After you’ve spent hours (and often days) developing a great presentation, your delivery is the icing on the cake. You can truly raise others opinion of you by delivering your presentation in a professional, personable, and motivating manner.

Here are five keys to improving your delivery.

5 Ways to Improve Your Presentation Skills

1. Know your audience.

Focus on their needs, challenges and concerns. Always remember that your presentation is not about you; it’s about them.

2. Have a strong opening and a strong closing.

If you rehearse nothing else, have these down cold.

3. Use vocal variety.

And remember to build in pauses because your audience needs time to consider what you are saying.

4. Exaggerate your body language and expressions.

But don’t “put on a show.” Be yourself, only more so.

5. Stay upbeat and energized.

But don’t speak so quickly that your audience can’t keep up with you.