What Makes a Convincing Presentation?


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General Tips

A good presentation is like a good story. You need to have a clear narrative that engages your audience and conveys your message effectively. Think about the key points you want to convey and how they connect to each other. Your story should have a beginning, where you introduce the topic and capture the audience's interest; a middle, where you delve into the details and provide supporting information; and an end, where you summarize your main points and leave the audience with a memorable conclusion.

Practicing your presentation beforehand is crucial. This allows you to refine your story, work on your delivery, and ensure that you stay within the time limit. Practicing in front of a friend, roommate, or teammate can provide valuable feedback and help you identify areas for improvement. Remember to also time yourself during practice so you know how much to include and what to leave out during the actual presentation. Some of the core tips for a good professional presentation is listed as:

  1. Clear speech
    1. Loud enough, speak to the people in the last row.
    2. Avoid speaking in a monotone.
    3. Be passionate and confident about your topic. You are an expert on this topic and don't present things you have no interest in it.
  2. Eye contact
    1. Look at individuals if you wish (but not the same person or people all the time).
    2. Or look between people (less distracting to you).
    3. Or (especially if you are nervous) look just above the last row of people.
    4. Avoid just reading your slides/posters/index cards.
  3. Body language
    1. Be natural, then you will make the right gestures without thinking about it.
    2. Move your hands a bit when you are saying something important.
    3. Avoid swaying your body back and forth or distracting your audience with your body language.
  4. Good organization
    1. Emphasize the important things and leave out the unimportant things.
    2. Talk about basic things first, then later talk about the things that depend on them.
    3. Begin your talk with a summary of what you are going to say.
    4. End your talk with a summary of what you have said.
  5. Time management
    1. Finish your presentation in given time, don't go over or finish early.
    2. Practice your pace and time it before the presentation.
    3. Don't rush. If you are running behind, don't try to talk faster; leave things out.
    4. Be prepared that people might interrupt you so you won't have enough time.
    5. Be prepared that you might finish much earlier than you expected.