Presenting in front of a crowd is never easy, especially if you’ve never enjoyed it in the first place. However, if your job requires you to do so, then you have to do your best in delivering a seminar. Also, as part of connection building, sometimes holding conferences and events like this is necessary.
In relation to this, keep in mind that you’re imparting knowledge to different types of people with the same goals. Regardless of their age, ethnicity, and gender, you must ensure that you share your ideas effectively and with no prejudice.
How can you prepare an effective and good seminar for your audience? To help you, here’s a list of tips and tricks you can follow.
1. Focus on What Your Audience Needs
If you’re figuring out what to prepare for your seminar, the very first thing to do is to identify your audience. By learning more about your listeners, you’ll know what they already know and what they need to know. You can provide the relevant details when trying to explain your presentation.
Also, in preparing for the seminar, consider what your audience needs. Are you holding an international seminar conference? If so, you might need interpreting services to provide a better seminar experience to your participants. Are you presenting to the youths or the people in higher positions in the industry? If so, ponder on what tone you should be using during your presentation.
Depending on the subject you’re trying to discuss, you can use a serious or light-hearted one. For instance, if you’re trying to deliver a serious matter, it’s important that you’re aware of the content of your speech so that you can work with your delivery technique. Although humor can attract interest, using inappropriate jokes during this time can distract people from the seriousness of the matter.
2. Keep It Simple
If you already have a topic, it’s best to focus on your objectives. Although sharing more knowledge with others is beneficial, you must consider that an effective presentation concentrates on the core message and its key points. You wouldn’t want a presentation that has too much dispensable information. Instead, discuss the topic that your audience came for.
Planning is the best solution for doing this effectively. Prepare your slideshow to be clean, easy to follow, and straightforward. Keep all the essential details and let your audience prepare the questions they can ask during the Q&A session.
You can start by briefly summarizing what you’re about to present. Then, you can start with your introduction and follow your plan. Again, you don’t need to explain or say everything, but just what’s needed.
3. Interact: Smile, Make Eye Contact, and Ask Questions
During the presentation, the best thing that you can do for your listeners is to engage with them. By smiling and making eye contact, you can effectively share your knowledge and build connections with them.
Making eye contact with people can also help you to feel less nervous since it’ll make you feel like you’re talking to a single person. To do this successfully, don’t try to turn down the lights during the presentation so that you’ll see the other people and make comfortable eye contact with them.
Additionally, try to ask questions to increase your interactions with the audience. However, try to prevent calling a particular member only and utilize tools where they can submit their answers to feel like they’re part of the value-creation process. Also, this will help you to gather data and insights that can help your takeaways.
4. Follow 10-20-30 Rule
10-20-30 is a guideline shared by the former Apple brand ambassador, Guy Kawasaki. This rule is meant to help presenters create a brief but effective presentation. He stated that your presentations must not have more than ten slides, never lasts longer than 20 minutes, and the font size should not be less than 30 points.
This technique stops you from information overload in every or one of any slides, which is usually the reason for an ineffective presentation. Unlike the 10-20-30 rule, you can have more straightforward, readable slides that keep people interested.
5. Present With “Spoken English”
In case you may not know, there’s a clear distinction between “spoken English” and “written English.” Most documents and references available are the sorts that utilize a formal style with a considerably complex vocabulary and structure, so they’re called written English.
Since the readers can take their time to read and internalize what they’re reading, using this language is not a problem but utilizing it while presenting is otherwise.
Your audience might have a hard time digesting the information you’ve presented. If they hear rather complex words, they’ll need more time to look them up. Spoken English uses more contractions and is more casual. This can be hard to distinguish, but practicing will help you get the job done.
6. Keep On Practicing
Concerning the tip above, practice makes everything perfect or at least better than not preparing. Public speaking can be nerve-wracking, but getting enough practice and preparation can improve your confidence. Then also, create a better and free-flowing script. After that, continue to practice and practice some more!
Additionally, seeking TED-style coaching can provide valuable insights and techniques to enhance your public speaking skills even further. Through consistent practice, preparation, and refining your script, you can steadily build the confidence needed to excel in your presentations.
It’s more effective if you try to run through your presentation in front of an audience. Try asking for a friend to help you with your practice run. Position them where your audience will be sitting and let them take down notes in areas you need improving. This will also allow you to get used to performing in front of people and feel more comfortable and confident with your material.
7. Be Positive
Most importantly, as the day leading up to your seminar comes nearer, it would help you if you stay positive. Though it’s usually easier said than done, once you can practice positive thinking, you’ll notice the huge difference in how you perform.
You’ll become less nervous if you do not let any negative thoughts get to you. Think of positive outcomes and focus on what you can do and what you’re about to do.
Final Thoughts
You might think of negative thoughts during the day of the presentation, but remember that it’s your mind playing tricks on you. Remember the things you carefully prepared and the practices you made with your friend.
Keep in mind that hard work will never betray you. So, go through the tips mentioned above and take your time in making arrangements until you’re ready!