i have a presentation tomorrow and i haven't started

Help! I have a presentation tomorrow & I am not prepared

Hrideep barot.

• Presentation

If you have a presentation tomorrow & you are not prepared, you can start off by assessing the criteria around the presentation. Then you can create a simple structure and start gathering information. Do not write down your entire speech, use pointers or keywords. You can use a template for the PPT and end with a practice run to assess how things go.

Preparation is key when it comes to presentation and there are many ways to do it. Practicing can go a long way in making your presentation successful and anxiety free, among other benefits (check here for ways you can practice). Now that you do not have much time with an upcoming presentation tomorrow and are not prepared, your options may be limited but they’re still there.

We will delve straight away into what you can do now & then we will cover some tips that can help you in this situation.

What can you do now to make the presentation a success?

This would include assessing the criteria around the presentation, creating a simple structure, gathering information quickly, using pointers rather than writing the entire speech, making PPT in no time, and practicing. 

Assess the Criteria

There are a few things you’d want to keep in mind when going ahead to avoid making a mess:

• Pre-specified format for presentation
• Time-limit when presenting
• Any materials or other resources you need to carry to the presentation
• Your main objective

Some of these might not be applicable to you but if they are, missing them out can waste a lot of time later. These are usually easily accessible on pages or documents like event info/course plan/presenting details. Better to be mindful of these right when you’re starting!

Create a Simple Structure

Creating a basic outline is simple- introduction, main body, and conclusion . How you subdivide these areas will depend on the information but there is no need to complicate it. Always make sure to focus on your main objective. If, for instance, your objective is to explain the benefits of exercise, you could create different sections in the main body for each benefit and then substantiate it.

If you have slightly more time on your hand, you can either 1. Refer to how it is typically done (such as this one for scientific presentations), or 2. Find information and structure on the basis of that.

If you want to delve into more details on presentation structure, check out this article .

Gather Information Quickly

To gather information, go for a few reliable sources in your field rather than many unreliable ones. The latter can take a while to figure out what is good and what isn’t.

You may also use ChatGPT or other AI tools for this purpose as it can make the process much quicker, but make sure to double-check the information it gives you.

Write Pointers, Not Entire Speech!

Since you have less time, do not try to prepare complete speeches by writing them down. Speaking word-to-word from a paper does not look good anyway. Instead, prepare pointers and keywords that can act as nudges for you to speak the whole thing. These can be present in the PPT itself or you can use a small chit.

Even when you’re writing the pointers, try not to focus too much on things you cannot remember, like figures and facts. You can put those on the PPT for the audience to look at themself. Focus only on easy-to-remember pointers that you can describe in good detail.

Make a PPT in no time!

Now that you have your information in place, it’s time to make it visually attractive using a PPT. When information is well organized and attractive to view, it makes the audience more engaged.

You can use templates from sites such as Canva , SlidesCarnival , and Slidesgo . They allow for a lot of customization on top of the elements that are already there, which can come in handy on short notice.

Last, but not least, rehearse your presentation at least once. Have a timer, pretend it’s the actual thing, and go for it. This is the most important part, and you’ll realize if any edits on the PPT or changes in the speech need to be made on the basis of this. Do not pressure yourself to make things perfect, try to do the reasonable best in the time constraint you have.

There are effective techniques for memorization, such as mnemonics, that can help you learn things quickly. Additionally, the use of cue cards can assist in retaining important information, including topics and terms.

Other Tips to Help You Last-Minute

This would include being confident, being ready to improvise, and focusing on the main objective.

Being Confident

Practice helps the best with confidence. Additionally, keep in mind that if this was a last-minute thing, there may be some things you missed. Do not be surprised when this is discovered, aim to correct it on the spot through your speech. Apart from that, you can also:

• Take a bunch of long deep breaths before the presentation
• Engage in a power pose and shrug off any tension so your body language appears comfortable
• Remind yourself that you know your material and can manage what you do not

Don’t aim to be perfect

Some things can go wrong and it does for many presenters, such as technical issues or the audience not answering. This might especially be the case when you’re not prepared. Know that it’s normal and there is no need to do it perfectly.

You can also use light humour to defuse any tension or point things out instead of covering for them. E.g., when the audience doesn’t answer, you could smile and say, “I get that most of you are not even interested in this topic but wow! Moving on!”

When there is a Q and A section to your presentation and you do not know the answer to something, feel free to add that you’ll get back about it. If that is not an option, be honest and tell them you’re not sure. It’s understandable not to know everything. 

Focus On Your Main Objective

What are you trying to do through this presentation? Inform others? Persuade? Entertain? It could be anything. Keep that in mind and focus on that when you’re presenting. Without this, other relatively less important things can distract you and make you lose focus on what’s important.

Check out this article for some more tips.

We covered what exactly you can do when you have a presentation tomorrow & are not prepared along with some practical methods and resources that you could use. We also covered some tips that can help you ace the presentation. 

Presentations involve public speaking, which is a skill that you can master. Public speaking coaching can help with that.

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Tackle the “tomorrow problem”: Turn your last-minute presentation into a winning momentum

Get your team on prezi – watch this on demand video.

Anete Ezera February 27, 2024

“I have a presentation tomorrow and I haven’t started. I have a presentation in an hour and I’m nervous.” 

Do these situations sound familiar to you? If so, you’re not alone. 

