Ten tips for an engaging Presentation

People holding up mobile devices during a presentation.

Photo by Lauren Beal

Leading a successful and engaging conference session is a skillset that will take time and practice to develop, but following these ten guidelines can help you to start off on the right foot.

  • Focus your presentation

If you are not certain of the exact point or objective of your presentation, use the Why, Who Cares, So What test. Think about each slide and piece of text you create and its purpose. If it does not align with your objective, cut it. Nothing discourages engagement more than a presenter trying to rush through too much information.

  • Remember that slides are for the audience, not for the presenter

Slide decks are not the place for multiple bullet lists and extensive notes. If you have a large amount of content that you want to provide to the audience, link to a white paper or more extensive notes online. Your projected presentation is not the place for it.

Also, it’s helpful to use the 10/20/30 rule. Ten slides, presented for 20 minutes, and no less than 30 point font. Your remaining time should be used in direct engagement of the audience and should be spread throughout the presentation.

  • Get to know your audience

Do you know to whom you are presenting and why they are sitting in front of you? Finding this out through quick introductions will go a long way toward making your presentation engaging and meaningful for the audience.

  • Chunk your presentation

You have 10 minutes before attention typically starts to wane.  Plan for an audience “check-in” every 10 minutes in order to check for questions, understanding, and context. If there are no questions or comments from the audience…

  •  …Flip things around, ask your audience questions

Never do the “Any Questions?…No?…OK, moving on…” routine. You can always assume that you have an audience full of individuals at least somewhat knowledgeable in your domain or research area. Ask them their perspectives on what you are presenting, whether they have shared your observations, would find your tool useful, have engaged in similar research, etc. A good method for engaging the entire audience is to direct questions at individuals in the audience. This will encourage everyone to pay closer attention. Nobody wants to appear as though they were not paying attention.

  •  Tell a story

We don’t learn through listening to a string of facts; we learn through stories and real world examples. During your presentation try to link your main points to real world examples and human experience. The best presenters are also great storytellers.

  • Use pictures and graphs

There is a reason we say that a picture is worth a thousand words. Meaningful (ie. not flashy for the purpose of being flashy) images can help your audience tune in to what you are saying and also helps to convey your point in another way. A large image with just a few words is almost always more effective than a 15-point font bullet list. If you put a large amount of text on the screen, your audience will instinctively switch from paying attention to you to reading the slide.

  •  Use a well-practiced protocol for engagement

There are a number of well-established protocols for engagement described across the web. These protocols provide frameworks for group engagement and there is likely one that would be perfect for your content/purpose/presentation. Visit the NSRF website for a comprehensive list.

  •  Have fun

As the presenter, you are responsible for setting the tone of your session. If you are relaxed and engaging, your audience will also be relaxed and engaged. If you are nervous and focused only on getting through your material, your audience will lose focus on you. The best way to avoid this is to…

  •  …Practice your presentation

You should not walk into your session not knowing exactly how long your presentation is or which slide comes where. Practice your presentation, time yourself, practice your engagement breaks, and be practiced enough that you could give your presentation even if the power goes out. Doing so will allow you to divert your focus from simply giving the presentation to engaging your audience and conveying your message.

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