Presentations are a vital part of the business world. They are used to demonstrate, inform, and persuade viewers. Many times when we are given the task of presenting to a crowd we can lose sight of the objective because of the stress involved in developing the presentation. I have put together 7 tips to help make your presentations better to help eliminate stress and increase focus:



Outline the information you are presenting

When you are presented with the task of presenting information to a group of colleagues or peers, generally you will have an idea of what the main topic should be. This topic will be the focus of your presentation, but you should also have a goal. What do you want your audience to walk away with, what should they know afterwards? This will help you fine tune the presentation and ensure it doesn't become too vague or difficult to understand.

Once you have determined the topic and goal of your presentation, it will be best to outline your supporting information. Develop a list of 10-15 ideas/concepts a person must know before they understand the topic you are speaking about. Within these ideas, you can develop sub-points to make your presentation more clear. Once you have this outline finished, planning and designing your presentation will be much easier.

Use different presentation tools

Many people will choose to design a presentation using slideshow software like Microsoft Powerpoint. This is a great tool to help you get your message across, but other options can be used to supplement this material and make your presentation more engaging. Keep options like video, podcasts, booklets, and handouts in mind as well. Using multiple visuals during your presentation can help capture your audience and increase understanding.

Consider how your visuals will look

When you begin designing your visuals for the presentation, consider what they will look like to your audience. Avoid using bright colors in fonts or images that may be difficult to read. Refrain from abusing graphics and sound effects during your presentation; although they may be entertaining, often they can be distracting and cause listeners to tune out. Also, consider the size of your audience and how large your presentation should be; this may include font and image size, as well as the overall space you have for your presentation.

Provide an outline/handout for viewers

Handing out an outline of your presentation before you start will help your audience follow along and prevent them from becoming frustrated or lost because you are moving too fast while they are taking notes. Depending on the length and detail you are providing in your presentation, these handouts may range from single sheets to bound booklets. Either way, you can create professional looking documents with laminating or binding equipment which will increase the value of your presentation in the eyes of your audience members.

Get your viewers' attention

To gain the attention of your audience, begin with an interesting fact or statistic that is in line with your presentation's overall goal. Don't get carried away with this element of your presentation by including a fact that is topic-related and not goal-related. Introducing an idea that doesn't align with the overall purpose of the presentation may be devastating to the overall understanding. Often times, an image or graph is a great addition to this initial fact or statistic to help grab attention and increase interest.

Be reasonable with your time

Don't be overwhelmed by filling a certain amount of time with your presentation. Although it should be informative and long enough to gather important ideas or insights, audiences are generally very finicky and lose interest easily when topics become too specific or overly informative. Provide just enough information to get your point across and allow for understanding. As long as all the points you developed before your presentation are there, your presentation will appear whole and goal-oriented.

Prepare for Questions

One of the most common, and biggest, flaws of a presentation is when it seems the presenter doesn't understand the topic under discussion. This is evident in two circumstances: when the speaker reads straight from the presentation or is unable to answer questions. Both undermine the entire purpose of your presentation and give the audience little reason to believe you know what you're talking about. So always prepare for questions by reviewing the presentation and the resources you used to develop it.