A financial analyst who needs to present a budget forecast at the end of the week; a teacher who needs to create an interactive lesson plan for tomorrow’s class; a sales representative who only has an hour to put together a pitch deck to impress a new client – all of these people are facing a problem that asks for an immediate solution. 

At Prezi , we know everything there is to know about the pressure of creating an engaging presentation in a matter of a few days, hours, or even minutes. And we truly understand the challenge people face when they need to create a last-minute presentation FAST. To help tackle this challenge for our users, we define these pressing situations as the “tomorrow problem “, which describes an immediate need or approaching deadline for a presentation.

In this article, we’re going to delve into the meaning of the tomorrow problem and how you can solve it efficiently. 

Now, if you’re ready to not only tackle but excel in your last-minute presentations – keep on reading.

What’s the “tomorrow problem”?

The “tomorrow problem” describes the sense of urgency people feel as a presentation deadline approaches. It demands swift action or resolution within a tight timeframe, often within the next day, week, or even hour.

The tomorrow problem stresses situations where you must quickly create a presentation often with limited time for detailed planning or consideration. This term also underscores the importance of efficient problem-solving and decision-making to meet imminent deadlines and fulfill responsibilities despite time constraints.

Notably, we, at Prezi, aim to address this specific challenge by offering an efficient solution for creating dynamic and impactful presentations under tight time pressures to face the tomorrow problem with ease.

Enter the best AI presentation maker – Prezi AI.

Tomorrow’s problem, meet today’s solution

At school or work, deadlines are looming around every corner. Whether it’s a last-minute presentation for a class project or an urgent pitch to potential investors, the pressure to deliver impactful content quickly is challenging. But here’s a solution that bridges the gap between the “tomorrow problem” and today’s need – Prezi.

We don’t consider Prezi to be just another tool in the arsenal of presenters; it’s a timesaver. With our set of AI-powered features , we empower you to create visually stunning presentations in no time, ensuring that the message is not only delivered but also remembered.

Moreover, Prezi AI offers numerous ways to optimize the presentation’s layout and content. The AI-powered features allow you to save time typically spent on manual adjustments and ensure that your presentations are polished, professional, and engaging. Using Prezi AI, we offer you a swift, intuitive journey from an idea to an attention-grabbing presentation. 

Prezi AI: Your last-minute presentation whiz

Here’s how Prezi tackles the challenge of the tomorrow problem with today’s solution:

Prezi AI presentation creator

At the heart of Prezi’s efficiency is its AI presentation creator . This feature uses the power of artificial intelligence to streamline the presentation creation process. 

All you need to do is start the process of creating your presentation by clicking on the “Create with AI” button, and Prezi AI will take you through the process seamlessly. Simply input a few ideas, keywords, or an outline, and Prezi AI will help you arrange it into a visually impactful narrative that captivates your audience. There’s no need to spend hours perfecting your presentation layouts; Prezi AI does it for you, allowing you to focus on what’s important – sharing your ideas.

AI text editing features

When it comes to sharing your ideas, you might end up spending a lot of time perfecting your message. That’s where Prezi AI text editing features come into play to save you more time in the content creation process. 

Need to make your text longer to elaborate on a key point? Want to simplify complex language to ensure clarity? Prezi AI has you covered. With the ability to adjust text length, simplify language, and even shorten content without losing its essence, Prezi’s AI text editing features will empower you to refine your message quickly and effectively.

Create visual lists and animated slides

Transforming text-heavy content into engaging visuals is essential for keeping your audience engaged. And while we don’t like to brag – Prezi is the master of engaging presentations. With Prezi, you can effortlessly create visual lists and animated slides from text, turning mundane bullet points into dynamic displays that command attention. Whether it’s highlighting key points with eye-catching graphics or animating text to emphasize important details, Prezi’s visual capabilities ensure that your message resonates with your audience long after the presentation ends.

“The beauty of this AI technology in Prezi is that it brilliantly partners with you when it comes to designing your content, saving you time and energy. “

With all of these features combined, Prezi empowers users to create highly engaging last-minute presentations and conquer deadlines with confidence. Khadijah Shahzad , a digital coach and Prezi Certified Educator Trainer, used Prezi AI for her presentation and felt that the tool was easy to use and allowed her to focus more on her content. 

“I just tried working on my next presentation, and based on AI help, it was so easy,” Khadijah confidently states. “First I chose a template of my choice, and then Prezi AI recommended several other templates with reasons why those should be chosen based on my topic. At first, I thought maybe it would prepare the content for me, which by the way I never wanted …. because then what am I for? The beauty of this AI technology in Prezi is that it brilliantly partners with you when it comes to designing your content, saving you time and energy. Previously, I would take a day or two just to select templates and colors, etc. but here it just worked out in a jiffy for me and now I can better concentrate on my content more!”

How to create a successful last-minute presentation

Preparing for a last-minute presentation can be challenging, but with a strategic approach, you can still deliver a compelling performance. Here’s how to quickly create your last-minute presentation with Prezi in 10 simple steps:

• Clarify your main message and key points. Focus on the most essential information to convey. 
• Outline your presentation structure , identifying the introduction, main body, and conclusion. 
• Sign up or log into Prezi.
• Select the “Create with AI” option to open the AI presentation creator.
• Give your presentation a title and description. 
• Get inspired by AI suggestions and customize the color scheme, design, and background before moving into the content editing phase. 
• Use the AI text editing capabilities and refine your message efficiently. 
• Practice your presentation aloud to familiarize yourself with the content and ensure smooth delivery. 
• Prioritize confidence and clarity over perfection. Remember to engage your audience by maintaining eye contact and speaking with enthusiasm. 
• Finally, take a moment to breathe and center yourself before stepping into the spotlight. 

