7 principles to deliver a successful presentation

June 21, 2024 Liam Sandford

It is no secret that most of the population would rather be eaten by a shark than stand in front of a room to deliver a presentation. It’s funny because the thought of delivering a presentation is worse than the reality. You build it up in your head to be a big thing that is going to be extremely difficult and overwhelming, and that will only be the case if you are being thrown in the deep end.

I never advocate for being thrown in the deep end. Every success I have ever had comes from starting with doing something small, but doing it often. Progress over perfection. Little and often. It’s the way to build your foundations and scale up when you start feeling confident.

But when you are thrown in the deep end what do you do?

Principle 1: Your slides are not for you. They are for your audience.

Slides are not your prompt. They should be to help your audience understand. I you need prompts on your slides, instead, have notes that are not on the slide — having a piece of paper with bullet points on is more than okay. It keeps the slides more engaging. If it isn’t for you audience, it should not be on the slide.

Principle 2: Don’t start with an agenda

Opening with an agenda is the way to lose audience attention right at the start. Instead, show the audience why they should care about the topic. Give them your credibility and why they should listen to you. Or even better, open with a compelling story that captures their attention. If you can capture attention in the first second, just like a James Bond movie, you will have them throughout the presentation.

Principle 3: Be clear, not clever

If you can’t deliver your main point in one sentence, you are not clear enough. If you are not clear on the point you are making, your audience have no chance of understanding. You can’t deliver a successful presentation if your message is not clear.

Principle 4: Less is more

Saying more does not make your audience understand more. Don’t make your point, and then say it in 10 other different ways — that becomes confusing. Value comes from what you say, not the number of words you use. If you can use 5 words, why use 10?

Principle 5: Strong transitions win your presentation

How do you clearly move from one point to the next? Transitions are the forgotten superpower in presentations. Without a clear transition you will ramble as you figure out how to get to the next point. Planning this in your preparation saves you the trouble, keeps you on time, and ensures the presentation flows for your audience.

Principle 6: Avoid a script

With a script if you forget one word you derail the whole presentation. Instead, know how you will open, the main point, and how you transition between points. Essentially this is your nano speech. Everything else can be conversational.

Principle 7: Don’t throw away your close

Most people end with ‘That’s everything I had to say’. A close like this undoes all of your hard work in delivering an effective presentation. What you need is an effective call to action for your audience. This could be a question, an actionable item, or a decision you need from them. Whatever you close on, ensure it is a clear point of handing over to your audience.

Actionable takeaways

Practice in low stakes environments before you are thrown in the deep end. This will help you build the foundations to be a comfortable and successful speaker.
Make everything, including your slides and delivery, for your audience. If it doesn’t help them understand, don’t include it.
Clearly plan your open, your transitions, and your close. Without a clear plan you will ramble and undo your hard work.