Presentations are essential in many fields of work. A strong presentation delivery helps you convey your thoughts, ideas and data in a clear and visually engaging way. With that said it can be hard to find presentation tips for introverts that work.
Introverts tend to have a dislike for public speaking, as most people do. According to Psycom.net, Glossophobia (the fear of public speaking), affects around 75% of the population. This can make presentations a burden – but they don’t have to be.
7 Presentation Tips:
There are several steps you can take as an introvert to improve your presentation and boost your confidence on the day. Here are 7 marketing presentation tips for introverts:
1. Know your audience:
Understanding the needs and wants of your audience is essential. Analysing their demographics, preferences, and communication styles enables you to tailor your presentation to them. This includes your style, tone of voice, vocabulary, and any visual content.
For example, if your audience is more senior, you could introduce larger fonts and an easy-to-read design. This is better for visibility and prevents any miscommunication or feelings of alienation.
It’s essential to emphasise your audience, cater to their needs, or solve their problems. Understanding who you are speaking to will enhance the value of your presentation and boost your confidence, knowing you have their best interests at heart.
2. Prepare thoroughly:
The most crucial aspect of any presentation is the research and preparation. The more you know about the topic, the more confident you will feel in expressing your thoughts and ideas.
Compared to extroverts, introverts tend not to be as natural at ‘winging it’ – that is thinking and speaking on the spot. Introverts are much more introspective and rely on deep thinking and analysis before conveying ideas.
In-depth research will add more value to your presentation and prevent you from having to think on the spot. Better yet, it will show your hard work and make your presentation engaging, informative and memorable.
3. Tell a story:
Storytelling is one of the most underrated skills. It goes beyond primary content to provoke an emotional response from your audience and convey your key message in a memorable and relatable way.
Stories are especially great for illustrating complex ideas and topics. This is especially true if they include real-life case studies or testimonials, which will better illustrate your point. This can prevent any potential miscommunication or misunderstanding, as well as add a sense of depth and realness that resonates with the audience.
Stories also leave lasting impressions. Even if your audience doesn’t remember the data you show them, they will likely remember the story, meaning your overall message won’t be lost.
4. Keep your slides simple:
Heavy slides with excessive content can quickly overwhelm your audience. It can make it difficult for them to stay engaged and almost impossible to switch between reading the slides and listening to your narrative. This can result in areas of your presentation and narrative being missed.
To keep your audience engaged in your narrative, limit your slides to essential, bullet-pointed information. This keeps it concise and makes room for more visual components, such as images or infographics, that will support rather than detract from your speaking.
If you require detailed notes for reference during your presentation, these can be printed or shown on a second screen for you to reference.
5. Use visual components:
Visual components, such as photos or infographics, make presentations more engaging. They are not only more memorable than written content but support your narrative without overwhelming the audience with too much information.
Visual components can also support your argument and help convey ideas. The use of graphs or charts, in particular, coherently shows the data and insight that is informing your narrative. Even better, it shows your work and thorough preparation.
According to Forbes.com, visuals are processed by the brain 60,000 times faster than text and are more likely to be remembered. Images will help you to create a captivating presentation that leaves a lasting impression.
6. Practice, Rehearse and Practice some more:
This may seem obvious, but it is also imperative. Practising in advance helps you to familiarise yourself with the content, the slides, the structure and the pace of your presentation. This makes the process on the day itself familiar and more natural.
It’s also a great idea to practice your presentation in the same setting that you will be in on the day. If this is impossible, try and rehearse in a similar setting or in the same position (e.g., standing up or sitting down). This will allow your practice run to feel more life-like and result in more confidence on the day itself.
In addition to this, try and find an audience for your practice, such as a coworker or a friend outside of the office. This will provide you with a new perspective and feedback on what you could improve, such as your delivery or slide information. You can then make any tweaks and changes before the day itself.
7. Hold something:
Holding an object can be a physical anchor, providing security and comfort during your presentation. The simple connection to something familiar can reduce symptoms of nervousness, such as trembling hands or fidgeting, and allow you to complete your presentation more comfortably.
This step is especially helpful if you will be standing up. The object at hand (or rather, in hand) doesn’t need to be anything in particular. A pen or your slide notes can easily do the trick. However, you should avoid holding items that could distract you with notifications, such as your phone – unless you are using them as a second screen.
Finally, having an item in your hand can be a natural means to express yourself and emphasise points during your presentation. You can use a pen, for instance, to point to graphs and charts that support your narrative. This all leads to a more engaging and expressive presentation.
Bonus tips for better engagement:
In addition to the presentation tips for introverts, here are 2 bonus tips to keep your audience engaged.
Add polls or questionnaires:
Adding interactive polls or questionnaires to your presentation is a great way to keep your audience engaged, as it requires their input. This will also create the opportunity for you to gather insight into your audience’s thoughts and opinions throughout.
Open it up to Questions and Answers (Q&As):
A Q&A session provides the perfect opportunity for your audience to seek clarification on your presentation and for you to open up a discussion. Better yet, it also allows you to showcase any knowledge or research that didn’t make it into the presentation.
Final Thoughts:
Presentations can be a daunting task. However, these tips will help you to enhance your skills, boost your confidence and keep your audience engaged throughout.
No matter the scale of your presentation, it’s important to practice these steps every time. This will maintain consistency in your approach and slowly build confidence and experience in delivering valuable content.
I hope you enjoyed my article on presentation tips for introverts. Let me know your thoughts and feedback in the comments.