With these steps, along with the assistance of Prezi AI , you can effectively prepare for a winning presentation even at the last minute. 

Turning a problem into a win

Today’s fast-paced environment demands quicker replies, more efficient workflows, and dynamic adaptation to various situations like creating a last-minute presentation. Instead of chasing these demands or viewing them as roadblocks, we offer a different approach. At Prezi, we view them as opportunities for growth and innovation, leading to Prezi AI.

Prezi AI offers to scale your creative efforts with improved efficiency, personalization, and optimization. So when you only have a week to create a comprehensive budget forecast deck, a day to create a highly engaging class presentation, or an hour to put together a winning sales pitch, you can solely focus on the message. Prezi AI supports you with the rest. There’s no need to stress about the perfect color scheme or layout or brainstorm design ideas to amplify your key points. You can open Prezi AI and turn your “tomorrow problem” into a win. 

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[Guide!] How To Give a Presentation When You are NOT Prepared?

By: Author Shrot Katewa

Presentations are a powerful way of conveying messages to your colleagues, employees, or even prospective clients. But, there are times when you have been given a really short notice and you just don’t have time to prepare for a presentation! So, what can you do in such situations and how should you give a presentation when you are not prepared for it?

If you are not prepared to give a presentation, start by calming yourself down. Jot down 3 to 5 points as key takeaways. Then, make a short presentation with images and one-line text. Speak slowly and allow audience participation. Remember – your audience doesn’t know that you are not prepared.

In this article, I will discuss everything you need to know about giving a presentation when unprepared. Tips that I’m sharing below are from my own personal experiences. It has worked for me, and I hope it does for you as well. So, keep reading!

Giving a Presentation when you are NOT Prepared!

Giving a presentation is not hard even when you are not prepared for it. But, it is the fear of failure, especially in front of others, that compounds the problem.

So, any time you are in a situation when you are not prepared for a presentation, remove the audience from the picture temporarily. Imagine that you have to explain the topic (that you have been assigned for the presentation) to a friend. What would you have said? How would you have explained to him or her?

Once you’ve got that soaked in, take a deep breath and try some of the following tips on how to give a presentation when you are not prepared!

1. Calm Yourself Down

Everything is a lot more difficult when you are flustered and in a rush. That is why calming yourself down just before giving your speech or presentation, will help you focus on all the next steps that we will talk about in the rest of this article.

Calming yourself down can be done quite easily, in fact, one of the best ways to do it is just to tell yourself to be calm. Tell yourself that the worst thing that can happen is not the end of the world and that you shouldn’t even worry about it because you know you are going to give the best presentation possible.

I know, I tried to make it seem easy. But, as I mentioned earlier, just take a few breaths and do what I mentioned above. It will surely help.

2. Focus on 3 to 5 Key Takeaways for your Audience

As mentioned earlier, think of how you would have explained the topic of your presentation to your colleague or a friend. Then, introspect and observe the points that you just thought of and make a note of these points. This will help you create an outline for your presentation.

Identify a few key takeaways for your audience. Then, using the outline you just arrived at, build up your talking points. Remember the 3 things that you want each of your point to convey –

• State your point
• Talk about the “why” of your point.
• Talk about what your point means. Share some anecdotal or personal experience.
• Depending on your type of presentation you can also include the “where”, the “consequence” and the “how” of your points.

Try and include the aforementioned structure for your talking points as this will help build your presentation.

3. Use Images and One Line Text

This trick is super helpful especially if you are short on time!

Okay, so let’s say that you have to give a presentation and you have to do it really quickly. You don’t have much time to prepare but you need to get it done. Well, making an image-based presentation can really do the trick for you.

Use a lot of images, possibly one on every slide. Then, with those images, include only one line of text. This should be the key point that you are trying to convey through that slide.

This allows you to do 2 things –

• Forces your audience to focus on you rather than read the text on the slides.
• Saves you time to create, write, and design the content for your presentation; thereby allowing you at least some time for practising the presentation!

Furthermore, this will also force you to keep your talking point short and precise and make your presentation look structured and professional.

Also, when you are not reading the text from the slides (which you perhaps would have otherwise done if there was more than one line of text on the slide), the presentation delivery feels natural and you will come across as a person who has indeed prepared for the presentation.

4. Speak Slowly

This kind of ties-in with being calm.

If you are flustered, you will find yourself talking very fast. This is one of the quickest ways to lose your audience’s attention and also a sure way to put yourself under more pressure.

From when you introduce yourself, you want to speak slowly and clearly. Speaking slowly will also give you enough time to think about what you are going to say next.

When I say speak slowly, I don’t want you to sound mentally challenged. What I mean is take enough pauses during your presentation. Don’t be afraid to take pauses in between sentences to recoup your thoughts while allowing your audience to soak all the information that you’ve just shared.

Trust me, if you do this right, the only thing that you will be doing is creating suspense within your audience. This means that they want to hear what you have to say next, even more, that’s actually a win-win for you.

