We’ve all had to do it – prepare and deliver a presentation. It can be very nerve wracking standing up in front of colleagues and superiors. Often, we are judged by how well we give a presentation. Follow these 10 helpful steps and you’ll be ready to develop and deliver a great presentation.

Prepare

1. Create an outline or at least an agenda, so the content is clear, interesting and focused. By simplifying your message, your audience will hear the key points.

2. Plan your delivery. Use the notes section on each slide to type in talking points and use graphics instead of text to tell the story.

3. Connect with the meeting planner and visit the site ahead of time so there aren’t any surprises. Practice in the room if you can.

4. People process information in three ways – hearing, seeing and touching. Use different techniques to connect with each learning type. If you are presenting on a screen, have written presentations available and diagram or jot main points on a whiteboard.

5. Make your presentation’s graphics, language and packaging match your audience. Bind bids, proposals, client materials and more formal internal meetings. Use a stylish report cover or binder for everyday internal presentation, a project update or training sessions.

Deliver

6. Use an opening statement that encourages audience involvement. Let them know how they will benefit from the presentation. Make sure you always address the audience and not the screen behind you.

7. If something goes wrong during your presentation, don’t panic or keep apologizing. Relax, take a breath and pick up where you left off.

8. Read the room. Change direction in longer presentations to keep your audience engaged. People also tend to lose focus after about 20 minutes.

9. Be passionate and avoid negative analogies. The enthusiasm in your voice will result in a better impression and memory of your presentation.

10. Laminate your key points and distribute them at the conclusion to ensure your main message is heard.

“Pulling the content and resources together is only half the battle. It’s essential that your presentation performance match the effort you put into it,” said Kellie Glueck, marketing director at ACCO Brands. “A concise, visually engaging and well-packaged presentation needs to be delivered with confidence.”

If you’ve already mastered these presentation tips, then you might be the Everyday Hero ACCO Brands is looking for. What is an Everyday Hero? It’s a person who knows how to use his/her office tools to make things run smoothly; a person to whom everyone turns to pull it all together in a pinch – often without being recognized.

ACCO Brands, a leader in office products through industry-leading brands such as Swingline, GBC, Day-Timer, Quartet, Wilson Jones and Kensington among others, is scouring the country in search of Everyday Heroes. Everyday Heroes can enter the contest. A grand prize of $1,000 in office products will be awarded to three winners.

For more solutions on how to present better or to enter the Everyday Heroes contest, visit www.accoheroes.com.