4 Steps to Giving Effective Presentations

By Marcelle Yeager

While it's not a requirement in every job, you'll likely have to give a presentation at work at some point. It could be sitting at a table with one co-worker or standing in front of a room of numerous colleagues or partners. Whatever situation you could find yourself in, it can be challenging to give an effective presentation.

Design is a critical part of the process, because without a good base, it's going to be hard to deliver a presentation well. Then most of us have to deal with our nerves immediately before and during the actual presentation. Delivery is its own art, because you must think about your articulation and intonation.

Your goal is to keep the audience engaged from start to finish – not an easy thing to do. Think about good presentations you've heard. Ask yourself why it was well done, and try to emulate those aspects. Incorporate what you felt was most effective as you work on your own presentation.