The Sport and Recreation Alliance, the umbrella organisation for sport and recreation, brings you a blog written by Stephen Hillier from our partners The Media Group (TMG), on five tips to creating a winning presentation.

Making presentations is an important and often unavoidable part of business. Public speaking can be a nerve-wracking experience but the best way to conquer the nerves is to make sure you are well rehearsed and prepared.

The Media Group runs presentation training courses for clients in many organisations including The FA, Dame Kelly Holmes Legacy Trust and the Sport and Recreation Alliance. Working on your skills and confidence can help you to nail your next presentation.

The five quick tips below will help you to stand in front of an audience and get your message across effectively.

1. Practice often

The more you practice and rehearse, the more comfortable you will feel on the day. Present out loud in front of a mirror and if possible an audience.

Use your smartphone to record video or audio of yourself and play it back – this is a great way to spot and remove any annoying habits. Look out for a twitching leg and make sure you’re not saying “Errmmm“ too often.

2. Consider your appearance

Dress impressively and with authority. Think about how you want to be perceived by your audience. Make sure your clothing is smart but comfortable.

3. Use positive body language

Maintain a relaxed but upright posture. Work the room and engage all corners, making eye contact with the audience.

Use positive and open hand movements to accentuate key points. And don’t forget to smile!

4. Get your message across

A great way to structure your presentation is to tell your audience what you are going to say, say it and then tell them what you’ve said.

If you’re using PowerPoint, keep slides to a minimum and don’t overload them with text.

5. Warm up your voice

Take some time to warm up your voice. Use tongue-twisters or sing along to your favourite songs. Sip water to keep yourself hydrated.

If you’re struggling with cracking or tension in your voice, a voice coach can train you to speak clearly and with authority.

P.S. Just in case you were still thinking about winging that important presentation, here is a clip of what can happen when things go wrong:

Would you like to find out more about our presentation and voice training courses? Give us a call on 0115 969 4600 or email info@themediagroup.tv

For other blogs from the Sport and Recreation Alliance's Partner, TMG, please see the blogs section of the website.