DON’T: Have a poor opening. Don’t start with: “Hi, my name is [NAME], and I’m going to be discussing [TOPIC].” Your opening should have a similar structure to an introduction on a paper. Which means that you should have context, a main message, and a preview. Your opening is the first part of your presentation, so make sure that grab your audience’s attention from the start.
DO: Prepare in advance. Allow yourself enough time to prepare your presentations as well as your visual aids. Please don’t try to make presentations in two days or wing it. Your teacher can tell the difference between a well-thought-out presentation and something you scrambled together at the last minute.
DON’T: Put too much information on your slides. Your classmates will end up reading the slides instead of actually listening and your teacher won’t be impressed. Opt for a small amount of information using a bullet-point structure instead.
DO: Be logical. Your presentation should have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Avoid having topics that are all over the place.
DON’T: Read your presentation. According to a survey AMA ran, that is the #1 most annoying presentation habit and I understand why. You look unprofessional and the audience has no reason to keep listening to you because they can read the slide themselves. To avoid this, as I’ve mentioned in the second point, keep your slides minimal. You should also have flashcards or speaker notes, but they shouldn’t be overloaded with information either, or you’ll read those.
DO: Be creative. No one likes a boring presentation so don’t be afraid of adding some flair to your presentation. A little bit of creativity will make your presentation more enjoyable, and if it’s enjoyable, your audience will better grasp the message of your presentation.
DON’T: Make terrible font choices. You should use a clean typeface. Contrary to popular belief, serif fonts are just as good as sans-serif fonts in terms of legibility. Just make sure that the font you use is easy to read, even your headers. You also want your font sizes to be big enough. So, avoid text smaller than 18px.
DO: Be mindful of your body language. Avoid crossing your arms, fidgeting, and putting your hands in your pockets. Make eye contact with the audience instead of constantly looking at the screen and just relax. Your audience can sense if you’re nervous. There’s not a cure for nervousness out there for those us who have problems with public speaking. Just practice a lot. If you know your presentation very well then you’ll feel more confident about presenting it.
DON’T: Have low energy. Even if you’re presenting about a topic that doesn’t interest you, you better be speaking as if it’s your passion. Showing enthusiasm and active interest will make your presentation so much better. If you speak with a monotonous voice and have a dull facial expression, your grade will suffer—hard.
DO: Finish with a bang. Briefly sum up your presentation, restate your message and finish off in a way that makes your audience reflect and think about your topic. This is the time to be elegant and make a lasting final impression.
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