This document provides tips for presenting with impact. It recommends that presenters 1) have a clear purpose that outlines benefits and importance to the audience, 2) connect with the audience by understanding their concerns and using impactful stories, and 3) be authoritative yet approachable through body language and emphasis. Additionally, presenters should 4) keep their key message simple through repetition from different angles, using stories and metaphors, and 5) polish their presentation through practice, feedback, and using visual aids to support rather than replace their message.

1. Presenting
with impact

2. 1. Have purpose
People like to know where they stand:
1. Purpose
2. What will the audience get: tangible
benefits
3. Why are these benefits important to them?
4. Who are you and why should they listen to
you?
5. What’s coming next

3. 2. Connect
 The best speakers empathise with their
audiences, and their audiences identify with
them
 How can you empathise and connect with
an audience?

4. 2. Connect
 Know your audience
 If you don’t, start off getting to know them
 What concerns and motivates them most?
 The power of stories
 Stories with impact are personal, unexpected,
visual, visceral
 Ask “you-focused” questions, for example:
 What would you do if…
 Use your body language:
 Open & approachable; positive & energised
 Your audience will mirror you emotionally

5. 3. Be authoritative and passionate
 Authoritative ≠ intimidating
 Posture: be aware of your feet
 Start/end at “home” position and use different
stage positions for different points
 Use emphasis to make every word and
sentence count:
 Slow down and spell out key points
 Use volume
 Vary intonation
 Pause/silence

6. 4. Keep it simple
 Identify one, memorable key message
 Repeat it in different ways, coming at it
from different angles to communicate your
secondary messages
 People will forget the detail, so use the
detail to build and convey your key message
 Use stories, images and metaphors to make
your message stick

7. 5. Polish
 Practice and practice again
 Record yourself, get feedback, identify bad
habits and practice breaking them
 Speaking too fast, pacing, verbal fillers
 Use your visual aids to add impact to your
message, not as your notes

8. Ella aged 2 wearing
mum’s shoes
Ella aged 22
Put yourself in their shoes: have purpose, connect, be
authoritative & passionate, keep it simple, and polish your shoes
regularly

9. Increasing impact through
knowledge
exchange
9
www.markreed.webeden.co.uk
http://sustainable-learning.org/training/