5. Think Before you Say Something

Again, as with speaking slowly, take your time to formulate your sentences. Think about what you are going to say and then say it. If you make a mistake and you maybe mumble something, don’t shy away and don’t don’t cave in.

Instead of caving in, when you make a mistake, just rehash what you are going to say. You can do it like this “oh excuse me, what I meant was…” and then just carry on with your presentation. Your audience really will not mind a few fumbles as long as you stay calm.

This will also ensure that you don’t use filler words as those are a real mood-killer!

So, speak slowly and take a brief moment to think before you say something.

6. Keep all your Talking Points Short and to the Point

Keep all of your talking points short and precise. Stick to the point and do not venture off in your mind and start rambling on about random things. This is one of the easiest ways to tell if somebody is unprepared.

It is important to note that there is a difference between rambling on about something and including your audience and then responding to their thoughts and opinions.

When you do respond to the audience, that is not rambling on, they are just giving you talking points that help your presentation.

7. Look Carefully at Each Slide Before you Engage the Audience

When you aren’t prepared for a presentation, the last thing that you want to do is to start fumbling your words or having to look back at a slide multiple times. Look at each slide carefully to prevent any unwanted fumbles on your part.

If you don’t want the audience to know that you weren’t prepared, give them time to absorb everything on the slide. In reality, you are busy preparing your points for the slide and your audience is busy looking at the slide.

The audience might actually be grateful that you weren’t in a rush and you gave them the necessary time to fully understand your presentation.

8. Include the Audience by Allowing them to Participate

If you are unprepared to the point where you don’t really know what you are going to talk about and have to give the presentation on the fly, there is one trick that can help you. This is especially if you need to go past a certain amount of time.

Including the audience in your presentation will not only help you increase the length of your presentation but it has a number of benefits as well. Here are a few of those benefits.

• You will hold the attention of your audience for longer.
• They will understand the presentation better.
• You will be able to take some talking points away from your audience.

That is just a handful of relevant benefits.

Some of the ways you can include audience participation is by –

• Asking them questions or their opinion on certain key points of the presentation.
• Including a small activity that involves knowledge sharing and exchange of ideas such as a group discussion on a topic.
• Include an ice-breaker at the beginning of your presentation.

9. Share Anecdotal Experience Wherever Possible – Make it Personal

Sharing anecdotal experience makes your presentation unique. It gives the audience your perspective of a certain topic.

Storytelling is a great way of sharing your personal experience. You can include any personal experiences that are unique to the point or the message you are trying to convey with the specific slide. However, do make sure that it is linked with the presentation and the key point of the slide.

Personal experiences also keep the audience more engaged experience something that is unique which draws their attention towards you as a speaker. Little personal touches go a long way not only when giving a presentation but also when dealing with clients.

10. Remember, your Audience Doesn’t Know that you are NOT prepared!

It is important to remember that only YOU know that you haven’t been able to prepare. Your audience is not aware of that! So, as long as you don’t give away any hints of lack of preparedness, they are never going to find out that you aren’t prepared.

You can use any one or multiple tips mentioned above and trick the audience into believing that you are indeed prepared for the presentation.

Final Thoughts

Giving a presentation especially when you are not prepared doesn’t have to be that hard. Perhaps you may feel nervous the first time. It is absolutely normal. But, remember to stay calm and be confident. You surely will be able to deliver the presentation with great success.

Hopefully, this article has helped you, and I hope that you will not have to be nervous the next time you get caught off-guard. Remember to bookmark this page so that you do not forget anything.

Presentation tomorrow? The survival guide

One of the most common questions we get asked is “Help, I have a presentation tomorrow. What should I do?”

We have put together this presentation survival guide to help you.

1. Don’t panic

Although you are cutting it fine, there are lots of things that you can do to improve your presentation tomorrow. These can help you out in a very short time.

Here are a few pointers that can help you.

2. Decide upon the title

It may sound blindingly obvious, but deciding on a title is often one of the hardest things that you have to do. If you are a journalist you will know the importance of a catchy title.

Being asked to give a talk on any subject is often the hardest thing.

3. The Rule of Three

It’s a sad fact, but it is highly likely that your audience may only be able to remember three things that you have said. It’s the rule of three .

The key point is for you to write down the three points that you want the audience to remember. This can be the structure for your presentation.

4. Pick a nice presentation template

A simple way to quickly improve you presentation is to use a nice presentation template or background.

Presentation Magazine has thousands of free presentation templates and backgrounds that you can choose from.

5. Add one image per slide

Bullet points are quick, but they look boring. Add one image or graph per slide. This will really bring things to life.

People remember images. Remember the old saying: “a picture is worth a thousand words”.

And research bears this out. A presentation with pictures is twice as likely to achieve its objectives as one without.

6. Less is more

Don’t feel that you have to cram in loads and loads of facts. When it comes to presentations, remember that less if often more.

Nobody ever complained about a presentation being too short, but lots complain when it is too long.

Use no more than three bullet points per slide.

7. Most important. Practise it out loud three times

Practise your presentation out loud at least three times. One of these times should be in front of a real-life audience – family, friends or colleagues. Even the dog is better than nothing.

Actors don’t go on stage without having rehearsed, so why should you?

If there is only one thing you can do, then it should be to practise out loud.

Good luck! Please leave some comments in the box below to let us know how it goes.

