In the final part of our blog series, you will also receive exclusive tips on preparing your performance and its successful execution on stage.

1. Be superstitious

If you have a lucky charm, feel free to carry it with you. Even if the lucky charm probably doesn't possess any magical powers, it often acts like a placebo: you simply feel better and more confident when you're wearing your lucky sock or feel the talisman in your pocket. A little bit of magic never hurt any presentation.

2. Ask questions

Ask your audience (hypothetical or concrete) questions during your presentation to connect them to your message. The questions can be weighty, simple, difficult, trivial, or groundbreaking; the main thing is that your listeners reflect on the topic and see themselves within the bigger picture.

3. Split your message into

If you are giving a particularly long or information-heavy speech, divide it into sections, both when practicing and when delivering it. Structure the speech not only into paragraphs, but also into sentences and even sentence fragments, in order to practice and convey important sequences individually.

Sometimes it is enough to remember a single point or keyword, from which you can then elaborate on the topic in a conversational tone.

4. Push your call to action

As mentioned earlier, it's important to include a call to action while putting together the presentation. However, the CTA is only effective if it's also emphasized with some enthusiasm during the presentation.

Pause before and after the CTA and put on your best "Now comes the most important thing" face that you have in your repertoire.

5. Don't disguise yourself

If it clinkes, is distracting, restricts your freedom of movement, or throws rainbow-colored prisms around the room, don't wear it. Otherwise, let your personal style speak for itself. You don't have to look like everyone else. Dare to wear something deliberately non-conformist, something that doesn't fit the corporate design.

The only important thing is that it reflects your own brand and identity. Mark Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs aren't who they are today because they spent days agonizing over their outfits.

6. Encourage questions

Question and answer sessions are most successful and lively when participants are encouraged to ask questions. Even the most absurd questions—for example, about the amount of sugar in your coffee—are encouraged with a "Good question!" and then connect the answer back to your main message.

If you inform your audience before the presentation that there will be a Q&A session afterward, your listeners can prepare and think of suitable questions in advance. This will help you avoid potentially answering a few uninformed, awkward questions.

7. Handling hecklers

As a speaker, you'll occasionally encounter that one heckler in the audience who interrupts the flow of your presentation with interjections or critical comments. If this happens, don't immediately respond with a counter-argument, but instead ask clarifying questions. Pay attention to the tone, speed, and volume of your response. Remain calm and collected; this will help defuse the situation.

It is always acceptable to ask someone who interrupts to approach you with their concerns after the presentation so that questions can be addressed then. However, do this in a particularly friendly and enthusiastic manner, and definitely not with a grim "We'll sort this out later outside, privately." Instead, a phrase like "I would be happy to discuss your valid points with you in detail after the presentation" is recommended.

8. Hire a coach

If your nervousness exceeds a healthy level, so that even our tips don't help you overcome it, and at the same time a lot is at stake, don't be ashamed to seek help. You can participate in group courses where you practice public speaking, or hire a private speech coach who can also help you gain confidence and self-assurance.

Regardless of your presentation level, your presentation skills will certainly benefit from the training and feedback from others.