Giving great presentations is an art. And while your content is important, it won’t be memorable if your delivery falls flat. Here are three key principles to engage your audience and ensure they have a great experience.
- Balance. Walk the tightrope between structure and improvisation. Prepare in advance by thinking about what your audience needs to know, and organize your content into sections by topic. But leave room to respond to their needs during your presentation, even if that means going off script for a while.
- Generosity. Your goal should be to offer your audience something new and valuable. Let this principle guide the content you choose to present. People should leave your presentation with an idea, information, or inspiration that they didn’t have before.
- Humanity. Rehearse to familiarize yourself with your content, but don’t memorize it. Being too polished can actually be counterproductive — your audience wants to connect with a real human being. If you go blank for a moment, don’t apologize or act flustered. Just pause, take a breath, collect your thoughts, and continue on.
This tip is adapted from an article by Michael Foley
Human Centric Solutions 