A Great Presentation

An audience is most attentive when it feels it is getting value.  One of the key things Toastmasters will have you focus on is your specific purpose.  It encourages you to focus on what you want the end result to be; what you would like the audience to take away with them.  You may be looking to:

Whatever your chosen purpose, this point can be reiterated throughout the talk.

Preparation is a tool that makes the difference between an average presentation and a great presentation.  It requires understanding your topic and the audience.  A great presentation ensures the topic is spoken in a way that is relevant to the audience.

Toastmasters help members by evaluating their performance in this regard.  It is generally obvious how much preparation has been put into a speech.  Evaluation is done in a friendly and professional manner.  The chosen evaluator watches the audience for awareness and interest.  This feedback is given to the speaker to ensure their future preparation makes the desired impact.

A strong presentation has an opening, a body and conclusion.  The opening should be powerful; something that grasps the audience’s attention straight away.  In the body of the speech, there are generally three points of information.  Each of these points are backed up by evidence.  The conclusion assists to tie all points together and provide an opportunity to focus on the key takeaway.

A great presentation has a memorable story and smooth transitions throughout the opening, body and conclusion.

Presenting with confidence is one of the main reasons people attend Toastmasters.  There are many aspects of confidence.  It is not expected that they will be picked up all at once.  Toastmasters offers a platform to practice one or two at a time until these become natural, before adding other elements.  Elements to confidence are:

Mental health is as important as physical health and is just as integral in a great presentation.  In the lead up to a presentation, there are many things a person can do to alleviate nerves.

Getting great sleep the night before assists with mental clarity.  Sleep releases chemicals that assist the body in feeling calm and centred.  Taking deep breaths before a presentation also helps; this allows oxygen to feed the brain.  Very important when you need to think well!  Visualisation is also a valuable tool; visualise yourself doing a great job as often as possible.  Repetition makes it easier to achieve your desired result.

Lastly, use compassion.  Tell yourself positive words – beating yourself up or judging yourself harshly does not help your progress.  You will get there – it’s all practice.

Slides are a great visual tool to highlight points in a presentation.   It is important that the slides are not the speech itself.  The audience wants to see your performance, not read a speech.

The priority with slides, is to keep it simple.  The slides should contain large text.  Slides should also have a focal point; the focal point guides the audience to where they should look first. While slides are a great tool, having visual aids is an area you can get creative.  Any visual aid that you think that will create a long-lasting memory with the audience, is part of creating a great presentation.

The difference between a good speech and a brilliant speech is practice.  A good rule of thumb for how long to pracitice, can be found here.  Practice in front of a mirror, with a pet, with a friend or group of friends.  Practice using technology; record yourself via video and replay it to help you understand what the outcome looks/sounds like. Finally, practice with a live audience (like Toastmasters). Before you know it, you are in the best position to give your best performance!

The above seven tips will set you up for a great presentation. The benefits assist online presentations as well as live presentations. If you are keen to find out more about what toastmasters can do for you, many clubs offer free trial sessions.  Ask a club near you how you can do a free trial, and don’t be afraid to trial several clubs until you find your perfect fit.

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