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11 tips to overcome nerves before a presentation

About the author

Hi there. I am the prolific professor with 15 years of experience teaching online and in-person. I have a graduate degree. I have a passion for education. But I’ve also worked in the professional world (outside of education) too. Thanks for visiting.

How do you present if you are nervous?

Source : Unsplash image

Do you have an upcoming presentation that you were assigned for a college class? And are you totally nervous about presenting in front of everyone? You may be wondering what everyone will think of you, and you’re worried that you will mess up and freeze.

Either way, you need some help to get over your anxiety and present to your class. It’s totally normal to be nervous before a class presentation. And I am going to help you get through it.

I have had presentations in school, and I can remember how nervous everyone would get. Most people would be concerned about messing up, forgetting their speech and even passing out.

None of that ever happened to anyone. At least not on that scale. But it doesn’t stop people from worrying about it.

You are not alone. It’s very common to have some fears about presenting in public.

There are plenty of surveys that have found that people are afraid of public speaking . And in large numbers.

If you find yourself nervous before a presentation, I am going to help you overcome those nerves and present like a boss.

See, I was a professor. Therefore, I would consider myself to be a professional speaker. Over the years, I guess you could say I have made nearly 2,000 presentations.  That is probably selling myself short, but that’s my best estimate of how many lectures I have presented.

I guess you could say I know a thing or two about presenting in front of people.

Why do I get so nervous when I have to present?

You are likely nervous to present because the fear of the unknown. What is going to happen? Will I mess up? What will everyone think of me? It’s very likely that you’re worried you’ll be rejected. And there is a lot of truth about this instinctual fear. I have that discussed more here.

You may also have a psychiatric illness that creates this unrealistic fear of public speaking. Or you might have a perceived low self-esteem that prevents you from seeing your actual worth. 

Lastly, it could be lack of experience. You just haven’t done it enough to figure out how to do it correctly.

Either way, it is totally normal to be nervous before a class presentation. Don’t worry too much because most of your classmates feel the same way as you do.

How to get over my fear of college presentations

If you have a psychiatric illness, and are concerned about presenting in class, you might be able to get accommodations.

Otherwise, you are going to have to hunker down and work through it. You’ll be glad you did later. The more you present, the better you’ll get and the less fear you will have.

See, the more times you present, and realize the sky didn’t fall, you’ll get more confidence.

My advice is for you to engage in speaking as much as possible. There are some ways that you can practice, such as Toastmasters. There are over 15,000 clubs which allow their members to work on their presentation skills by practicing speeches, among other things.

This might be a way for you to practice for future presentations.

I have a presentation tomorrow and I am nervous

I compiled my 11 BEST tips for presenting when nervous. You need to know how to present to your class without being nervous. I want to tell you something though. You may never completely get rid of your nervousness. It’s normal to have some butterflies. But it’s how you cope with it.

My tips are great for calming your nerves before a presentation and they will help you be less nervous too.

Tip 1 : Don’t give it much thought

Okay, give the material you are presenting about a lot of thought, but stop thinking about what could go wrong. If you find yourself going down the rabbit hole of what ifs, immediately stop and think of another topic.

If you start thinking about messing up, envisioning students laughing, or getting rejected, it will make your nerves much worse. Just don’t think about those things and when you do, have a plan to start thinking about something else, and quick.

Tip 2 : Envision success

Think about giving an amazing speech. Getting a standing ovation. And knocking it out of the park. Sure, they may not all come true, but imagine yourself being a success. It’s amazing what the human mind can do to our self-esteem. The better and more confident you feel, the more likely you are to demonstrate that confidence during your speech.

Do not stand up in front of the classroom and ever tell your audience that you’re nervous to present. That won’t help you. Instead, act like you’ve done this a million times. If you mess up but exude a confident attitude, people won’t think as much about it. Trust me.

Tip 3 : Prepare

One reason why you likely feel nervous is because you are afraid you’ll mess up or forget your speech. But overcome those thoughts when preparedness.

Know your topic forward and backward. Research it completely, and really learn the information.

Know more about it than your teacher. Not only will it impress them, but you’ll be less concerned about forgetting important material if you’ve memorized it.

Tip 4 : Write an outline

This gives your speech direction. Highlight important topics you want to cover. Leave the details for the speech, but write down the main points you want to make.

You can reference that during your presentation to make sure you stay on topic. And it helps you remember what comes next.

I do this all the time. I always reference an outline to help me stay focused, and it especially helps if I lose my train of thought. And I’ve presented hundreds of times and I still need to reference my outline.

Tip 5 : Practice

Record your presentation. Do you have a cell phone? Do you have a voice recorder?

Record yourself and play it back. Do this over and over again. You aren’t trying to sound too rehearsed, but it’s really helpful to hear yourself say your speech aloud first. Work out the kinks in your own home before you get out on the stage.

Then, practice in front of your family or friends. Make them sit, and watch your presentation a couple of times. Let them give you feedback.

Lastly, try and practice alone in a classroom . Is there an empty classroom you can get into before the actual speech? Ask your teacher or professor if you can stay after class and practice. Getting some practice in the same space you will be giving your presentation can help your nerves.

Tip 6 : Don’t expect perfection

Listen, most of your classmates haven’t presented a lot. This may be their first presentation or even their last presentation ever. Most people don’t have to present a lot in their lifetime.

