The 4 P’s of a Great Presentation

If you look across cultures, there is a fear that ranks at the top for almost everyone — public speaking. The social anxiety associated with being judged by or embarrassing oneself in front of others can be debilitating for some. While speaking in front of a group can be scary, the benefits of overcoming your fear far outweigh the discomfort. Communication and persuasion are among the top 20 skills companies need most, both of which are developed through public speaking.

There are many reasons to hone your presentation skills, including these:

• Personal and professional growth
• A sense of pride and purpose
• Increased mental and emotional resilience
• More credibility
• Higher confidence and self-esteem
• New and stronger connections with others

So, what makes a presentation stand out? Are some people simply born with the gift of gab? While personality may play a minor role in a person’s ability to be an effective speaker, time and practice play a major role. Here are the “4 Ps” of a great presentation — key elements you can focus on to take your presentations to the next level.

4 P’s of a Great Presentation

1. Precision

• Start strong. To draw your audience in, start with a strong opening line and set the context for your presentation. Make it universal, compelling and relatable. If you don’t draw your audience in early, you may not be able to regain their attention later in your presentation.
• Communicate with clarity. Focus on the key messages and don’t get lost in the details — you’ll lose your audience. After you introduce the challenge, present the proposed solution (“what could be”). Continue to reinforce the challenge and the solution throughout your presentation.
• Be timely. Be mindful of how long you’re taking to tell your story — be concise and stay within your allotted time.
• Practice. With practice comes precision. Prior to your presentation, rehearse in the mirror and deliver your presentation to a friend, family member or colleague. Ask for feedback and incorporate it into your next rehearsal. The more you practice, the less anxious and more precise you’ll be when it’s show time.

2. Persuasion

• Be confident. Stand in the power position (stand tall with your head high and chest out) for a few minutes to up your confidence and take a few belly breaths to calm your nerves before you start your presentation. The more confidence you convey through your body language, pace and tone, the more confident and receptive the audience will be to the arguments you’re making or messages you’re relaying.
• Paint a picture. Use colorful words, metaphors and analogies to tell a story and keep your audience engaged. Storytelling is persuasive and activates the brain, making your presentation more memorable for your audience. Storytelling can even reduce your anxiety during a presentation.

 3. Personalization

• Make it personal. If you’re presenting on a topic, it’s likely because you’re a subject-matter expert, telling a personal story or passionate about the topic. Don’t lose sight of your personal connection to the subject matter. Give it a personal touch and tell the audience how you connect with the topic and why it’s relevant to you.
• Be yourself. This one seems obvious, but authenticity is critical to delivering a great presentation. To connect to your audience and have them connect to your story, you must be perceived as genuine. Don’t be afraid to keep it light (if appropriate) and poke fun at yourself.

4. Perception

• Tailor for your audience. Before you give a presentation, understand your audience and make sure you tailor your presentation to the specific needs, expertise and attention span of the group.
• Involve your audience. To give the audience a sense of involvement in your presentation, make eye contact with various members of your audience, use inclusive language (e.g., humankind vs. mankind) and ask rhetorical questions. If your audience seems disengaged, switch up your tone, pitch or cadence or do something unexpected (e.g., tell a joke) to capture you audience’s attention. Great presenters connect with the audience through humor, inspiration and, most importantly, empathy.
• Be self-aware. By practicing and encouraging feedback, you’ll become familiar with your strengths and the areas you’ll need to be mindful of during your presentation. Do you speak too quickly, use fillers, pace across the stage or fidget with your hands when you’re nervous? When you’re aware of how your body reacts to stress and anxiety, you’ll be able to better regulate your emotions and breathing during your speech.
• Observe great public speakers. Observing other great speakers will help you develop and master your own presentation skills. Watch some impressive public and motivational speakers and jot down new techniques you observe and incorporate them into your next presentation. There’s a lot you can learn by observing others — the important thing is that you take action.