?Planning Plan your presentation carefully. Thorough preparation will make you more confident and help you to overcome your nervousness.
?Objectives Think about what you want to achieve. Are you aiming to inform, persuade, train or entertain your audience?
?Audience Whom exactly will you be addressing? How many people will be attending? What do they need to know? What do they already know? What will they expect in terms of content and approach?
?Content Brainstorm your ideas first. Then decide which are most relevant and appropriate to your audience and to your objectives and carry out any research that is necessary. Be selective! Don't try to cram too much into your presentation.
?Approach A good rule of thumb is to ‘tell your audience what you're going to say, say it, then tell the audience what you've said'. Try to develop your key points in an interesting and varied way, drawing on relevant examples, figures, etc. for support as appropriate. You might also like to include one or two anecdotes for additional variety and humour.
?Organization Think about how you will organize your content. Your presentation should have a clear, coherent structure and cover the points you wish to make in a logical order. Most presentations start with a brief introduction and end with a brief conclusion. Use the introduction to welcome your audience, introduce your topic/subject, outline the structure of your talk and provide guidelines on questions. Use the conclusion to summarize the main points of your presentation, thank the audience for their attention, and invite questions.
?Visual aids If you have a lot of complex information to explain, think about using some charts, diagrams, graphs, etc., on an overhead projector or flipchart. Visual aids can make a presentation more interesting and easier to understand, but make sure they are appropriate and clear – don't try to put too much information on each one.
?Rehearsal Allow time to practise your presentation – this will give you a chance to identify any weak points or gaps. You will also be able to check the timing, and make sure you can pronounce any figures and proper names correctly and confidently.