Perfection Doesn’t Exist: Presentation Tips and Tricks

Posted by Anni M.

Giving a good presentation is the result of a confluence of factors. It’s more than preparation and practice. It requires confidence, humor, stage presence, and knowledge of your audience. You can drive yourself crazy trying to perfect your presentation moxie. In the end, you will always find yourself facing the eleventh hour—standing at the podium, about to open your mouth in front of an audience. Just remember: everyone feels anxious before a big presentation, even if they won’t admit it. Try to think of it this way: all that work you did preparing for this moment was the hard part. Now you get to deliver your presentation with confidence. You can stand behind your message and your facts. You chose good images and music. Now is the time to relax. You know what to do.

Embrace Your Nerves

As I said, nearly everyone feels nervous before a presentation. It’s the most natural thing in the world! It can be uncomfortable and stressful but without it, you wouldn’t be recognizing the importance of what you’re about to do. When things matter to us, they make us nervous. Part of becoming a skilled presenter is learning to embrace the nerves, to let them flow through you without added stress or judgment. They are simply one consequence of having a human brain.

Perfection Doesn’t Exist

There is no such thing as the perfect performance. There is always room for improvement, even if that improvement involves a stunt tiger or a rocket ship. Don’t hold yourself to an impossible standard, instead make the most of the tools at hand.

 

Get Your Thinking Under Control

The more organized your thoughts are about the topic of your presentation, the better your presentation will go. It’s not just about following a script and practicing (though those are very important too). If you can riff on your topic intelligently, you can lose your index cards in a freak wind tunnel incident, crash your Powerpoint, and fall on your face, and your presentation will still go well. This is because you’ve really considered every angle.

Welcome Objective Feedback from your Audience

If you’re giving a presentation at work, you probably have a few respected colleagues in the audience. Ask them for their honest feedback. If you can take constructive criticism it means you’re proud of the effort you put into the project. It may be a good idea to wait a little while before you ask but don’t wait more than a day. That way you will have a bit of distance from the performance but the person delivering your critique will still have a fresh memory of the event.

As a Creative Communications Strategist, Victoria is known for her electrifying Keynote Performances™ and the transformational workshops and coaching sessions she creates for elite executives, high performing teams, thought leaders and entrepreneurs. 

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