5 Things to Avoid When Making a Work Presentation for the First Time
Making a presentation in front of a group of people takes work. At first, the fear of public speaking can often get in the way and make you question your ability to be prepared for such an event.
There is always a catch-22 between self-confidence and stage fright. If you don’t feel confident enough to give the presentation, it will show in your body language (and voice). Yet how will you gain confidence if you don’t go through with it?
So let’s look at what you should avoid when giving a work presentation for the first time.
See: Tools/Resources
Table of Contents
1. Being Too Wordy
If you’re new to making presentations, it can be tempting to pack in as much information as possible. But that’s not how to make an excellent first impression—and it’s ineffective for conveying information.
You want your audience to walk away with a clear understanding of what your project is and why it matters, and you can’t do that if you’re constantly stopping to explain yourself or repeat yourself.
So feel free to trim down your presentation! You might have a lot of vital information to include, but there are ways of doing this without being too wordy or repetitive.
Consider using visuals like charts or graphs to illustrate concepts that might take too long to explain just using words alone; these can also help break up chunks of text so they feel more varied.
2. Lack of Preparation
Knowing what to prepare for your work presentation can be hard when starting. You don’t want to overdo it and look like you’re trying too hard, but at the same time, you want to make sure that your presentation is as strong as possible—and that means doing some research beforehand.
To avoid this first pitfall, take a few minutes before your presentation to make a checklist of topics you want to cover. Then, use the checklist as a guide while preparing your slides and practicing your speech, or you can try presentation skills training in London to better understand how you should make your presentation. This will ensure that you get everything necessary!
3. Not Knowing Your Audience
Not knowing your audience is the biggest mistake when making a work presentation for the first time. It would be best to consider who will be in the room and their expectations.
If it’s your boss or an executive, they may already have a lot of knowledge about your topic and won’t appreciate being bored by a lot of detail.
If it’s someone new to the case, they may need to learn what you’re talking about and will need clarification on jargon or any technical terms. Think about how much context they need before jumping into the meat of your talk.
4. Over Complicating Things
If you’re making a work presentation for the first time, it’s easy to let nerves get the best of you. You’re worried about making a mistake or looking like an idiot—which can lead to over-complicating things. Please don’t do it!
It’s OK if your presentation could be better or has all the bells and whistles. Your audience will appreciate that you’re trying instead of just presenting them with something written by someone else and polished until it shines like a piece of jewelry.
Remember: they want to hear from you because they believe in your words. Refrain from over-complicating things; keep it simple and focus on your message.
5. Boring Your Audience
When presenting a work presentation for the first time, it can be tempting to talk as much as possible. You want to make sure that you get all your points across!
But don’t do it.
The most important thing is to keep your audience engaged and interested. If they’re bored, they won’t be listening, and they won’t be paying attention.
Hiding behind the screen is an excellent way to avoid boring people, but it worsens things. The audience will look at their watches instead of listening to what you say!
So what should you do? Ensure your slides are short and sweet—no more than 6-8 sentences per slide. Make sure your content is easy to read: no overly complicated charts or graphs that make it hard for people to follow along.
And make sure that you have some fun facts or jokes up your sleeve: these will keep people engaged and entertained while also helping them remember what they just heard!
Conclusion
These five strategies are perfect for people new to making business presentations or who want suggestions for improving their next presentation. Consider incorporating these ideas into your presentation, and see how much it improves.
After all, an excellent presentation is just one aspect that will make a positive difference in your career—and the best part is anyone can learn those skills with the help of these tips.