More than a few people have tried to avoid public speaking because they don't want to embarrass themselves and they are afraid of making mistakes. This is a skill that you would have to learn at some point because it is important in your career growth. You have to learn the dos and don'ts of making presentations so that you would get your point across easily and you will not bore your audience to death. By learning effective presentation skills, a lot of people would be looking forward to hearing your ideas.
Before you even start writing for your presentation, the most important thing you should do first is to gauge your audience. Keep in mind that people tend to react differently as far as presentation goes. Just like in marketing, you have to know who you are selling your ideas to. This way, they won't feel alienated. This is also a good way to make sure that you would be able to get your point across. Build your presentation based on your listeners' level of understanding and anticipate the things they may want to hear from you.
As most people have done in the past, it is easy to succumb to nervousness. Doing so is a big mistake because the more nervous you are, the more uptight you will be. Instead of giving in to your nerves, be fun and humorous instead. Just make sure that you are going to do it at your expense because making fun of someone in the audience can quickly make things sour for all of you. Always be natural and don't forget to enjoy yourself as well because this will reflect on your mood and the tone of your voice as well.
Visual aids are important to any presentation because they would help you get your point across easily. Do not bombard your visual aids with texts alone because this would only make things harder for you and your audience. Pictures are easier to place and they would also make your ideas clearer. For figures, you can also turn to pies and different charts in order to show what you are talking about.