The Imperfectionist's Guide to Presenting

There are so many 'how to's' for presenting and delivering presentations - many of them recommend in-depth preparation and practice runs.

While much of the advice has relevance and I'm sure is useful to many wannabe presenters, my experiences are different to many of the experts. I'm still fairly new to presenting and I have found that detailed preparation and too many practice runs can be detrimental to performance (those who know me, know I'm not a planner unless it's a holiday). Here's why;

1. Natural flow and authenticity can be completely lost by the rehearsed delivery of a presentation. The unique delivery of information by an individual is key to engagement and the ONLY way to get your message across is to be natural and you!
2. Pressure to get things 'right' can be overwhelming and can result in a complete brain freeze or worse, an anxiety situation. This is usually due to the focus on 'what not to do'. It's ok if things go wrong and also fine to acknowledge this to the audience before getting back on track. In most cases, the vulnerability will be endearing and relatable.
3. Wear something you think you look fabulous in, which will make the audience you are presenting to feel comfortable. Go as far as you can to match their formality/informality while not losing your spin on it.
4. Involve the audience from start to finish. I ask them questions upfront about what they know about what I am about to present, any experiences they have had, continually check in with their understanding and make it clear that not knowing something is an opportunity for us to grow together. Empathy with the audience is so overlooked in many presentations I have attended. Do they care about how or how much I want to learn about this? Don't talk at them!!!!
5. Be enthusiastic about your topic - if you are struggling to be passionate about it, ask someone else to present it. The important details in your preso - the stuff you want people to remember, will be completely overlooked if you talk about it with disdain.
6. Conquer the fear by doing it. It's never as bad as you'll think it'll be - you may even love it. Your interpretation of how it went will be very self-critical so enjoy any positive feedback knowing that it was genuinely the experience of the person you were presenting to at that time.

Smile, tell personal stories to support the content and ensure that everyone learns one thing. Happy presenting :)