Scot Ulmer details how to give a great presentation for work, including key advice you should know before taking the floor.

1. G I V I N G A G R E AT
P R E S E N TAT I O N
S C O T U L M E R :

2. Giving a presentation in front of
a large group of people,
especially if it is a reflection of
recent work you’ve been doing,
can be quite nerveracking.
Many people don’t know how
to prepare for presentations
and lose the ability to make a
great impact for their career -
whether they are journalists,
business partners, real estate
agents, or potential employees.
Here are some ways you can
improve your presentation skills
and show people that you are
an expert in your field

3. First, nobody wants to sit through a boring black and white presentation
where the speaker is rambling - show energy!
When you are presenting to a group of people, it should not be
allocated like a lecture hall for a three-hundred person college course.

4. On the other hand, it
should also not be
handled like a small
conversation you have
with friends at a dinner
party. You have the floor,
so get people to listen.

5. Most people get bored very
easily, so being able to speak
about a subject with passion
and authority is key.
Take it out of your comfort
zone and project your voice
so that people will listen to
you instead of squirming
around in their chairs.

6. Make sure you pay close attention to the way you are using body
language and the speed in which you are talking.
Using your hands and speaking slowly to emphasize a point is a
great way to grasp your audience’s attention.

7. Speaking of audience - know the people that you are presenting for.
A great way to prepare before even writing a first draft of your
presentation is to do research on who the audience will be.

8. Ask the conference
organizer specific details
like: how many people will
be in the audience, who is
speaking before you, what
other speakers will be
talking about, if there is a
theme of the event, and
how well-versed the
audience is on the subject
you are presenting.

9. According to an article written by
Mark Suster, published on his
website Both Sides of the Table:
“Bullet points were the worst
thing ever created for group
presentations. Nobody wants to
read your text on a big screen. If
you’re going to do that why not
just print out your presentation
and leave it on my seat. Far more
expedient. Your presentation
should have almost no bullet
points. The way to capture an
audience’s attention is visually.
Pictures set the image, your voice
tells what would have been in the
bullet points,” (Suster, How to
Nail a Group Presentation).

10. Lastly, tell a story. All great
presentations include stories
because they are great ways
to connect with each
member of the audience
through emotions.

11. Stories tell people
why you are
passionate about
what you are
presenting, they
are human
elements that not
only bring the
audience to like
and understand
you, but they
make you real,
and they make
what you are
saying much more
genuine than
bullet points.