No one is expecting you to make professional speaking a career, so relax about being perfect.

Expect a few mistakes here and there. Even the best of speakers make mistakes.

Think of your favorite sports player, singer, or actor. Have they ever made a mistake? Yes. But you still admire them.

Tip 7 : Do not make eye contact

Nothing will get you more nervous than honing in on the eyes of your audience. Now, don’t get me wrong, making eye contact is very important for presentations to engage your audience, but I want you to look at their foreheads instead.

Yes, I said that.

Do not endlessly stare at one person’s forehead for a long period of time though. I am suggesting that you scan the room often, and look just above their eyes. It looks like you’re making eye contact, but since you are continuously scanning the room, they won’t know either way.

It helps alleviate your nerves.

Otherwise you might make eye contact with someone who looks absolutely bored, and then you start to fret about your speech. Just avoid it altogether by using this trick.

Tip 8 : Don’t stand behind the podium

Not only will your audience get bored because you’re just standing in one spot, but it will help you get your nerves out too.

Walk around the front of the room.

Don’t make it a tennis match for your audience though. Don’t bounce around too much.

But casually walk to one side of the room to talk to those classmates, and then walk to the other side too. This gets the whole room involved, and you’ll look like a pro.

Tip 9 : Know everyone else is nervous

Throughout my academic career, I find that most students are nervous to present. No kidding. So it’s safe to assume that every other student is sitting there fretting about their own speech to even be concerned about yours.

Tip 10 : Go first

I always suggest going first. To get it over with, but to also set the bar. Let’s say you wait, and end up going after someone who knocked it out of the park, now you’re even more worried because you have to top that.

Go first and just get it over with earlier. It also allows you less time to worry and get your nerves all worked up.

Tip 11 : Take your time

Don’t rush through your presentation.

Take your time. If there is a little silence, relish in it.   

Take a sip of water to collect your thoughts.

And move on.

If you want to find out how to get out of a class presentation, you have to check this article out where I lay out all I know about letting college students skip presentations due to social anxiety.

Final thoughts

Okay. I have told you all my secrets to help you present when nervous and ways to handle it.  And I know if you implement these things, you’ll likely do amazing.

And remember, no one is expecting you to be a professional speaker. Don’t feel like you have to go out there and look like you’ve done this a 1,000 times. Because even though I have, I still make mistakes.

I think that the key is to be confident. Looking like you’ve got this no matter what. And if you mess up, own it.

You’ve got it.

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I taught college students for about 15 years. I have experience teaching online and in-person. I have a graduate degree. I have a passion for education. But I’ve also worked in the professional world (outside of education) too. And with my teaching and educational experience, I want to help students answer their most pressing questions. I want to give my wealth of knowledge to college students to help make their life easier.

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How to Prepare for a Last-Minute Presentation (Part 1)

by Jezra on July 31, 2019

“Invited” to Speak at Work? Tomorrow? Here’s How to Ace Your Talk, Even with Little Time to Prepare

Has this ever happened to you.

You’re at your desk, minding your own business, when your boss walks by (or emails or Slacks you) and says, “Hey, can you do me a favor? Some people are coming in tomorrow and I need you to present our new initiative.”

The Pitfalls of Last-Minute Presentations

Deadlines can be good for concentrating the mind, but in this scenario, two things are likely to happen next:

• You’ll be up all night scrambling to create a new talk; and/or
• Your boss hands you a slide deck that someone else has prepared (perhaps badly), and you’ll be up all night figuring out how to deliver it.

In addition, you may also have to prepare for tough questions during Q&A.

So how can you manage this challenge, and ace your last-minute presentation, especially with so little time to get ready?

Review the Big Picture

Right now, the easiest thing in the world would be to dive headfirst into your content (a/k/a what you’re going to say).

But successful presentations aren’t all about content — they’re about establishing a three-way relationship between the speaker (that’s you), your audience, and what you’re going to tell them.

So here are two things to do before you jump into thinking about what you’re going to say.

1. Take a Minute to Think about the People You’ll Be Talking To

Jump start your last-minute presentation by asking yourself:

• What’s the story I’m going to tell this audience? Is it about how you’ve solved a technical problem? How your innovation will transform the market? How everyone is going to benefit? Even an “update” presentation tells a story about how well or badly a project is going.
• What do I want them to do differently as a result of my talk?
• What would motivate them to do it?

2. Now Take a Minute to Think about Y OU , the Person Who’s Going to Be Speaking

Ask yourself:

• How do I want the audience to view me? Do I want to be seen as smart? Confident? Helpful? Open-minded? (For more on how to project the qualities you choose, read about your public speaking Avatar. )
• What aspects of this situation are likely to trigger anxiety or fear? Some of us feel more vulnerable around strangers, or people with more status, or better haircuts. Will your feelings about this audience be an extra challenge?
• How have I managed public speaking anxiety or fear in the past? It’s comforting to know in advance that, if nerves do strike, you have some tricks and techniques up your sleeve for managing them.

And Now, You’re Ready to Organize the Content for Your Last-Minute Presentation!

Here’s how.

You May Also Want to Read...

• The Public Speaking Team of 3: Prepare, Practice, and Present
• Public Speaking Tip 98: For a Successful Presentation, Get Your Attitude Together Before You Prepare Your Speech
• The Starbucks Public Speaking Strategy: Talk To Large Groups Like They're Individuals

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4 Presentation Mistakes You’re Probably Making and How to Fix Them

A presentation is one of the most powerful ways to make an idea a reality. When the audience buys in to what you’ve pitched — they can actually help your idea manifest.

