Presenting to a bunch of people is not always easy. In fact, for many, it can be quite stressful and intimidating.
But according to Julie-Anne Black at a recent Melbourne event, there are things you can do that can make you appear like you’re a superstar when you’re presenting to an audience, big or small. Julie-Anne started managing a modeling agency at 19 years of age, and became a television production assistant by 23. In a year’s time, she became the producer for the quiz show “The Price is Right”. She’s now an author and international speaker who helps entrepreneurs and business leaders improve their communication skills.
Here are some of her tips that can help you out:
- You have to know exactly what it is you want to achieve. You can’t just say you want to be “better”. By having a specific goal, you can then take concrete steps to succeed.
- Record yourself talking. Can you understand what you’re saying? Are you talking too fast or too slow? How loud is your voice? Are you speaking in monotone? By getting answers to these questions, you can identify what you need to correct. Perhaps you can enunciate better, talk at an acceptable pace, and modulate your voice so that everyone can hear you without shouting at them.
- You can also film yourself. By doing so, you can check if you have any habits that may be distracting your audience. You can also see if you’re in any way inhibited in your presentation when a more forceful presence is required.
- Think about your audience and don’t be intimidated. While it’s easier said than done, taking your audience’s point of view can help you relax. They don’t really want to see you fail. They’re not waiting for you to screw up so they can laugh at you. Instead, they want the info you are presenting. If they’re customers, they want to know why your products are better than your competitors. They want to know which of their problems can be helped by what you have to offer. If you’re presenting to your bosses, then that means they want to see if your idea can help the company. They want to know if you can make operations go more efficiently and smoothly or if you can boost sales and profits.
- And of course, you also need to focus on the content of your presentation. After all, regardless of how well you can communicate, it won’t do much good if your ideas are boring or useless. Your content should capture the attention of the audience, inform them of what they need to know, and encourage them to act.
Lastly, be yourself. You have to believe in yourself and in what you’re offering to your audience. By being authentic, your listeners can then connect with you. Don’t pretend to be someone else. Just be yourself, your confident self, that is.
