Skilled presenters have a sense of ease about them. You see it on their faces, in their gestures and body language, and hear it in their voices. Here is a list of the most important delivery skills to master.
1. Stand tall from the ribcage; this looks confident–strong yet relaxed. Keep your head straight but not rigid. Plant your feet. Bravo!
2. It is best to plant your feet in place most of the time. When you move, move from point A to point B deliberately, then stop and plant your feet again. No pacing.
3. To work the room, stand in the center for your opening, move every 2-3 minutes or at the start of each new topic, then return to center for a strong close.
4. Keep your hands in a neutral, relaxed position at your sides or at your waist. If your hands are locked you won’t be able to gesture.
5. Let yourself gesture naturally, and then let your hands go back to neutral/resting position.
6. For better voice projection get into the habit of opening your mouth a little wider. This helps with both volume and enunciation.
7. Sound like an expert. If any of your phrases sound like questions, you will undermine your credibility. Firm downward inflections sound best.
8. The eyes have it: to appear confident, practice making smooth, steady eye contact.
9. Pause appropriately; before you begin, after you make a point, between slides. Don’t rush.
10. Face it; your face is showing. First make sure it is relaxed and neutral. No frowns, no tension, no licking your lips. Check a mirror.
The best way to improve your delivery skills is to video a presentation or rehearsal, then watch it back with a trusted colleague or coach. Be sure to look for your strengths as well as those things you would like to change. Little changes in delivery skills can make a huge impact, but work on just one or two areas of improvement at a time.
Gail Zack Anderson, President of Applause, Inc., has nearly 20 years experience in training and coaching. She
provides individual presentation coaching, and leads effective presentation workshops and effective trainer workshops.
Theresa Pojuner is a Documentation Specialist with over 20 years of writing experience and is skilled in many areas of documentation, for example, Style Guides, Training Manuals and Test Cases, wth a specialty n Technical Writing and Procedures.
Your top tips on becoming a presenter are great! Number 5 – Letting yourself gesture naturally – is something many presenters try to avoid, so i’m glad you’ve featured this point!