5 Great Presentation Habits

Imagine the perfect presenter delivering the perfect presentation. They can win over any audience with their confidence, knowledge, and delivery. What does this Hercules of presentations look and sound like? But most importantly, how can you adopt their effortlessly great habits? Here are a few key characteristics to work on if you want to be the best:

1. Confident Voice

A confident speaking voice is clear, loud, unbroken, and avoids needless filler like “um.” It is a voice spoken from the chest that can land dates and convince an audience. But most importantly, it demands the audience’s attention. As Christine Jahnke, author of The Well-Spoken Woman writes: “your competition is attention span.”

2. Eye Contact

Eye contact is the quickest way to convey to the audience that they matter more than your slides or notes. Ethos3 founder Scott Schwertly has a brief video lesson about why it should never be left out of your presentation:

3. Steady as a Mountain

Nothing says, “I have no confidence in myself or my message” quite like fidgeting. Picking at your nails, excessively using hand gestures, playing with your hair, or pacing are all nervous bad habits that fall into this category. A good presenter knows how to master their movements at the appropriate times.

4. Note-Free

A demi-god presenter doesn’t need to rely on reading notes or the screen; he has arrived prepared and is familiar with the material. This requires more than just memorization. It entails knowing all of the main points and how to reach them naturally through the flow of the speaking. Jitters are reduced when you know the material so well that you can recite it while sleeping.

5. Great Storytelling

Hercules would have a wealth of interesting stories that can tie together the presentation with a heroic journey. Boring facts and stats are abandoned and nervousness is decreased when the presentation is framed with a beginning, middle, and end. In the words of Buffer co-founder Leo Widrich, “our brains become more active when we tell stories.” Including a storytelling is a sign of someone who is comfortable with their audience and knows what people want to hear.

Great presenters aren’t born, they are created by honing in on their natural ability and practicing in weak areas. With a bit of crafting, you can adopt these five great habits and turn out a powerful performance every time.

Question: Which good habits can you practice for your next presentation? 





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