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- Giving a successful presentation isn’t always easy, but there are some key tips to make the process easier.
- Preparation is key, including practicing your presentation and structuring it properly.
- We asked three experts for their best tips for crushing a presentation at work.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Whether you’re speaking at a weekly meeting or pitching a major proposal to your company’s executive team, presentations are a common source of stress for employees everywhere.
It’s natural to sweat under the spotlight, especially when you only have a short amount of time to get your point across.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. It is possible to crush your presentation — each and every time — by keeping some key concepts and tactics in mind.
We spoke to three experts who know a thing or two about presentations for their best advice.
Talk it out
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You might feel like you’re back in high school practicing your lines for the school play, but rehearsing your presentation beforehand is an important way to prepare. That’s what Adam Zukor, the director of executive communications at Microsoft who specializes in speech writing and content for top Microsoft executives, told Business Insider.
"There’s no substitute for practicing out loud, ideally in front of someone you trust, to give you feedback, or at least to a mirror," he said. "How you think about your presentation and how it sounds out loud can be very different, so always practice out loud — in the shower, while you are getting dressed, or as you drive to work."
Focus on a few key points, and structure accordingly
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When preparing, think long and hard about the main points you want to make, because you really only get a few, Zukor said.
"No matter how high-stakes or complex the presentation, your audience is only going to take away a few key ideas," Zukor said. "Make sure you’re clear-eyed about what those important takeaways are, then start framing around them."
He added that this old speech-writing adage still holds true: Tell the audience what you’re going to tell them, then tell them, and then tell them what you told them.
"If something is worth saying, say it more than once to get the point across," he said.
Control those nerves
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Being nervous is normal, but Mitch Grasso, CEO of the presentation software company Beautiful.AI, has some hacks to to help you relax before and during your presentation.
"First, give up on perfection — it will almost never go as planned," he told Business Insider. "Remember that you are an expert on your story and you have prepared for this moment."
Also, it’s OK if you don’t know every answer that your peers or even your superiors ask during your talk, he said.
"Never try to fake it — that backfires every time. Acknowledge that it’s a great question, you don’t have the answer, and try posing the question back to the group," he said. "It can help with audience engagement while giving yourself a short mental break."
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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Source: Business Insider – feedback@businessinsider.com (Chelsea Greenwood)