Practise your presentation skills

Use this activity to help you improve your presentation skills, by talking about something you feel passionately about.

Take some time to sit down and think about what you’re passionate about right now, and use this guided exercise to walk you through an effective and thoughtful way to begin presenting your ideas.

Step 1: Pick your topic

Think about an issue or topic you’re passionate about right now.

Public servants know more than anyone else how important it is to be passionate about your work. Think about an issue or topic that you’re passionate about; this will form the basis of your short speech. Think about why it is that you think this issue or topic is important and what you want to achieve in this speech, and put this at the top of your presentation outline while you’re writing it. Whenever you’re stuck, go back to that and remind yourself of that passion and your goal.

• Write down three reasons why you’re passionate about the topic or issue.
• List the top five most important points you want to convey to your audience.

Step 2: Find your key message

How do you want to frame your presentation?

Remember, simplicity is key here. Keeping your message focused, brief, and cohesive is key to helping your audience understand what you’re saying. Start by outlining your presentation, and then outline it again. Don’t be afraid to go back to the drawing board. Put yourself in your audience’s shoes and think about the journey you’re taking them on.

• In one sentence, write down the goal of your presentation.
• Write three to four tactics or points you could use to achieve those goals throughout your presentation.

Step 3: Engage your audience

Hook, Line and Sinker

The first two minutes of a presentation are the most crucial. This is the moment where the audience decides how invested they are in the rest of the presentation, so it is important that you draw them in and leave them wanting more. Make sure this is where you convey your passion for the subject and its importance.

• Think of five options for the opening lines of your presentation.
• Think of two statistics or interesting facts you could use to develop your point.
• Refer back to the goal of your presentation at the top of your outline and check that your opening line conveys this message.

Step 4: Get writing!

Now that you’ve done all the hard work, it’s time to put your pen to paper and write the rest of your speech. Good luck, and don’t forget to practise – ideally in front of a mirror, a video camera, or a friend or family member, so you can get some feedback.