Learning how to give a presentation at work is key to getting ahead in your career, especially in Hong Kong's competitive job market. Unfortunately, not many of us usually enjoy standing up in front of a crowd. In fact, according to a study on public speaking anxiety in Hong Kong, many people experience significant fear and anxiety when speaking in front of others, particularly when speaking in English. However, work presentations are not a life-or-death situation. In this blog, we’ll give you actionable advice on delievering a polished, confident, and effective presentation at work. We’ll also share some quick tips on controlling those nerves. Let’s get started.

10 steps to giving a great presentation

Work presentations come down to three key periods:

1. The preparation phase
2. On the day, before your presentation
3. During your presentation

Designing your work presentation

1. Decide on the narrative of your presentation
Consider your presentation as a story you’re telling the audience. If you’re pitching a new campaign or product, think about taking people on a journey from the challenge to how this solves it. Focus on the key areas that your audience needs to know and be prepared to discuss details in response to any follow-up questions. There’s room for creativity here, as long as it’s appropriate and professional.

If you’re presenting data or results, what do these tell us? Is there a narrative that explains the numbers and charts? Give context around this information. Above all, your story should make it easier for people to understand what you’re showing them.

Lastly, consider ending your presentation with a clear call to action, so that everyone leaves with a sense of purpose.

2. Identify your audience
Think carefully about who your presentation is for. What do they want to know? What do you need to tell them? This will make it easier to include relevant information and prepare for follow-up questions. Are they already well-informed on the subject, or will you need to simplify things so they only need to consume the key points?

3. Make clear and concise slides
When creating your slide deck, avoid cramming all of your information into it. It’s crucial to keep things clean and concise so that the attention stays on you, with the slides there for key takeaways. If you’re presenting data, it’s a good idea to have simple charts as an overview, with more detailed ones ready if you need to go deeper into the numbers.

4. Prepare notes (but not a script)
Like your slides, you should start preparing notes as soon as possible. These will act as a memory aid during the presentation – you shouldn’t read from a script, since you won’t be as engaging to your audience. The most important thing at first is getting your ideas down in a smooth order, rather than making it word perfect. There will be plenty of time to tweak and edit later.

5. Practice your presentation beforehand
Once you know what you’re saying and have slides ready, start rehearsing. You can have friends, family, or colleagues watch and give feedback. You might also feel most comfortable in front of a mirror. If you’re using Microsoft Office PowerPoint for your slides, AI tools can help. The Speaker Coach extension can help you to spot chances to improve your public speaking and keep your audience’s attention. This support includes hints on presentation styles, pacing, pitch, and emphasizing essential points.

Getting ready on the day of your presentation at work

6. Know your audience members
As you get ready to present, it’s important to trust in your preparation. In general, you shouldn’t be making big changes that can disrupt what you’ve planned for. However, making some tweaks to suit the audience in the room can enhance your presentation. Adapt your delivery style to suit a bigger or smaller group. Think of a specific point you can address to a stakeholder you didn’t know would be there. All of this will help you to grab your listeners’ attention.

7. Distribute handouts covering the main points
If useful, prepare handouts for your audience to highlight specific points or statistics. Remember, you don’t want this to be too detailed - keep it to key points or charts only. You can reference these during your presentation.

Presenting itself: what to do during your presentation

8. Avoid reading
This point is so important it’s worth covering again. There’s nothing less engaging than somebody reading from a script or the slides. It’s completely fine to check your notes if you lose track, but focus on speaking, rather than reading.

9. Make eye contact
Make brief but confident eye contact with audience members. This is a big body language win in many areas of business, including presentations. When you’re making a point, scan the room and maintain eye contact with a guest. Then, pick someone else and move on to the next point. Combined with a strong posture and supporting hand gestures, you’ll come across as knowledgeable and confident.

10. Speak clearly
Speak loudly, clearly, and confidently. Even though it’s tempting to speak quickly, especially if you’re nervous, it’s better to slow down. Pay attention to your audience’s responses - you may need to slow down if they’re not engaged.

Tips for dealing with nerves during your work presentation

Following the above steps will vastly increase your chances of delivering an effective presentation, but there are times when you still might find yourself dealing with anxiety. Here are some tips for overcoming these nerves:

• Take deep breaths to relax.
• Sip water to collect your thoughts.
• Pause to slow down if speaking quickly.
• Hold eye contact briefly with each audience member.
• Look at your slides briefly if you lose your place, then turn back to the audience.

How to give a virtual presentation

Most of the 10 tips above still apply to online presentations. You can send out a handout before the call, but ensure it doesn't distract during the presentation. Set up your slide deck in advance, deciding whether you want notes on another screen or to see audience reactions. Since the audience will focus on the screen, it's okay to include more information without overwhelming them. While eye contact isn't possible, reference relevant people on the call to keep them engaged.

Looking for more insights on advancing your career? Reach out to us at Hays Hong Kong for job opportunities and personalized career advice tailored to your needs!