Presentations in the workplace are as common as sunrises and sunsets. They’re a necessary part of business, and in order to advance, one must be great at communication and pitching their goals, ideas, and expertise.
You may not be the most outspoken or funny person, but there are steps you can take to ensure you have the confidence and know-how to ace any presentation you have to lead.
The Levo League, a leadership and career resource for professionals, offers the following tips for doing just that.
1. Don’t rely too heavily on that age-old PowerPoint format. It’s common—and easy—to simply robotically follow slides and give a couple quick elaborations on each. The Levo League recommends “designing your PowerPoint as an outline (10 to 20 slides) of your discussion and remember the Boy Scout motto: Be prepared.” It also suggests knowing your topic from soup to nuts, being ready for question, making sure all equipment is up to par and ready to flow throughout your presentation.
2. Add a little personality to your presentation. No one wants to feel like they’re listening to a robot. “Unless you find yourself in front of a bunch of computers, find a way to engage your audience and insert a certain humanistic quality to your presentation. Failing to do this is a surefire way to get your audience to check out and fail to connect to your message on an emotional level.”