Ruby McKenzie
You may have been asked to create and perform a presentation for a conference and whether you’re familiar with the process or this is your first time, it can be worthwhile to know the best practices and some tips that can help you to be the most successful presenter you can be.
3 top ways to become a successful conference presenter
1. Create engaging content
When you sit down to write your speech, the first thing to do is outline the information you want to get across in bullet form. Once you have the key points on paper, you will be able to build an engaging presentation around them. Think about the tone you want to set and the best ways to put the information together in an easily digestible format – but remember not to talk down to your audience.
2. Focus on the audience
When it comes to giving a conference presentation, it can be a good idea to not only focus on the content you create, but how well the audience is going to receive the information. The main goal of your pitch will ultimately be selling – whether you are selling a product, a service, or even yourself or your company. This means that you need to engage your viewers above all else. There can be a fine line between being too sales orientated and underselling, so try to think about how you’re connecting with them and focus on pain points and the solutions your pitch is aiming to provide.
3. Implement some waking-up techniques
It can be difficult to keep audiences engaged when you’re at a conference, as there are scores of presentations being made over the course of a few days. You’ll need to make sure that yours is memorable, especially if you get a slot after lunch or even on the last day. Even if you are confident in your content, it can be a good idea to add some (non-cheesy) jokes, ask thought-provoking questions and be dynamic by walking around and changing the tone of your voice as you address more important points. It may be a good idea to implement short PowerPoint Slideshows that have GIFs, sound effects and more to ensure that your presentation flows nicely without getting too boring.
4. Practice makes perfect
It may be an old adage but it is certainly true, so once you feel like your presentation is ready, practice it! It can be a worthwhile idea to record yourself and watch it back to see if there are any areas that can be improved upon. Once you have made some tweaks, get a small group of peers together and do a practice run for them. They will give you some worthwhile feedback on both content and delivery.
Additional factors to keep in mind
There are a host of dos and don’ts when it comes to public speaking, but the reality is that modern audiences typically require a different approach when taking information on board. The more active a speaker is, the more engaged they are likely to be with the presentation, so don’t be afraid to be bold.
