Are you looking for presentation-tips and tricks from a professional? Look no further, Michel is here to help! As a trained actor, and the founder of Konnektid, he knows what it takes to give an interesting and impressive presentation.

Amazing TedTalk as a source of inspiration

Michel: “When I saw Rachel Botsman’s TedTalk for the first time, years ago, I started to realise exactly what I wanted to do and soon after the idea for Konnektid was born. This talk has not only been a great source of inspiration to me because of its contents, but also because Rachel told her story in an amazingly great and convincing manner. Rachel’s talk makes a great example for the perfect pitch in several ways. By providing the audience with a clear frame since the beginning of her pitch, Rachel allows her listeners to better relate to her talk. Next to that she involves her audience from the beginning of her story by asking questions and giving them the possibility to actively think about the problem. In this way she creates identification: as a listener the story is about me.”

How to create the perfect pitch

There are four criteria that a good pitch should meet.

  • To the point. The purpose and goal of your pitch should be really clear. Use examples but do not elaborate too much on them.
  • Personal. By giving your story a personal touch, you allow the audience to identify with it and connect with you.
  • Inspiring. A good pitch is inventive and should give your audience new insights and information.
  • Add drama. Structure your pitch as a compelling drama. Make sure to have a catchy intro, exciting story and a surprising end. In this way you’ll keep your audience engaged and interested.

Improve your presentation skills

So now that you know how to create a great pitch, we’ll share some tips on how to improve your presentation skills in general. These will help you improve your presentation skills and even reduce your fear of giving a presentation.

  • Make eye contact with your audience. Make sure you make eye contact with the people you are presenting for. Look for a natural pauze (which could be in the middle of a sentence, when you take a breath, or the moment when you’re switching from one topic to the other) and then focus your eyes on someone else. When you direct your story to someone by making eye contact with them, your message will be better understood. In short: force yourself to tell your story ‘to’ the people in front of you, not ‘for’ them.

  • Prepare your story, but allow for flexibility to adapt your story to your audience. Create moments of interaction and check if the way you are telling your story is resonating with your audience or if you need to change your approach. Be flexible!

  • Ask yourself what you think the worst part of giving a presentation is. Find the reason(s) behind your belief that giving a presentation is annoying/scary/difficult. It is only when you realise that you suffer from the spotlight effect, or that you do not prepare your presentation well enough, that you can work on it.

  • Nine out of ten times, presentation anxiety has to do with your projection of how others judge your presentation. However, during or before your presentation you can’t know what your audience thinks about your story. Your fear might be warranted, but it can also be the complete opposite. When you are giving a presentation you should not think about how others may judge your story at all. In fact, you should focus on the reason you are there: because people have asked you to tell your story and want to hear it!

Want to find someone to help you refine your presentation skills? Search for help on Konnektid!