How do you improve your presentation style and format?

1 Know your audience

Before you start working on your presentation, you need to understand who your audience is and what they expect from you. What is their level of knowledge, interest, and motivation? What are their goals, needs, and challenges? How do they prefer to learn and interact? By answering these questions, you can tailor your presentation style and format to suit your audience and achieve your objectives.

2 Choose your format

When creating presentations, the format you choose should depend on the purpose, audience, and context. A problem-solution format can be used to present a problem and then offer a solution that benefits your audience. Storytelling is a great way to capture attention and emotions, followed by a main message or call to action. Demonstration formats show your audience how to do something or how something works, with visuals, examples, or live actions. Comparisons can be used to contrast two or more options, products, or scenarios, highlighting their advantages and disadvantages. Lastly, Q&A invites your audience to ask questions and then answer them, creating dialogue and interaction. No matter which format you select, make sure it is clear, logical, and consistent throughout your presentation.

3 Design your slides

Your slides are an important part of your presentation format, as they support your verbal communication and enhance your visual appeal. To design effective slides, you should use a simple and clean layout with enough white space and contrast, and choose a readable and professional font with a consistent size and style. Additionally, you can use images, charts, graphs, or icons to illustrate your points without creating clutter or distractions. Additionally, you can use colors, shapes, transitions, and animations to create interest and emphasis without overusing them or causing confusion. Lastly, you can use bullet points, headings, and keywords to highlight your main ideas without using long sentences or paragraphs.

4 Develop your style

Your presentation style is how you deliver your presentation, using your voice, body language, and personality. To develop an effective and engaging style, you should practice speaking clearly and confidently with the right tone, pace, and volume. You can also vary your voice by adding pauses, stress, intonation, and pitch to convey meaning and emotion. Gestures, eye contact, facial expressions, and movement can help reinforce your message and connect with your audience. Additionally, it's important to be yourself by using humor or personal stories to show authenticity and credibility. Lastly, it's important to adapt your style to the situation by using feedback, cues, and questions to adjust your delivery and interaction.

5 Prepare and rehearse

To improve your presentation style and format, the final step is to prepare and rehearse your presentation before the event. This will help you check your content, slides, and equipment for accuracy, clarity, and functionality. Additionally, it will allow you to become familiar with your material, format, and style, while building your confidence and fluency. To prepare and rehearse effectively, use a variety of methods such as reviewing your notes and slides, practicing aloud with a mirror or recorder, practicing with a friend or coach for constructive criticism, practicing in the actual venue or a similar one to get familiar with the environment and equipment, and practicing under realistic conditions like time limit, audience size, and distractions. Doing this will help anticipate any potential problems or questions that may arise during the presentation.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?