Contributed by Torrie Mack | North Dakota State College of Science, ND
As a Collegiate DECA member, competitive event presentations are a big deal. By following these tips, you can learn how to level up your DECA presentations and prepare for presentations you could be doing in your career.
Practice
- Practice your presentation out loud: When preparing for an event, it is always a good idea to practice your presentation out loud. By doing this over and over again, you will become better familiar with the material. You will also become more confident.
- Record yourself: When practicing, try to record yourself. By watching the video back, you can see your presentation through your audience’s eyes. This allows you to make necessary changes and ensure that your presentation flows well.
- Final review: Before the competition, double-check that everything is working, formed correctly, and grammatically correct.
Refine Your Delivery
- Body language: Maintain good posture, make eye contact, and use gestures to emphasize key points.
- Engage with your audience: Encourage interaction, whether through questions, polls, or discussions. This will help your audience remain focused, retain information, and build trust with you.
- Use pauses: Pauses give you time to gather your thoughts and allow the audience to absorb key points.
Prepare for Q&A
- Anticipate questions: Think about potential questions and prepare answers.
- Stay calm and confident: By this point, you should be an expert on your topic. Take a deep breath and answer any questions the best that you can.
Stay Calm on the Day
- Mindset: Stay positive and confident. It’s normal to feel nervous, but remember your goal and know that you will do great.
- Breathing exercises: Before you start, take deep breaths to calm your nerves.
- Be flexible: If things don’t go as planned (e.g., technical issues, interruptions), stay composed and adapt.
Use these steps to stay calm, beautify and execute any presentation.
Questions?
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