A successful presentation relies on great delivery, strong structure and relevant content. That’s it. For most people presenting well is a totally different skill from your daily work. You have to prepare properly. You must get into to the right mental state for the presentation to be successful. If you want the presentation to be engaging, think more like a performer.
90% of presenters use far too much content (TMC) when they present. Edit, edit and edit again. Most of the audience will not have the knowledge and experience that you have. Pitch your content in accordance with their needs. The real skill is in knowing what to leave out. You cannot cover everything.
Think a lot about using an effective structure that flows well. Let your audience know where they are now and where they are going. When people fly they like to watch the plane’s flight path!
A potential client wants to engage someone who clearly knows their stuff and will solve their problems. Don’t try too hard to impress them. Through excellent preparation and a thorough understanding of the audience’s needs and potential challenges you will attract the right types of clients. Work on balancing your approachability with your credibility.
Presenting well is all about your audience and their needs. Understand what they are seeking from your presentation and provide suitable examples and stories that they can relate to. Spend more time thinking about them and their needs when preparing and less time on your own agenda.
Do not keep reading off your slides! Being a Chronic Slide Reader (CSR) is an insult to your audience’s intelligence. Use clean visuals that support what you are speaking about. Watch a newsreader and observe how their verbal content is supported by an appropriate visual.
Practice standing up. An actor wouldn’t give a live performance without conducting appropriate dress rehearsals. Ask your peers to observe some of your rehearsals. Listen to their feedback. Edit and do another run through. Video feedback is also very useful.
Work on remembering the names of the people in the audience. It really helps.
Take a breath (TAB). Pause, allow a concept to land. By pausing from time to time you give the audience a chance to catch up with you. Never be scared of a little silence.
Keep looking for fresh ways to engage your audience. Tell them a story. Move to a different space. Use a prop. Present an example. Ask them what they think the outcome was. Use the B key to blank the screen. Use appropriate humour. Do anything other than continuing to read from your slides. That never works.
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