Give a presentation that will be remembered
Presentation skills
On this page, you can find useful advice on what to do before, during, and after a presentation. The topics consist of short introductions, as well as lists of tips and tricks, supplemented with illustrative video examples.
Key points
- Good presentation skills involve the conscious use of language and vocal delivery to ensure that your message is clear and easy for the audience to understand.
- Awareness of your own bad habits, such as filler words and a monotonous speaking pace, can significantly improve the quality of a presentation.
- Nervousness is natural, but it can be managed through preparation, breathing techniques, and experience speaking in front of others.
- A clear structure with a defined purpose and key message helps the audience follow the main thread of the presentation.
- Body language, eye contact, and posture play a central role in how credible and engaging you appear during a presentation.
- A good presentation requires preparation beforehand, attentiveness during delivery, and reflection afterward in order to continuously develop your communication skills.
Table of contents
Language and voice delivery
When giving a presentation, the volume of your voice, the way you articulate your words, and the words you choose are all important. Of course, everyone has their own way of speaking, and fortunately we do not all have to sound the same. However, there are some general tips regarding language and voice delivery that can be useful for any presenter:
- Always adapt your volume to the situation. Consider whether the room is large or small and whether the acoustics are good or poor. As a rule of thumb, you should expect to speak somewhat louder than you normally would.
- Make sure to articulate your words clearly and always face your audience. This helps create engagement and ensures that people can understand what you are saying.
- Avoid speaking in a monotonous tone with equal emphasis on every word. Your most important words and key messages should carry the greatest emphasis.
- Speak more slowly than you think is necessary. Remember that the audience has never heard your presentation before and needs time to absorb the information.
- If you tend to speak too quickly, build planned pauses into your presentation to slow yourself down. Remember to breathe deeply from your diaphragm, as this also naturally reduces your pace.
- Avoid swearing and slang, as you cannot know how your audience will respond, particularly in an academic or professional setting.
- Be aware of excessive use of filler words and expressions such as “um,” “uh,” or “what’s it called?” Instead, take a brief pause. This creates calm and improves concentration during your presentation.
- Use metacommunication whenever possible by explaining what will happen during the presentation. For example: “The purpose of my presentation is…”, “Before I continue…”, or “Now we will try an exercise…”. This helps the audience follow the structure, message, and overall flow of your presentation.
- Use “I,” “you,” and “we” rather than impersonal expressions such as “one.” This creates a much stronger sense of connection and engagement.
Video clip: If you want to keep your audience engaged, having an interesting topic is not always enough. It is a good idea to think about your language and vocal delivery, otherwise even a great topic can become quite boring. English subtitles available via the CC button.
Body language
When we communicate, both privately and in public, a large part of our communication takes place non-verbally. The same is true during presentations, making it important to consider the signals you send through your body language. Much of this comes down to personal style and movement patterns, but the following tips may be helpful:
- There should be consistency between what you say and what your body language communicates.
- Avoid a passive posture where you slouch, let your arms hang motionless by your sides, or keep your hands buried in your pockets.
- Instead, adopt a more active posture with a straight back, feet firmly planted on the floor, expressive eyes, and hands that support your communication in moderation.
- Our eyes communicate a great deal. Establish good eye contact and maintain a calm gaze, as this creates trust and reassurance.
- Breathe deeply from your diaphragm. This affects your entire body and helps you appear calmer and more composed.
- Smile—it pays off. Smiling creates warmth, connection, and rapport with your audience.
- Be yourself. If you are naturally a quiet person, you do not need to become overly animated when presenting. That quickly comes across as inauthentic. Instead, get to know your own presentation style and strengthen the aspects that work well.
English subtitles available via the CC button.
Structure and message
When giving a presentation, it is essential to have a clear structure and message. You need to be confident that your key message and the purpose of the presentation are clearly defined and that your audience stays with you throughout. A well-planned structure can help achieve this.
Tips for a Good Structure:
- Start strong. Open with an engaging introduction, such as an anecdote, quotation, question, video clip, or similar attention-grabber.
- Make the purpose of the presentation clear from the very beginning. What can the audience expect to learn or take away?
- Include highlights throughout and vary the pace of the presentation. This helps maintain attention. For example, include an exercise, discussion, humorous story, or illustration.
- Prepare thoroughly, but do not be afraid to adapt your presentation if a discussion takes it in a direction you had not anticipated.
- People remember information better when it is repeated. Consider ending with a brief summary of your key points.
- End with impact. The final impression stays with the audience, so prepare an interesting conclusion. This might be a quotation, a call to action, a story, or something similar.
Video clip: It is always a good idea to prepare your presentation so that you have a clear grasp of both the format and the message. After all, not everyone can improvise equally well. English subtitles available via the CC button.
Nervousness
Many people struggle with nervousness when giving presentations. Fortunately, you are not alone. Audiences are often very understanding of nervousness because they recognize the feeling themselves.
Remember that nervousness often occurs because the presentation matters to you and because you care about doing a good job. That engagement is contagious. Ask yourself: whose presentation would you rather listen to—someone who is completely uninterested or someone who is a little nervous because they care?
Take a look at these tips for managing nervousness:
- Thorough preparation helps many people. At a minimum, be confident with your opening and conclusion.
- Practise your presentation with a friend, fellow student, or someone else. This helps you remember the material and identify areas that need improvement.
- Have a backup plan in case a discussion falls flat, technology fails, or something unexpected happens. Remember that your audience does not know what you may have forgotten.
- Smile when you enter the room and establish eye contact with the audience. Believe in yourself, and others will too.
- Visualise your presentation going well, preferably in great detail. This can create calm and foster a positive mindset. Many elite athletes use this technique.
- Breathe calmly and deeply before presenting, and remember—it is only a presentation. The world will still be there afterwards, and you will do just fine.
Video clip: It is always uncomfortable to feel nervous when giving a presentation. English subtitles available via the CC button.
Bad habits
Um, um, um... We all know it. Those annoying habits that appear when we present. Fortunately, the first step towards overcoming them is identifying them. We have therefore compiled a list of the most common presentation habits. Perhaps you will recognise some of them in yourself:
- The hyperactive presenter: Constantly moving around quickly and restlessly. Instead, imagine a circle on the floor and stay within it.
- The pen clicker: Clicking a pen repeatedly throughout the presentation. If you need something to hold, choose a marker or another object that cannot be clicked.
- The hands-in-pockets Presenter: Standing with both hands firmly in their pockets. This can appear disengaged. Instead, use your hands to help illustrate ideas and support your message (in moderation).
- The monotone speaker: Boring the audience with a flat delivery. Remember to emphasise your key points and let your voice show your enthusiasm for the topic—it is contagious.
- The speed talker: Speaking so quickly that the audience struggles to keep up. Breathe deeply and include purposeful pauses. This increases concentration and creates a calmer atmosphere.
- The “um, um, um” presenter: Repeatedly using the same filler word after every sentence. This becomes highly distracting once the audience notices it. Actively resist the urge to fill every silence. Pauses are perfectly acceptable and do not need to be replaced with “um.”
- The eyes-on-the-notes presenter: Looking only at the manuscript. It is fine to glance down occasionally, but remember to look up, connect with the audience, and make eye contact. Consider using keywords instead of full notes if you tend to stare at the page, and learn your opening and conclusion by heart. This creates confidence and reassurance.
Video clip: Be careful with fillers such as “uh” and “um”, and avoid repeating the same phrases over and over again! English subtitles available via the CC button.