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Presentation Skills

Plan Your Best Presentation​

Great presenters get more done by persuading teams to adopt better ways of working, gather support for their initiatives including resources, gain influence among bosses and peers, and advance their careers by getting noticed by decision-makers.

Studies show that practicing presentations makes it easier and less stressful.

A winning presentation has three principles:

  • A clear, compelling message (what's in it for your audience, what problem are you solving)
  • Visuals that support and enhance the message (images, colors, typography)
  • Top-notch delivery by a speaker who is competent, comfortable, and confident (eye contact, tone, gestures, pacing)

When thinking about the message, answer what is your objective, what's your core message, who's your audience, and what's the setting (environment).

When you communicate your core message clearly, your audience will be far more likely to remember it. Think of what your listeners expect from you, and how to best connect with them.

Your audience is the hero (they are changed over the course of the presentation). What are they like? Why are they here? What keeps them up at night? How can we solve their problem? What do we want them to do? How might they resist our ideas?

Think of how much time you have, what level of energy to bring, the degree of formality, if there are other speakers, if it's in person think of lighting and interactions, if it's virtual think of how to keep them engaged, and think of a follow-up to the presentation (Q&A, handouts, recordings, etc).

If part of your audience is already familiar with the topic, bring others to speed by sharing material ahead of time.

Build out your presentation​

Don't cram too much information on the presentation, don't make the audience work to understand you, and don't let them get frustrated or lose interest.

"Many attempts to communicate are nullified by saying too much." - Robert Greenleaf

Brainstorm ideas, and narrow down to the few that best represent your message. Structure your presentation as an opening, a body, and a conclusion. A good beginning frames the purpose of the conversation so the audience are glad they are there (don't over-explain the context). Create a gap between what is and what could be (call to adventure), a gap about something they care about. Cast a vision of how the world is going to be better because of our conversation. Then, deliver on that promise. End the presentation with a call to action, the step you want them to take.

When appropriate, tell a story. Stories capture people's interest, makes it easier for them to remember, lower their defenses, and helps them identify with you. Good stories are concise (less than a minute), end with a lesson that the audience can apply, and are personal to you.

Memorable elements have nuggets, or STARs (Something They'll Always Remember), like a shocking statistic, an evocative image, or an interesting anecdote.

Well Designed Slides Matter​

Simplicity is key, you don't have to be a designer. Each slide should be there 30-60 seconds.

Think like a designer:

  • visual elements should have a hierarchy (there can only be one hero per slide)
  • there should be repetition in colors, fonts and visual elements (builds identity)
  • color usage has to be intentional, with the right tones, mood, and meaning. Have a few main colors, a couple of pop colors, and a few neutrals.
  • remember to build white (or negative) space. Align visual elements, margins, and paddings.

Remember to use just enough text. Don't overdo lists. When using images, avoid clichés, keep them consistent, ensure accurate and respectful representation, don't do stereotypes, and match the type of image to its purpose. Use photographs, illustrations, data visualizations, and more. Other media at your disposal are live collaboration, props, audio, and video.

Present Data With Impact​

Data can be quantitative (measured numbers) or qualitative (feedback). The right data, presented effectively, can transform your presentation.

  • Focus: Make sure each graphic presents on single major point
  • Declutter: show only details that are relevant to the visual's key points
  • Make the data accessible, easy to understand and interpret
  • Know your data, be prepared to answer questions like data sources, or error margins

Being a leader is also about communicating the actions to take because of the findings. Associate the right verbs with the data: there are process verbs (roadmaps, like , support) and performance verbs (strategic, like disrupt, invest).

  • Bar charts are for rankings or comparisons, or changes over time. Not for comparing two categories, or two time periods. Order your bars!
  • Line charts are for trends over a factor (like time)
  • Pie charts are for showing proportions
  • Scatter plots are for the relationship between two variables, usually to show a correlation
  • Word clouds are for qualitative data

Data doesn’t speak for itself. It needs a storyteller, and it's a lot easier than you think. It's Setup, Conflict, Resolution.

Prepare To Present With Confidence​

Studies show that 90% of the anxiety we feel before giving a presentation comes from lack of preparation. You’ll want to take time to prepare for the event and practice your delivery. Think of elements around your presentation:

  • Roles: who leads, who introduces, who concludes, who handles Q&A
  • Flow: who speaks before you, who speaks after
  • Technology: can you access the presentation, is the presentation in the final form, can you share it afterwards

Practice, practice, and practice. Ask help from close ones. Record yourself. Remember to also ,manage your anxiety:

  • Visualize success by imagining yourself giving a great presentation
  • Focus on your audience, how you are helping them
  • Reframe your expectations that everything will be perfect.

Deliver A Memorable Presentation​

Make a great first impression, manage how you come across, handle any difficulties that arise, respond to questions from the audience, and later review how you did and what you can improve.

To make a good first impression, get settled, show up early, give people something to look at, and be welcoming. Exude a sense of ease, poise, and self-assurance. Make eye-contact, smile, adopt an open posture, use gestures, and get comfortable with silence (no uhms, ahs, you knows). Avoid speeding through your talk.

On a virtual call, don't be a stoic robot. Show your physicality, stand away from the camera. Turn your selfie view off (don't look at yourself). Some tips:

  • Reduce negative space above your head by adjusting your camera angle at eye level
  • Light in the background reduces your sharpness, so avoid that
  • Find a good light source in front of you, like a window or a lamp
  • Simplify your background

When answering questions, play it back to the asker so the audience can hear it. Maintain a positive and helpful tone, even if the question trips you. Ask if someone in the audience can shed light. Prepare if you will take questions during or after the presentation. Anticipate questions.

Then evaluate if you achieved your goal, communicated your core message, captured the audience's interest, handled challenges properly, and responded effectively to questions.