6 tips to improve your data presentation
1. Prepare (Practice! Practice! Practice!)
- Practice one small segment of your presentation over and over again until you are completely comfortable with it and then move on to the next segment.
- See how Steve Jobs prepared for his keynotes: http://www.forbes.com/sites/carminegallo/2015/03/26/how-steve-jobs-made-presentations-look-effortless/#5f1a29bc458a
2. Be confident
- The best antidote to anxiety.
- Check out: 5 TIPS TO HELP YOU PRESENT WITH CONFIDENCE
- If you aren't naturally confident, just fake it!
3. How to capture and hold your audience’s attention
- Have 2-3 points in your presentation where you ask for audience participation.
- Your audience will lose attention when the flow of your presentation breaks.
- Use verbal transitions to connect one slide to the next.
4. Voice
- Convey your enthusiasm and energy in your voice.
- Vary your tone
- Slow down to emphasize words
- Speak more quickly to emphasize your enthusiasm about something.
5. Body posture
- Keep your arms open, not closed, not crossed.
- Smile and face your audience.
- Look at different people in the room. (Don’t exclude anyone!)
- Don’t look down or read your slides.
6. Get feedback
- Ask for feedback from colleagues and peers after the presentation. This is super important!
In effect, no one is born with perfect presentation skills. It takes practice and lots of effort but on the upside, you can improve your skills one presentation at a time.