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When we're done with this, you'll be like a younger, less imperialist Churchill! (Source)
Here's a fun pop-quiz: What's the thing Americans are most afraid of in the whole world? Is it bear attacks? Missing the Black Friday sales? Getting squashed by a vending machine while trying to snag the package of Oreos that got stuck? Nope. It's public speaking. Some people actually fear public speaking more than death.
I'll repeat that: some people fear public speaking more than death. Yes, really.
That's a healthy dose of fear, but I get it. Standing up in front of people or knowing that tons of other people have their eyes glued to your slideshow is enough to make anyone question their purpose for living. The good news is that I'm about to teach you the best ways to prepare for presentations and speeches so that you don't need to run around screaming in fear or contemplating darker thoughts every time you need to do a presentation. Don't be a statistic.
And then, there's the slideshow -- that thing you can make in Google Slides that highlights the key points of your presentation. One more fact: if you use Google Slides incorrectly, your presentations can end up more closely resembling exhibitions of torture. I'm talking the visual equivalent of a Chinese finger trap. No one wants to create those, let alone listen to them. Sure, nobody gets hurt by a bad slideshow, but we can do better, right?
What's the magical cure for presentations? My simple advice is to get smart. Keep those slides clean, concise, and brief. Prepare your presentation ahead of time by writing it really well, and then practice it with some clever techniques to get yourself familiar with it. If you do all that, what could go wrong?
READING: WRITE, PRACTICE, PERFORM
Let's say you write a paper for class, and then you're supposed to give a 5-minute presentation about your paper once you turn it in. Do you A) read the paper word-for-word in front of the class, B) randomly speak on your general subject and the pieces of your paper you can remember until the time is up, or C) freeze with panic and then run from the class room waving your arms. You know what? Let's go with D, E, or F.
What follows is my detailed account of how to find those D, E, and F options with skill and flair. Since active reading is the best reading, choose one of these active reading methods:
Or even just print this puppy and annotate it
Preparing
Preparing
The most important part of giving a good presentation is starting with good material. It's not a great idea to write a paper for class and then just read that paper word-for-word as your presentation.
For one thing, it's maybe a little boring. For another, your writing might not actually translate that well to speaking. It's also not a great idea to just wing it, because speeches need to have a clear structure or else your audience is sitting there staring. Don't be that dude.
Here are some good tips for writing and planning your presentation. Keep in mind, by the way, that some people prefer to write a detailed outline of their speech rather than a line-by-line kind of deal, because they feel it makes their presentation more natural-sounding.
Get to the main event. That means, pick your 3-5 main points and make sure that they're super clearly stated. Like, super clearly. Transparent. Oh, and don't spend half your speech telling a funny story about your dog to warm up the audience, either—just get to your main points.
Consider your limits. When you're writing a speech, be careful to think about the actual assignment. How long does it need to be? Who is your audience? What's the overall purpose of the presentation? Does it need to have any visuals? This is called paying attention to the assignment, and it will save you some tears.
Plan for visuals. Okay, so not every assignment calls for visual aids, but they generally improve presentations a gazillion percent. Google Slides presentations should be clear, have limited text and nice images, and be light on the flashy animations (more on that below). Handouts should summarize your main points and not regurgitate your speech. If you bring any fun objects from your summer vacation to pass around, make sure it's not the cursed gold of the Aztecs or something. Ain't nobody got time for that.
Get snappy. That means, try to work in memorable, powerful lines. Speeches are often more difficult for people to remember than written words, so make it punchy.
Write like you talk. Well, within reason. The idea is to write in a conversational, understandable tone of voice. Avoid sentences like this: "Therefore, in light of these irrefutable evidences I have described, the capitalist state is unavoidably morally reprehensible and we as intellectuals must strive, constantly, to overthrow such an oppressive, dictatorial, and ultimately violent entity." Actually, just avoid sentences like that period.
Practice, Practice, Practice
Practice, Practice, Practice
You've got your beautiful, world-changing speech all written out. You wouldn't change a thing, because it's just that perfect, but you've got a long way to go before you're ready to stand in front of Congress (or yours truly) and give the speech of your lifetime. The main thing you've got to do it practice. Here are some ways to practice that most speech-givers swear by:
Time yourself. Seriously. See how long the whole thing takes you, and compare it to how much time you have for your speech. Adjust your speed accordingly. There's nothing worse than finishing your speech after two minutes when it should have taken ten.
Slow down. The most common mistake speakers make is talking too fast. It makes it hard for your audience to understand you, makes you look nervous, and just doesn't do justice to your earth-shattering speech. So, take your time. You're not speaking as slowly as you might feel you are. For real.
Practice eye contact. You may have a detailed outline, but practice your speech enough times that you don't need to stare at it the whole time. Practice making eye contact with your stuffed bear collection as you speak, because eye contact makes people listen better and perceive you more positively. Here's a trick: don't actually stare deeply into people's eyes. It can break your concentration, and it freaks people out. Look out and stare generally at people's faces. It'll look like you're giving eye contact, but you won't actually be looking at eyeballs.
Practice with an audience. Now, leave your teddy bears alone and go practice on your family. You'll be surprised at the difference an audience can make on your nervousness levels.
Check your technology. If you're using a Google Slides presentation, video, or any props at all, make sure you've got it all in good working order. Nothing is worse than getting up there and fumbling with a corrupted file or a glitchy laptop for 10 minutes.
The Big Day
The Big Day
Finally, your moment to shine has arrived. It's the morning before school, and you're feeling pumped. You didn't even have that nightmare where you forgot to wear pants. All systems go. Before you head out the door, go check out the short video below for a few more tips on what good presentations look like. Hint: Don't wear those checked shorts. Ever.
READING: THE ART OF THE POWERPOINT
You may have heard of Microsoft PowerPoint or Google Slides -- programs for creating visual presentations that are loathed around the world for turning already boring meetings into Dante's Inferno of Boring-ness.
At some point in school—probably many points, if I'm being honest—you'll need to design a Google Slides or PowerPoint presentation. It is my dearest hope that this presentation will not remind anyone of an inferno of any kind, but for that to happen, you need to know how to avoid the classic groan-inducing, rookie slideshow moves.
Making a non-boring slideshow is right up there with good oral presentation skills. In fact, they go hand in hand. Today, check out the video/slideshow below to find out what and what NOT to do with PowerPoint/Google Slides. Heed their words. Heed them well.
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