Presentation Is Everything

Courtsy of TW Telecom

 Maybe you’ve given hundreds of presentations in your time — so many that it’s second nature. But just as familiarity can breed contempt, it can also breed overconfidence! Are you sure you’re getting your message across in the most interesting, engaging and effective way?

The truth is, even great presenters can always pick up a few new techniques. Enliven your style and connect with your audience with these quick tips:

• Interact. Speak with the organizers of the event or meeting in advance about the outcome they’d like to see from your presentation. During the presentation, ask your audience questions to promote participation.
• Structure. Maybe you haven’t written an outline since high school or college, but your former English teacher was right: Outlines help you present your ideas in a logical, flowing fashion, and they help you remember important details.
• Demonstrate. Show the audience why the topic is relevant. Creating an engaging, illustrative scenario.
• Keep your PowerPoint slides simple. PowerPoint presentations are an old standby of presenters, but too many speakers simply cram the slides with information and then read from them. Slides should simply introduce topics and underline key points. Allow your audience to focus on you instead of the screen. Try to get by with 10 slides or fewer.
• Provide visuals. Use pertinent, high-quality images and charts to illustrate more complex subject matter.
• Introduce yourself (on your terms). Give the person who will introduce you written notes that very briefly sum up your career and achievements. Highlight the relevant information that explains why you’re qualified to speak about the subject at hand. Remember to keep the list brief, or the audience will zone out before you begin speaking!
• Prepare. Arrive early. Check your microphone, have your laptop up and running, have your PowerPoint file open, and be ready to hit the ground running without technical difficulties.
• Rehearse. Once your speech is outlined, scripted and supported by your backup materials, practice until you know it like the back of your hand! (Just don’t write it there.)
• Pace yourself. On presentation day, you should be confident enough that you don’t rush through your speech! Take your time, use some humor and connect with your audience.

One last word of advice: If you repurpose your speech for another venue, make sure to change more than just the name and date on the PowerPoint slides. Take the time to understand what your audience wants from the presentation, and you’ll make more effective use of your time — and theirs