Let presentations boost your career

Gannett News Service

We've all sat through them: the workplace presentations that drag, make no sense, are a waste of time, and make the presenter look like an idiot.

That's why when it comes time for us to give a presentation, we have visions of our career being flushed down the tubes and people snickering behind our back.

But with a few simple preparations, your presentation may take your career to new levels.

First, let's begin with the obvious. Dress well, avoiding odd colors or anything else that may distract the audience. Wear shoes that will allow you to move and stand comfortably without looking sloppy. Keep your hair away from your face (and don't fiddle with it while talking).

Don't read your presentation. Practice it from notecards until you feel comfortable referring to them only occasionally. Use a tape recorder to identify and eliminate any vocal habits like "you know" or "ummmms." Do you vary the speed of your speech? Slow down for emphasis, speed up a bit to invoke enthusiasm.

Also, if you're really nervous, begin by looking into the audience for that friendly face - the person who appears relaxed, is smiling or is nodding affirmatively. Speak to that person, and let your eyes skip over the one with arms crossed, looking at the ceiling or yawning.

Other pointers:

• Practice moving while you talk.

How many of us have watched presenters lose their train of thought, stumble over a projector's electrical cord, or put their back to half the audience? A presentation means you can move around and, by doing so, you can keep your audience interested. But not if you can't do it gracefully and naturally.

• Respect the clock.

Start and finish on time. If you've so charged up your audience that they don't want to stop asking questions, tell them you'll be happy to provide your business card so they can phone or e-mail later. Or find a spot to meet with some after the meeting. If you can't fit all of your information into your allotted time, consider giving out handouts at the end.

• Use visual aids.

Using an overhead projector, a slide show, or a computer-generated visual can add real impact to your presentation. Just remember to practice with the aids, and make sure they are relevant to what you are saying. Don't overload the audience with visual information - you want it to just cover the key points.

• Stick to the subject.

It's easy to get pulled off base when the audience is interacting not only with you, but with others. It's your job to keep things moving along. Say something like, "That's an interesting point, and maybe we can discuss it after this session. But in order for us to cover all the material, we need to move on."

• Use examples.

All the data in the world won't make much of a difference if the audience cannot relate to it. You may use personal examples or look for short anecdotes to bring the point home.

• Provide a road map.

At the beginning of your presentation, summarize briefly what the audience is going to learn. Then, at the end, summarize how you've proven your point.

• Ask for feedback.

The only way to truly know the impact of your presentation is to ask for comments from the audience. Have an evaluation form that will be simple to fill out.