However, less-than-optimal presentations can do more harm than good. Here’s a look at the most common presentation errors we see at GatherRound. Are you guilty of any of these?

1. Using slides as a substitute for preparation.

“Working on the deck” until the very last minute is tempting. We try to make sure it LOOKS perfect before taking it out in front of people. However, by focusing too much on the slides beforehand, you may run out of time to  practice your actual delivery . Your audience prefers well-told, relatable stories structured along familiar patterns. If you haven’t prepared, you’ve already lost. So instead of pushing pixels around until the deadline, take PLENTY of time to work on your delivery. (Try one hour for every five minutes worth of content).

2. Using slides as a substitute for yourself.

Unless you’re  this guy , you’re not likely to connect emotionally enough to move an audience with the content on your slides alone. Why? Because humans prefer to hear information from other well-spoken humans. Also, if you’re going to let your slides carry the responsibility of communicating, you might as well not be there. Research has proven parallel processing (asking audiences to process two or more streams of information simultaneously) effectively  cancels out each message . You’re the star of your talk. Your slides can be your sidekick.

3. Using slides for too much information.

It’s the most common presentation mistake, and it’s possibly the most damaging. The more data you present, the less of it will stick. It takes time to process a well-crafted point, so asking audience members to think about too many can confuse them. Further, presentations are quite possibly the worst medium for the transfer of information. Each individual in an audience absorbs and retains data in wildly different ways, but a one-to-many format assumes everyone in the audience is the same — which denies people their differences and just doesn’t work. In our experience, there are two common reasons why too much data ends up in slides:

1. A lack of strategic discernment when collecting and preparing content.

One GatherRound client described the process of preparing for a pitch by saying “Too many chefs have added ingredients, and this isn’t even a cake anymore.” He could see the way his important presentation was coming together – a collection of disjointed data with very little connective tissue – and asked for our help to “police” the inputs. This is what we refer to as strategic discernment. Every presentation must have someone responsible for making sure the story is told well, or it risks ending up a collection of “ingredients.”

2. An expectation the deck will be read after the presentation.

Is it a Leave-Behind or Screen Media? Failure to answer this question drives the most egregious info dumps in business today. Many presenters find themselves preparing content assuming their audience will read it on their own time, cramming in ALL the “necessary” information onto each slide. But when have data-heavy slides ever worked well in a one-to-many setting? The proliferation of slide software, shrinking deadlines and poor planning have made it too easy for leave-behind materials to be carbon copies of audio/visual complements. To combat this, we offer the following advice:

Deck ≠ Presentation. A deck is a medium. A presentation is an event. A deck is a tool that can be used to complement a speaker. A presentation is an opportunity to build, change and reinforce beliefs in a one-to-many setting.

While there’s no magic formula for how much is too much, our advice to presenters is to start by asking whether a presentation is the right medium for the information you want to deliver. Many of our clients rethink the assignment when we discuss the way audiences process high volumes of information.

If you decide you must present lots of data, make sure you don’t include it in the visuals you show. Keep these simple, complementary to your content and secondary to you (see #2 above). If you must deliver dense data, try giving the audience  an alternative to slides , like a booklet, placemat, or link to a landing page to visit and read on their own time.

4. Using slides to communicate your “Now What.”

It all comes down to this: the crucial moment where you flip the script from explaining your idea to recruiting action. You’re asking your audience to join you in your mission. You could stand in front of them proudly, with your arms raised triumphantly and shout “who’s with me?” But instead, novice presenters simply click to the slide labeled “next steps.” How deflating.

Imagine a coach trying to motivate his team at halftime, but instead of inspiring a slow clap that erupts into action, he points to “next steps” on the chalkboard. We know this is ridiculous in real life, but we continue to rely on slides in presentations? Try this instead: next time you present, turn the screen off when you get to the call-to-action. Command attention – don’t ask for it. If you’re the object of interest, you’ll be much more effective at recruiting intent.

Are you and your team guilty of any of these common mistakes? If so you’re not alone. But fear not. Instead, it’s time to start questioning decks, asking “Are slides right? and “Why are slides right?” You’ll be amazed at how powerful your presentation become.

Still need help or want to learn more?  Get in touch with GatherRound  and we’ll build a  presentation workshop  to help you and your team get out of the slide slump.

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My assignment is due tomorrow and I haven't even started it yet!

English expert at Atomi

Well, if it really is due tomorrow, let’s do this and do it quick! You could have anything due tomorrow, so instead of a step-by-step guide let’s focus on some tips and tricks to pull off this craziness. Legions of students before you have done it and legions of students after you will do it so have faith—you can do it 💪.

1. Prioritise

This probably doesn’t need to be said but if it’s due tomorrow then clear your schedule tonight—this is absolutely your top priority right now! Normally we recommend getting plenty of sleep but if you have something due tomorrow, tonight's the night to push your bedtime back a little bit (still no all-nighters though!)

2. Get your head in the game

Okay, no matter how much of a mountain it seems, this has to be done tonight. Don’t let yourself even consider the option of handing it in late—just thinking that will make it even harder to finish in time.

