How to Prepare for a Presentation

Most people dread speaking in front of an audience, yet the skill can be learned like any other. The following guide explains a process that works for presentations of ten minutes or an hour, whether you are addressing colleagues, classmates or a conference.

Most people dread speaking in front of an audience, yet the skill can be learned like any other. The following guide explains a process that works for presentations of ten minutes or an hour, whether you are addressing colleagues, classmates or a conference.

Step one: decide what you want people to remember. Before you open any software, write a single sentence that summarises your message. If you cannot do this, your audience will certainly struggle to follow you. Everything in the presentation should support that sentence, and anything that does not belongs in the bin, however interesting it may be.

Step one: decide what you want people to remember. Before you open any software, write a single sentence that summarises your message. If you cannot do this, your audience will certainly struggle to follow you. Everything in the presentation should support that sentence, and anything that does not belongs in the bin, however interesting it may be.

Step two: think about the listeners. Who are they, and what do they already know? A group of specialists will be bored by long definitions, while newcomers will be lost without them. Try to imagine one person from the audience and speak to that person. This tends to make your tone more natural.

Step two: think about the listeners. Who are they, and what do they already know? A group of specialists will be bored by long definitions, while newcomers will be lost without them. Try to imagine one person from the audience and speak to that person. This tends to make your tone more natural.

Step three: build a simple structure. A reliable pattern has three parts: an opening that explains why the topic matters, a middle section with no more than three main points, and a conclusion that returns to your key sentence. Humans remember threes far better than long lists. If you find yourself with seven points, look for ways to combine them.

Step three: build a simple structure. A reliable pattern has three parts: an opening that explains why the topic matters, a middle section with no more than three main points, and a conclusion that returns to your key sentence. Humans remember threes far better than long lists. If you find yourself with seven points, look for ways to combine them.

Step four: design slides that help rather than compete. A common mistake is to fill each slide with paragraphs of text and then read them aloud. Your audience can read faster than you can speak, so they will stop listening. Use a striking image, a number or a few words instead, and keep the details in your own voice. As a rule of thumb, if people cannot understand a slide within five seconds, it contains too much.

Step four: design slides that help rather than compete. A common mistake is to fill each slide with paragraphs of text and then read them aloud. Your audience can read faster than you can speak, so they will stop listening. Use a striking image, a number or a few words instead, and keep the details in your own voice. As a rule of thumb, if people cannot understand a slide within five seconds, it contains too much.

Step five: rehearse out loud. Reading your notes silently is not enough, since the words feel different when spoken. Practise standing up, ideally in front of a friend who is willing to be honest. Record yourself once, even though it is uncomfortable, and watch for distracting habits such as rocking from side to side or repeating the same phrase. Time yourself, and aim to finish a little early. Nobody has ever complained that a talk was too short.

Step five: rehearse out loud. Reading your notes silently is not enough, since the words feel different when spoken. Practise standing up, ideally in front of a friend who is willing to be honest. Record yourself once, even though it is uncomfortable, and watch for distracting habits such as rocking from side to side or repeating the same phrase. Time yourself, and aim to finish a little early. Nobody has ever complained that a talk was too short.

Step six: manage the nerves. A certain amount of tension is normal and even useful, as it keeps you alert. Arrive early, check the equipment, and take three slow breaths before you begin. Do not memorise your talk word for word. If you lose your place, you will panic, whereas a speaker who knows the ideas can simply continue in different words.

Step six: manage the nerves. A certain amount of tension is normal and even useful, as it keeps you alert. Arrive early, check the equipment, and take three slow breaths before you begin. Do not memorise your talk word for word. If you lose your place, you will panic, whereas a speaker who knows the ideas can simply continue in different words.

Step seven: welcome questions. Listen to the whole question, pause, and then answer briefly. If you do not know the answer, say so honestly and offer to find out. Audiences forgive uncertainty far more readily than they forgive bluffing.

Step seven: welcome questions. Listen to the whole question, pause, and then answer briefly. If you do not know the answer, say so honestly and offer to find out. Audiences forgive uncertainty far more readily than they forgive bluffing.

With regular practice, you will find that preparation becomes quicker and that the fear gradually loses its power. Many experienced speakers still feel butterflies before they start. The difference is that they have learned to turn that energy into enthusiasm.

With regular practice, you will find that preparation becomes quicker and that the fear gradually loses its power. Many experienced speakers still feel butterflies before they start. The difference is that they have learned to turn that energy into enthusiasm.