When you're on stage, all eyes are on you. Besides the content of your presentation, you yourself should also make a convincing impression and prepare thoroughly in the presentation room. You'll find out how to do this below.

1. Don't leave the first minute to chance.

The entire weight of your presentation rests on the first minute. The audience gets to know you, you get to know the audience, and if technical difficulties arise, they usually occur right at the beginning. So focus your attention on this first minute and familiarize yourself with it until you and the audience are best friends.

2. Start strong…

The best presentations manage to capture attention right from the start, usually through one of the following methods: a powerful quote, a personal anecdote, an illustrative story, or a rhetorical flourish that jolts the audience into action. As soon as you step onto the stage, don't just explain what you intend to do. Start with an introductory sentence that underscores why the people in front of you are there and why it will be engaging.

3. … and end even stronger

The goal of the opening is to capture the audience's attention for the duration of the presentation. The goal of the conclusion is to leave a lasting impression on the listeners long after the presentation and to encourage them to reflect. This means that the end of your presentation must be even more memorable.

For example, you can paint a picture of a possible future, tell a moving story, include a powerful call to action, or close with a memorable quote. It doesn't have to be perfect: it just has to stick.

4. Stay visible

There are two behavioral traps you can fall into when you're on stage: constantly pacing back and forth and hiding behind the podium. Too much movement distracts the audience, while hiding behind the podium conveys insecurity.

Try to find a balance between moving freely in the middle of the stage and a limited radius, so that your audience doesn't have to turn their heads too much to follow you.

5. Look at your audience

The power of eye contact should not be underestimated. Looking at your audience not only conveys security and engagement, but also makes them feel addressed and included. Choose three general directions in the room and then try to make brief, focused eye contact with people along these three lines, roughly equally.

6. Pay attention to your gestures

Gestures are generally a natural way to express engagement and emotional involvement in a topic. However, it's advisable to avoid aggressive-looking movements, wild waving, and gestures that could be considered offensive. Ideally, you should reserve your index finger for navigating from the passenger seat; then nothing can go wrong.

7. Use breaks like a pro

Some of the world's most eloquent speakers use pauses to indicate key points in their presentation or to capture the audience's attention. Pauses allow the audience to reflect on where they are and why they are there.

Even if you need a moment to catch your breath or sort out your thoughts, feel free to endure the silence instead of apologizing or filling the interruption with "um"s.

8. Avoid too many "um"s

Using filler sounds is part of our speech pattern and is rarely noticed. The brain uses them to create a pause, allowing it to complete a thought or choose the next phrase. However, too many "uhs" and "mmms" are distracting or make the speaker seem unprepared and nervous. Filler sounds are particularly noticeable and negative in perfectly crafted, memorized speeches.

These don't need to be completely eliminated, however; they are part of the natural flow of speech. Instead, orient yourself towards everyday speaking styles, such as storytelling or casual conversation. Being very familiar with the content of your presentation is also advantageous, because then your brain doesn't have to expend additional energy trying to remember the rest of the topic.

Follow-up article : More tips on your stage presence and perfect presentation preparation.

In the previous part of this blog series, you read about what optimal preparation for a presentation looks like.