It’s time to get your head in the game and focus on the task ahead. You want to grab some water and make sure you’ve eaten. Then, set yourself up in a clean, bright area, find a supportive chair and grab all of the resources you'll need to do your assignment.

You can check out our video on Study Spaces for everything you need to set up the perfect workspace.

3. Work out exactly what you need to do

To work as efficiently as possible you should first understand exactly what you need to do.

That means you need to think about exactly what ideas or topics you need to cover and what your approach should be. So, read the assignment and marking criteria carefully and identify any keywords. Also highlight any important details, like the word count or page limit, the submission format and any other info that will affect how you approach this task.

This will vary massively depending on the assignment. The point is basically just that you should make sure you know exactly what you need to do before you start. Trust me, it’ll make everything quicker if you do ⏰.

4. Do a brief plan

To make sure we can get this done properly in one night, the next step is to plan your answer. This will make it a lot easier to start writing and, if you have to do any research, you will know exactly what you’re looking for.

So, sketch out a brief plan onto a page. Work out what needs to go into your answer and how it’s going to be structured. It might feel difficult or pointless to plan at this point, but if you can get some of the hard work out of the way here it’ll become much easier to write!

5. Research efficiently

Now, this one is obviously only relevant if you need research for your answer. Gathering research for an essay or report can take time. By using the keywords from the syllabus and assessment notification, you’ll be able to focus on the resources that you actually need. As far as you can, drop your research straight into the plan and you’ll be moving much more efficiently.

Don’t forget to reference as you go! This will save you time and ensure you don’t make any mistakes 😅.

6. Quality over quantity

This is a seriously important tip. When you’re really under pressure, it can be tempting to just smash out as many words as possible so you can hit that word count—don’t do this! It’s just going to give you a whole lot of waffle and even worse marks.

Instead of waffling, stick to your answer plan, use your research and fall back on the ideas in our lessons . It will get you a much better result for not that much extra work ✅.

7. Do your final read over tomorrow morning

Once you’ve finally pulled off that answer, it’s time to go to bed. You’re probably going to be too tired, too stressed and too wrapped up in your answer to be able to give it a proper check and edit.

So, just get some sleep now, set the alarm 30mins earlier tomorrow and read over it again with fresh eyes and a clear mind. You should be able to pick up any little mistakes and make the whole thing read a lot better and generally end up with a stronger answer!

Even though this isn’t ideal, you can still pull it off! The secret is to be as efficient as possible. So, keep calm, find out exactly what you need to do, plan, research properly and don’t waffle.

Oh and next time, don’t leave your assignments to the last minute 😅. Instead, watch our lesson on Planning an Assignment and use the downloadable planner so you aren’t in this sticky situation again.

For more study tips, tricks and advice, keep reading the student blog or follow Atomi on Instagram . See you there 👋.

Published on

March 15, 2022

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How to Present to an Audience That Knows More Than You

• Deborah Grayson Riegel

Lean into being a facilitator — not an expert.

What happens when you have to give a presentation to an audience that might have some professionals who have more expertise on the topic than you do? While it can be intimidating, it can also be an opportunity to leverage their deep and diverse expertise in service of the group’s learning. And it’s an opportunity to exercise some intellectual humility, which includes having respect for other viewpoints, not being intellectually overconfident, separating your ego from your intellect, and being willing to revise your own viewpoint — especially in the face of new information. This article offers several tips for how you might approach a roomful of experts, including how to invite them into the discussion without allowing them to completely take over, as well as how to pivot on the proposed topic when necessary.

I was five years into my executive coaching practice when I was invited to lead a workshop on “Coaching Skills for Human Resource Leaders” at a global conference. As the room filled up with participants, I identified a few colleagues who had already been coaching professionally for more than a decade. I felt self-doubt start to kick in: Why were they even here? What did they come to learn? Why do they want to hear from me?

• Deborah Grayson Riegel is a professional speaker and facilitator, as well as a communication and presentation skills coach. She teaches leadership communication at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and has taught for Wharton Business School, Columbia Business School’s Women in Leadership Program, and Peking University’s International MBA Program. She is the author of Overcoming Overthinking: 36 Ways to Tame Anxiety for Work, School, and Life and the best-selling Go To Help: 31 Strategies to Offer, Ask for, and Accept Help .

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I have a presentation tomorrow and I’m not ready

How to be prepared when i have a presentation tomorrow.

I don’t know to say fortunately or unfortunately, but it may have happened to us. The day that you say to yourself: I have a presentation tomorrow, and I am not ready.

There are simple ways to help you with these situations which we will explain in this article but first:

Everything is about practice

At first, I want you to know that you only can use these ways and methods if you had practice before. Otherwise, it’s raw information which will have no use.

I have a presentation tomorrow and I have to practice to get ready.

Three lessons

I want you to read these articles first and then when you say “I have a presentation tomorrow”, you won’t be that nervous.

how to overcome the fear of public speaking?

how to write a presentation script example?

how to practice a speech?

Speech mistakes

I have a presentation tomorrow and I don’t have to make any mistakes

Now, it’s best to attend to these three essential lessons:

1- one of the worst mistakes is not able to make the audience understand why they need to listen to us. 2- some speakers don’t know how to move or stand on the stage . 3- If you use PowerPoint in your presentations, don’t forget to learn the principles first.

Also, I suggest you read “ speech mistakes .”

1 Comment . Leave new

very good thank you

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