Presentation techniques

Easy ways to screw up a presentation

Presentation techniques: presenting tips with confidence

There are lectures that linger for a long time. Others end with their end - and that's a good thing: hours of noise without structure, lousy slides, zero substance - such speeches and presentations come from the limbo of the presentations. Sure, some things have to do with talent. But that's at most 20 percent. The remaining 80 percent are pure craftsmanship, good presentation can be learned and trained - with the right presentation techniques ...
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The content must be right - but the packaging too
When it comes to presentation techniques, there are two ways to build your presentation:

Rhetorical aids

You use certain tricks to spice up your speech and convey the content accordingly. For example, you work with rhetorical pauses, think up certain expressions in advance, and so on.

Technical aids

Nowadays, PowerPoint presentations are often standard or similar software. There are also a number of analogue tools such as blackboards or flipcharts. All these technical aids have different advantages and disadvantages (see below).
Of course the substance has to be right. But good content alone does not make the spark jump. The trappings - how to perform and present, which (rhetorical) tools, which slides, pictures and interactive elements you use - is at least half the battle. However, no rocket science. Most presentation techniques consist of relatively simple tips and tricks.

What previous knowledge do the listeners have?

Even if you are to give a lecture - nothing is worse than a speaker who only gibberish and talk past his target group. What should be remembered? Although the language should always be simple and understandable, of course it makes a difference whether you have to start with Adam and Eve or first with the New Testament.

What is the interest of the listener?

Did you possibly pay for this event - or is it a compulsory event of the company? Ultimately, this determines the attention and desire of the audience to listen to your presentation. The lower the interest, the more entertaining the presentation has to be.

How long may / should the lecture last?

The rule of thumb is: you can talk about anything, just not over 45 minutes. Thereafter, the attention span of the audience rapidly decreases. But even if the lecture lasts longer or shorter, you should come at this time to the end. Embarrassing are speakers who have to be moderated by the stage, because they are already covered and far from having shown all the slides. Your presentation should be accurate and stay in time. This can be practiced perfectly before and stop time.

What kind of equipment does the stage have?

It's your stage, but you have to be able to fill it. For example, it is important to know if you have a headset (and therefore can move freely on stage) or are tied to a lectern by the microphone. The stage itself, the seating of the room and its size also play a role. The further you are literally off the beaten track of your audience, the more you need to build contact with your audience, such as interviews, voting or direct addressing.