Note that we have a dedicated comprehensive course covering presentations and managing nerves, delivered by communication and presentation expert Peggy Forell. The videos in this course simply give a high level overview of practical tips and guidance.

Timing

The people you will be working with will most likely be busy and itching to get back to their emails. Do not run on for longer than your allocated time slot. If anything, aim to end slightly earlier; your audience will thank you (albeit silently) and might therefore feel more positive about your presentation. This doesn’t mean cut it short by 50% however, as shortening it too much could indicate a lack of preparation, effort or knowledge. Make sure you budget for time being taken up with general socialising (or people getting coffees or food) at the start, and have a plan B in place. If presenters before you have run over their allocated time slots, you find yourself answering more questions than expected throughout the presentation, or certain discussion points escalate into debates, know which content you can cut out at the last minute so that you finish on time.

Practical tip: acknowledging the time throughout your presentation can help your readers to relax in the knowledge that you are aware of your allocated time slot and appreciate that their time is important.

Delivery

Pay attention to what you say (i.e. your words), how you say it (i.e. your pace and expression), and how you look when you say it (i.e. your body language and eye contact). This is important, as what you say might lack credibility if you look or sound like you don’t believe in what you’re saying. With this in mind, below are some tips on how to improve your delivery.

Getting started: before getting started, wait until it’s quiet (or almost quiet) so that the attendees hear all you have to say.

Projection: speaking in a loud, clear voice and taking the time to properly articulate words can make you easier to understand. This will enable the listener to gain more from your communication, which can consequently reflect more positively on your knowledge and capabilities.  

Pace: speak at a reasonable pace so that people can properly understand you and digest what you are saying. This is especially important for presentations in English, as the language is consonant-driven, meaning it is harder to understand when spoken too quickly. Often people speak more quickly than they realise they do, especially when nervous, so perhaps record yourself speaking in advance to check your pace. What feels unnaturally slow to you might sound perfect when you’re listening back to a recording. In addition, if your listeners are taking notes, make sure you pause sufficiently frequently to give them time to make notes, otherwise you’ll lose them!

Sign-posting: pause between points and clearly sign-post topic changes. This will give the audience time to digest what you’ve just said and get into the right headspace to receive your next point.

Interaction: when delivering presentations, try to engage the listeners as much as possible, perhaps by asking them questions or querying whether they have any practical tips/relevant experience to contribute in relation to each segment of the presentation. By getting them involved, you are more likely to retain their focus.

Eye contact: think of your audience as a collection of individuals. Be democratic with your eye contact, by making an effort to look at everyone in the room throughout. Also, look at people for a second (rather than a split second) to really achieve engagement. If sitting in a room with a long table, take the time to look at each person multiple times throughout the presentation, including those next to you. Staring at your notes or only at one or two friendly faces could lead to others feeling neglected and consequently losing their focus. Walking around whilst presenting can make it easier for you to make eye contact with everyone, but if you feel more comfortable sitting down, at least move your body to ensure that you make proper eye contact with those around you.

Body language: smile, and consciously adapt your body language to demonstrate that you are confident and comfortable in front of your listeners. Doing so should convey that you believe in what you are saying and care about the topic, which can make you more engaging and help your listeners to relax.

Nervous ticks: try to avoid nervous ticks. Saying “um” too frequently, foot tapping, swaying, elaborate hand gestures (i.e. visual noise), standing on one leg and so on can all distract your audience. Consciously holding your hands together loosely at the start could help you to avoid some of these ticks. However, the best way to identify and mitigate ticks (of which you may well be unaware) is to practice in front of a friend and seek feedback, or to film yourself and watch it back. Most ticks can be avoided – or at least mitigated – through self-awareness and practice.

Distractions: try to avoid getting distracted by your environment, including external noise, people leaving, people checking their phones and so on. If you do get distracted, it is ok to say “where was I?” out loud; people will not judge you and it can help you to get back into your flow without risking going off on a tangent.

Water: have a glass of water close by at all times. A typical side effect of nerves is a dry mouth, which can sound terrible! The act of taking a drink can also give you a second to collect your thoughts (without feeling awkward about the silence).

To wrap up, Steve Weiner points out that “many lawyers think that to be taken seriously by others, they have to act seriously. This assumption is fundamentally flawed. Serious people are not always serious. Serious people are confident. Confident people are relaxed. Relaxed people are prepared. And most importantly, prepared people smile.” Smile, as this is what confident, assured, approachable people do. Even on the phone, smiling can make you sound more assured and approachable.

Presentation aids

Diagrams and visuals (if not too complicated/too small to fit on a screen) can help to explain things and liven up your presentation. Similarly, using PowerPoint slides (and equivalents) is fine, if you use them correctly. When using slides:

• Avoid including too many words on each slide, otherwise your listeners will read the slides instead of listening to you. The simpler the slides, the more the listeners will engage with you. Also, do not read out entire slides, as this is unnecessary and boring for everyone involved.
• Consider blanking out a PowerPoint slide whilst you talk (by pressing “B”), then letting the slide appear at the end to summarise what you have just said (by pressing “B” again). Alternatively, you could take a short pause each time you turn to a new slide, as this will give the reader the chance to skim over the slide without missing your first few sentences.
• Try not to look back at the screen or down at your notes (and thus away from your listeners) too often, as you’ll fail to project, your vocal intonation will likely flat-line, and you won’t be making eye contact, all of which will make you less engaging. Visual aids and notes should not be used as a crutch.

Peggy Forell: you don’t have to know your presentation by heart; notes are fine, but don’t lose yourself in them. You should know your presentation well enough to get through it with a series of “triggers” that have been designed to help you stick to a logical structure and ensure you do not leave out anything essential. 

Practical tip: if you have created a handout, try to give it out at the end if possible, otherwise your listeners may ignore you and read the handout whilst you are talking. Perhaps also explain at the start how your listeners should use the handout.

Peggy Forell has over twenty-five years' experience working with countless professionals on their presentation and communication skills, with a focus on maximising their personal impact and raising their profile within their organisation. Through her professional development consultancy Advocality, Peggy delivers bespoke training sessions on presenting, communication, confidence and resilience, Myers Briggs and a broad range of other topics. For more information, visit www.advocality.co.uk.