are you sitting comfortably? 3 tips for a stellar presentation
When I'm about to lead an in-person workshop, I usually like to get there early and scope out the room. I go through my usual routine: picturing myself talking to everyone, figuring out where I can move without blocking the screen, making sure the clicker works – mentally ticking off these items allows me to feel confident for the upcoming session.
But recently, at a client workshop (you can find out more about our team trainings at https://www.storytellingwithdata.com/team-trainings), the situation was a bit different. Instead of the usual layout with tables or theater seating, it was just a regular boardroom with a big table and a screen at one end. There were a handful of participants joining virtually and the organizers had me sit at the end of the table due to the proximity of the Laptop connector.
Right away, I knew my usual "stand up front" approach wouldn't work. The room felt too small and casual for a four-hour standing presentation, and I'd definitely block the screen for the online attendees. With these factors in mind, I chose to conduct the workshop sitting down.
After an engaging session with an enthusiastic group, I started thinking about the differences between sitting and standing while presenting. Here are three tips I can offer for making a sit-down presentation engaging and successful.
1. Keep the conversation going
We always aim for our workshops to be interactive. In a traditional lecture-room style setup, however, participants might hesitate to share their thoughts or ask questions. But sitting down made it feel more like a natural conversation. The relaxed atmosphere, however, did lead to more interruptions with attendees feeling free to jump in and it took extra effort to keep the agenda on track.
I found myself changing what I had planned to fit the flow of the discussion. Since the real value of a workshop is often the conversation between attendees, it's better to be flexible with the content rather than stick to a rigid agenda. When it comes to delivering an engaging experience for your audience ensure you know your content well enough to be able to seamlessly flex it depending on the situation.
2. Use your words to direct people’s attention
When you're standing, it's easy to point to the slides and make that connection clear. But sitting down meant I had to be more thoughtful about my slides.
For any presentation, whether it's in person or online, keep your slides simple and focused. They should support what you're saying, not just show every detail. With less on the slides, people can scan them easily while listening to you. I was able to indicate verbally to my audience when to look at the slides. In addition, I added pauses, giving my audience time to assess the content before returning their focus to me.
3. Bring energy with your voice, expressions, and posture
Moving with purpose and using gestures are effective ways to help keep people engaged during a presentation. But when you're sitting, you've got to find other ways to do that. To keep my energy levels high, I made sure to stand up during breaks and when people were working independently. I also paid attention to my posture to avoid looking slumped, which can also affect your voice and energy.
Even when you're sitting, your body language still matters. Leaning in to emphasize a point, using your hands (even if it's just a bit), and making eye contact can make a big difference in helping to generate a rapport with your audience.
Looking back, I truly enjoyed the conversational feel of that workshop. It kept me on my toes, and I'd be happy to do it again. Next time, I’d consider standing at appropriate points in the session. Delivering the introductions, more theoretical aspects and presentation examples would all be good opportunities to stand and mix the delivery style up.
It was a good reminder that even with our best-laid plans, things don't always go as expected. It's important to be ready to adapt and to know your content well enough to present it effectively in any situation. That's what makes a presentation truly successful.
