Let me guess. You hate giving presentations. You get nervous, sweaty, and tongue-tied. You wish you could just skip them altogether.
But there’s a simple way to make your presentations less stressful and enjoyable. It’s a method that will make you look more confident, professional, and engaging.
It’s not magic. It’s not drugs. It’s not hypnosis.
It’s conversation.
Yes, conversation. The art of talking to people and listening to them. The skill you use every day in your personal and professional life.
💡 Structure your presentation to be less of a monologue and more of a conversation. This can help you relieve anxiety. Why?
Because it shifts the focus from you to your audience, interaction makes the audience feel involved, valued, and interested. It creates a rapport and a connection.
How do you make your presentation more conversational? It’s not that hard. As you plan your content, don’t forget to plan interaction! Add some interactive elements at least every 10 minutes.
- If you’re presenting online, use built-in features like chat, polls, and breakout rooms to get your audience involved.
- Online or off, encourage the audience to ask questions, play games, do an exercise, or interact with your content.
The back-and-forth aspect of conversation and interaction can be less stressful for you and more engaging for the audience. It means that you get to talk less, and listen more!
Try it for yourself. Next time you give a presentation, make it more of a conversation instead. See how it changes your experience and your results.
Laura Bergells teaches public speaking and business communication classes and workshops. Hire Laura.
Take Laura’s communications and public speaking classes online at LinkedIn Learning. – Free to LinkedIn Premium Members!