If you want to know how to give a truly awful presentation, then take a read below. 

1. It’s all about what you want to say

Decide what you want to tell your audience, and do not give a single fleeting thought to the needs, wants, experiences and perspectives of those people who will be present. This way, you won’t have to be bothered with any research or thinking time and can get stuck into designing your slides on PowerPoint. (see point 2)

2. Death by PowerPoint

Switch on PowerPoint and write in bullet points and in great depth the script of what you want to say. You can then feel confident that you won’t dry up, or forget anything because it is all up there for you to be able to read off the screen. And there is the added benefit of being able to look continuously at the screen and not to have to get eye contact with the audience (see point 4).

Here’s a video which will help you prepare without using your laptop or PowerPoint.

3. No need to rehearse

Don’t practice – it is embarrassing, and besides which, it is much more comforting to have the script on the screen to read. And for those of you who like the spontaneity of ‘speaking off the cuff’ don’t even practice the structure of what you will be saying – that way, you can enjoy the adrenalin rush of making it up on the spot (and it doesn’t matter if people can’t follow you or remember what you’ve said afterwards…after all they have copies of the slides.)

If you want to know how you can prepare for a presentation, take a read of this blog.

4. Don’t look at your audience

When you deliver the presentation, ensure you look everywhere in the room except at the people in the audience. This means you can’t tell their response and don’t have to do any of that rapport stuff. And you can concentrate on reading the slides (see points 1,2,3).

Four top tips!

PS – all these in reverse will work wonders! Top Four Tips:

1. Think about what the audience need to hear from you
2. Decide what to say and how to say it before even switching on PowerPoint
3. Practice out loud to make it better
4. Get and maintain eye contact and connect with your audience

Let me know your thoughts and comments below. How many people have you seen follow the first four points to the letter?