10 Useful Tips For Your Next Presentation

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1. Put your presentation on their phones.

Most presenters know that there's always a handful of people who'll be on their phones during the whole presentation. So give the people what they want: Put your presentation on that little screen for them!

2. Keep an atmosphere of humor.

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Laughter is the result of social anxiety being released because of some feeling of security. Being funny helps people to feel relaxed and engaged with your presentation. Add some humor to your spiel, and you'll keep your audience engaged.

3. Get your audience to be active in your opening.

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One of the most important things an intro can do is get people to actively participate in the presentation. Try a quick warm-up to break the audience out of their routine and into what you're about to show them.

4. Don't be afraid to get a little personal.

It might seem off to put personal info in a professional presentation. But anecdotal mishaps (whether a story or a personal photo) actually help an audience to warm up to a presenter and therefore a presentation.

5. Own the space with big movements.

Confidence is a key ingredient to a good presentation. Walking around the room and practicing big, well-timed gestures will help the audience stay focused and interested.

6. Be thoughtful about your audience.

Think about who you're presenting to and what they might expect. If you need to prepare organized folders with them, make sure they're set up at each seat. If you have a lunchtime meeting, then work out some food for everyone. A little prep can go a long way.

7. Use data to tell a story.

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Numbers = good. BUT numbers also = confusing. Present the numbers, by all means...but make sure you've come up with a story that qualifies what those numbers mean.

8. “Tell them what you’re going to tell them, then tell them, then tell them what you told them.”

When constructing your presentation structure, you want to evolve the story. First you present the structure of your information (open), then present the information, and finally close by summing up each point followed by the larger takeaway briefly.

9. Save the most surprising info for last.

NOTE: not the most important info, just the most scandalous. Ending with some surprising new learning or thing to watch out for will encourage people to keep talking about your presentation and create buzz around your ideas.

10. Make a strong closer.

You want your closer to inspire people to take action, whether that be to make a buy or give you a standing ovation. ;) The best way to do that is to structure your story so that you end on a climax. Here are some tips for closing strong.

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Leave the dull presentations at your desk. With Prezi, you can tell visual stories while you present to help make meaningful connections with every audience.