I recommend you take a class on public speaking if you can.
With or without Power Point, here is what I do:
- Make an outline of the points I want to say, as you would have in high school. E.g.:
1. Superman
a. Born on Krypton
b. Sent to Earth by parents as a baby when planet exploded
c. Raised in Kansas by the Kents
Etc. Then, you speak more or less extemporaneously around the notes. You'll memorize the order in which you want to make your points, but you won't be reading them like a robot. "Superman was born on a distant planet named Krypton..." Have the notes in front of you in case you lose your place - they're easier to scan than a block of text.
Some other tips -
- Always introduce yourself and state why you're there at the beginning. "I'm Machine 10033 and I'm here to tell you about the life of Superman." This puts the power in your being there. The audience is there because they want to hear information from you. So tell them confidently that you will give it to them.
- Practice in front of a mirror or better yet, record yourself. Over and over if necessary.
- Vocal inflections. Change it up to avoid monotone. At certain junctures you can speak faster, slower, quieter, or louder depending on how you've been speaking, to make things interesting.
- If having a large audience makes you nervous, imagine you are telling this information to a friend over a beer at the bar.
- Use your hands to avoid fidgeting and bad body language. When at rest try to keep them before your chest, fingers touching, thumbs touching and pointed upward.
See here.
As with anything, it's a matter of practice.
