How to Be a Better Presenter: Practical Tips to Sound More Confident, Connect With Your Audience, and Leave a Lasting Impression
Seinfeld once joked that the average person ranks the fear of public speaking higher than the fear of death. It sounds ridiculous until you realize how common it is. Surveys suggest that around 75% of people experience some level of anxiety when it comes to public speaking. When you're standing in a group, that means three out of every four people likely dread having to give a presentation. At least one would find it so stressful that they wouldn’t physically be able to do it at all.
That raises a simple question: If so many people dislike presenting, why do some speakers hold a room while others lose it in the first minute? Preparation, structure, and practice will make the difference, not charisma or a natural feel for speaking to groups. The best presentations follow a similar structure: a strong opening, a focused middle, and a confident, inspiring close.
“According to most studies, people's number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you're better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.” ― Jerry Seinfeld
Start with Impact
Your opening matters. People decide quickly whether they are going to listen or check out. Capturing their attention and interest is going to determine how engaged they are with what you have to say. Here are three proven ways to begin with strength:
Share a compelling statistic “Nearly 80% of people fear public speaking more than death.” This type of stat instantly captures attention and sets up the value of what’s coming. Statistics, bold statements, or a quote can immediately capture the audience's attention. If we use the example above, that is likely going to pique some people's interest. It's a big number, 80%, and then, it is likely to connect with them since it is a common feeling for people. We did the same thing in the opening paragraph. In a group of people, 3 out of 4 of you likely have a fear of having to speak in front of the group.
Ask a thought-provoking question “Have you ever been in front of a group and completely blanked on what to say?” A good question gets people thinking and mentally involved.
Questions intrigue people. The example above assumes they have been in a position where they were uncomfortable with public speaking. They can immediately relate to it themselves or know someone who does. Now they are interested in what you have to say about it. When they are thinking, "yes, I have blanked on what to say, or yes, I was so nervous when I had to give a presentation..." They want to hear what you'll say on the topic.
Tell a quick story “Imagine already feeling really nervous about giving a presentation in front of nearly 50 people on a stage. Even though I knew most of the people in the audience, I was still full of butterflies in my stomach. Then, I tripped on the way to the stage. It was awkward and embarrassing. I stumbled through the first few slides, and I couldn’t wait for it to be over. But I learned something important that day…” A short, honest story can immediately connect you to the audience. They can place themselves in the same situation and know how you felt. And, you've hooked them with the "I learned something that day...' They immediately want to know what you learned, because it might apply to them too.
Any one of these techniques works on its own. Together, they’re even stronger. Start with something that gets attention, connects to your message, and helps the audience understand why they should care.
Remain on Track in the Middle
Once the audience is with you, you want to keep them there. Structuring your content around one clear idea and making it easy to follow will keep everyone along for the journey. If you begin adding new ideas and concepts along the way, the message and journey get muddled.
Stick to one central message - If your audience only remembers one thing, what should it be? Build your talk around that point. Everything else should support or reinforce it.
Keep slides simple and clean - Every slide should convey one idea. Avoid filling the screen with bullets or dense charts. Your visuals are there to support what you’re saying, not replace it. You should answer the 'so what' of every slide. Why did you just share what you shared? Your slide adds to the conversation; don’t let it distract.
Use the Rule of One - One idea per slide. One message per section. One outcome you're leading the audience toward. The number of slides doesn't matter when you are conveying a simple message for people to follow along with. The audience doesn't count slides that keep the presentation moving and make sense with what the speaker is talking about. They start counting when the slides are bogged down with a ton of words, and no one can connect what you're saying to what they are seeing.
Add pauses - Silence can be a powerful tool. Pausing before or after a key point gives your message time to land and gives the audience time to reflect. These brief pauses can also be a great way to give yourself a moment to catch your breath and avoid using filler words. Silence for one or two seconds is far more powerful than an 'ummm' or a 'soooo'.
Connect emotionally and logically - Facts are helpful, but stories, examples, and real-world context create stronger engagement. Lead with something human. Then back it up with logic or data. No one wants to listen to a computer speak to them. Even with people getting used to AI voices and options, nothing replaces a real human making a connection through story. A robotic-sounding presentation will never connect; be yourself. Leverage your humanity to engage with the audience.
Match your tone to the setting - Your presentation should feel appropriate for the environment. Formal when it needs to be. Conversational when that fits best. Don’t over-polish or over-script. Aim to sound like the best version of yourself, not someone else. Practicing allows you to feel comfortable with the content, pacing, and stories you'll tell. Practice is not about memorizing every word. This is where many presentations come apart, and the speaker is so worried about saying 'all the words', they forget they are supposed to connect with the audience. Only you know exactly what you want to say or what is scripted. The audience just wants to hear you, not your exact script.
Finish with Purpose
The closing is your chance to pull everything together and leave the audience with something to remember.
Return to your opening - If you opened with a question, revisit it. If you told a story, finish it. If you shared a stat, challenge the audience to be part of the better number. This creates a sense of closure and connection.
Offer a takeaway or call to action - What should the audience do next? Think differently? Try something new? Share what you’ve learned? Don’t let the ending trail off. Lead them forward.
Thank them, then end - Be direct and respectful in your close. A quick thank you is great. But your real closing line should be about what the audience can take with them and apply.
Let’s Recap
Here are the highlights from what we’ve covered.
Open strong with a bold claim/statistic, a question, or a story
One big idea per talk
Use one idea per slide
Pause before and after key points
Stay authentic, lead with emotion, support with logic
Eliminate filler words
Practice for pace and comfort, not memorization
Final Thought
Your audience wants you to succeed. They showed up because they believe what you have to say is worth their time. That’s a powerful starting point. Your job is to make it easy for them to stay with you. Keep it simple, speak with clarity, and show that you care about the topic. Be authentic, relatable, and relaxed. That’s what people remember. They won’t remember if you said everything perfectly, but whether what you said made a difference for them.
Are you ready to be part of that 20% that enjoys speaking publicly? What tips will you put into practice for your next presentation?
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