect with the audience.

Do your homework
This step is a key to success. You have to think of your presentation way before it actually takes place. It is crucial that you understand what you want to say, who you want to address the presentation to and why people may want to hear it. Make sure you know a lot about the subjects you’re talking about. It will help you to calm you down if you are nervous and therefore it will give you a lot more confidence.

Prepare for success
Some contractors think that they do not have to practice to speak about something they have been working on for the last few months. In fact, it is one of the most important factors in determining your successes. To make the whole experience smoothly, you should practice your presentation as many times as you can. Especially focus on the elements of the presentation that will be unknown to your audience, these are the elements that need to come across confidently and it is more than likely that you will be asked to clarify them. The audience needs to know that you know what you’re talking about. Throughout your presentation the audience should never get lost or confused. It should be set up and organised in such a way that it is easily digestible. One of the ways you can accomplish this is to continually clarify and summarise any points you make at the end of each major section, either on the slide or when you are explaining out loud to the audience.

Be loud and slow
Your voice is a key component of a successful presentation. Along with eye contact and gestures, your voice can communicate meaning and help your audience focus on your message. What people do not sometimes realise is that the human voice has an incredible range and ability to convey meaning and emotion, yet most of us use only a limited range of it. Speaking slowly will help you give your presentation clearly and make you sound professional. Moreover, slowing pace of your speech will also give the audience a chance to understand and take in what you say.

Kill the monotony
Monotony is often classified as the most common sin of the presenter. The tone of your voice adds substantial impact to your presentation. A lively speaking style captures attention, makes your presentation more interesting and facilitates better understanding.

Simplicity is the key
It is often tempting to pack your presentation with lots of clever terms and jargon that your audience do not have to necessarily know. There is nothing wrong with trying to make your presentation stand out, but be careful not to over complicate it. Sometimes, the inclusion of animations or visual effects in your presentation can confuse the people you are speaking to and make it harder for them to read and understand your presentation. Remember that it is more about content rather than style and any novelty items you put in your presentation will generally only help to damage the overall impression of your presentation.

Use visual aids
People like to look at things. Flip charts, overhead projectors and video can all be used to make the presentation more memorable. However, as mentioned in the previous point, be sensible about it. Too much detail or overly technical information might not be best presented in a visual way and for that reason you should keep visuals simple. Whilst a visual aid can help to give the audience an idea of what you are talking about or show facts in an easily digestible manner, they can also be confusing and disorientating for an audience and only serve to detract attention away from what you are saying. However if they are used wisely, i.e. a graph or pie chart etc, then they can be a powerful ally.

Words are your weapon
When giving a business presentation, it is important to choose your words and expressions wisely. If you want to be successful, it will depend mainly on how clear, precise, dynamic and straightforward you are. If you are asked to give a presentation on your project you have to be as clear as you can and be able to get your message across while you stand in front of the audience.

Do not forget about your body language
Body language is important as it serves following purposes: it illustrates and emphasises what you are saying, it makes a presentation more interesting and it helps to keep the audience’s attention. Standing, walking or moving about with appropriate hand gestures and facial expressions is much more effective than sitting down or standing still with your head down and reading from a prepared speech.

Manage your time efficiently
If you are given a time limit for your presentation, it is your responsibility to cover your material within that time limit. In order to do that, you need to focus on your message and practice delivering your presentation within the time limit.

Beat your nerves
You have to be a fairly extrovert character to enjoy standing up and speaking in public, therefore it is natural to be nervous for people who are not this way inclined. There is one simple explanation as to why we get nervous and that is simply fear of the unknown, when we do not know what to expect from the situation or encounter. We all want to be accepted and when you stand up to give a presentation we want it to be well received. However, not knowing how it will go and whether the audience will like us or what we have to say is a terrifying thought. To combat these nerves, always know your presentation subject, and take comfort in the fact that you know far more than your audience on the subject, so you will always have the answers to any questions that they may ask.

Prepare a strong closing
The last thing you say may be the most remembered. You must devote as much time into selecting and practicing your closing as you devote to any other part of your presentation. Your final part will have a strong influence on what the audience remembers when you are done and for that reason you should end your presentation with a clear conclusion.

Accept criticism
We all look forward to receiving compliments, but when it comes to criticism we prefer to give it rather than receive it. The fact is that the more successful you are as a contractor, the more criticisms you will have to handle. It is always good to know how to handle bad things being said about you and your work. Tempting as it may be, you should never give up after receiving few negative comments. When someone‘s giving you a negative feedback take it as an opportunity to learn and grow, not a reason to quit.

Presentation skills are very useful not only in working life but also in private life. Developing the confidence and capability to speak and act with confidence in the meeting room are also extremely helpful competencies for your self-development too. Presentations are not limited to certain people - you do not have to be special to give them, anyone can do it to a professional and impressive standard. Like most things, it simply takes a little preparation, practice and optimism.

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