‘I like a good speaker, and I appreciate an intelligent audience.’
– Dorothy Parker, poet, writer and critic
To thrive in the creative industries, you’ve gotta give good pitch. Being an effective saleswoman – of your work, of your ideas and of yourself – is one of the most useful skills you can cultivate, which means mastering the art of giving convincing presentations. Read on for some tips and tricks that can be applied in most situations, whether you’re giving a talk at an event, or pitching to a prospective client, investor or employer.
If you’ll be delivering your talk using a slide show, keep the number of words on each slide to an absolute minimum. There’s nothing more boring than sitting through a talk where the entire contents are written out on each slide – people will tune out of what you’re saying and read your presentation off the screen behind you instead. Visuals are a good way of keeping your audience’s attention, so (if the subject of your talk allows it) incorporate some eye-catching imagery to support your narrative. Copy-wise, try limiting yourself to brief headings on each slide, and structure your presentation so that the headings of each slide spell out the key points of your presentation. Try it – it’s a game-changer.
Presenting without notes definitely looks slicker and more polished, but they’re a good confidence-boosting safety net if you’re feeling nervous or haven’t had much time to prepare. An occasional glance at your notes is much better than losing your train of thought halfway through your presentation. Just make sure you’re holding a few discreet cue cards, not stacks of rustling paper. Jot down key prompts, keywords, or even the beginnings of sentences to jog your memory.
Introduction, argument, conclusion: treat giving a presentation like writing an essay, and keep all of the sections roughly the same length, with a quick recap at the end to remind your audience of the key points. If you’re presenting multiple options for consideration, go into a little more detail on your preferred option – it’s a simple but effective psychological trick that can help sway your audience towards your choice, without making them feel as though the decision is being made for them.
Whatever program you use to create your presentation (Keynote and Google Slides are both good options), ensure your formatting is tight. That means consistent use of font – no more than one or two fonts or font sizes – and sleek, crisp-looking slides. If you’re pitching to a major client or potential investor, consider investing in a few hours of a designer’s time to make your deck as visually appealing as possible.
No special effects, please. Nobody wants to watch your slide title crawl, whoosh, or fade onto a page.
Whether you’re new to public speaking or a seasoned pro, rehearse your talk as much as you can, both on your own and in front of willing friends. Learn your presentation inside out, then practise delivering it so you seem relaxed and natural. If you end up feeling comfortable enough to throw in a few ad-libs, that’s great too.
Filler words such as ‘um’, ‘er’ and ‘like’ are pretty damn jarring from an audience perspective and make you sound a lot less polished. Try recording yourself giving your presentation on your mobile phone and watching it back – you’ll probably be surprised at how often you end up using them. The better you know your presentation, the less likely you’ll be left fumbling for the right words and reach for one of these instead – yet another reason to get practising!
Public speaking can be hugely nerve-racking, especially if it’s something you don’t do very often, or, worse, have never done before. Feeling nervous often triggers a fight-or-flight response in our bodies, leading to a huge surge of adrenaline that can manifest itself in the form of shaky hands, sweaty armpits, or a dry mouth – not exactly ideal when you’re standing in front of an audience! Try the following techniques to help counteract your body’s (totally natural) reaction to nerves:
A few minutes before you’re due to speak, do a bit of meditation-style breathing. Taking slow, deep breaths will give your body a much-needed influx of oxygen, calming you down and helping to alleviate any physical signs of nervousness you might be showing.
Make sure you’re well hydrated and have a glass of water handy while you’re speaking, in case your mouth starts feeling dry. Tempting though it might be to rely on a bit of Dutch courage, you should avoid hitting the booze beforehand. Alcohol dehydrates your body (which won’t help with a dry mouth) and impairs your cognitive functioning – which makes you more likely to lose your train of thought, and could slow your responses if there’s a Q&A element to your talk. Save the glass of wine for celebrating afterwards!
Having an empty stomach can exacerbate your anxiety, so make time for a light snack a good hour or so before your presentation.
Make eye contact with your audience, dividing your attention equally between all corners of the room. Early on in your presentation, try to find friendly-looking faces in the audience and direct your words towards them. They’ll make you feel calmer and more confident and help you gauge how your words are going down.
The best presentations have a bit of levity, so include a relevant anecdote (personal or otherwise) to humanize yourself and help build a connection with your audience. Stories are a great way to start off a presentation, as they instantly capture people’s attention.
Dressing with personality is great in general, but this is one situation where you don’t want your outfit to distract from what you’re saying. So keep it simple.
Any questions?