Imagine you are sitting in a meeting, just listening and taking notes, when all of a sudden your boss calls on you to present to the group. You are completely caught off guard and you feel the pressure mounting as you walk up to the front of the room. How can you possible give a strong presentation with no time to prepare? In a perfect world we would all be given ample notice to prepare for any presentation but there might be times when you are asked to present on the spot or with very little notice. These tips can help you learn how to wing it and still deliver a powerful presentation.
Focus on Your Introduction
This might be a little harder to do if asked to present on the spot but even if you have very little time to prepare should focus heavily on your introduction. An introduction is like a first impression: it can either set your speech up for failure or success. A strong and engaging introduction will capture audience attention and leave them wanting more.
Tell Stories
Humans are emotional creatures so they are easily captivated by stories. Treat your presentation much like you would a conversation and engage the audience by telling them stories. Use these stories to illustrate points and convey your core message.
Have a Sense of Humor
Even if you feel incredible amounts of pressure, if you get up and act stiff your audience will feel awkward. Instead, be lighthearted and don’t be afraid to lighten the mood. The audience will feel more connected to you and they will appreciate the humor.
Don’t Overdo It
If you have limited time to prepare it is critical that you do not overdo it. Understandably you want to make your best effort, but trying to do too much can be a recipe for disaster. Be practical about your information and do not try and throw too much at the audience. Get straight to the point and don’t try to fluff your presentation with gobs of facts and figures. If you are confident in your content, stick to it and don’t let panic cause you to do too much embellishing.
Be Confident
The whole idea of winging it is to get up and present to a crowd without them knowing you never prepared anything. There is no reason for the audience to know that you are winging it, and quite honestly they probably wouldn’t care. All they want is to hear some useful information and be entertained while doing so. When you appear confident you can deliver your message and engage the audience at the same time. Never tell your audience that you haven’t prepared and certainly do not apologize in advance for it. Instead, get up and speak with confidence.
The time may come when you are asked to give a presentation with little or no time to prepare. If you must wing it, these tips will help you deliver a dynamic presentation that will leave your audience thinking you spent days preparing.