No matter if you’re presenting at a team meeting or to a packed conference room, your key consideration is always your audience. Make it easy for your audience to understand and respond to your message.
Knowing what you want to achieve is the first step to delivering a winning presentation. Content may be king but it’s your presence and ability to control a room that will be your Excalibur.
- Prepare the room. Arrive before the audience. Set up the room for maximum comfort and to suit your purpose.
- Use the room. Own the space and make yourself BIG through hand gestures and appropriate body language.
- Read the room. Check your audience for non-verbal cues. Adjust your body language, stage position and posture to maintain their attention.
- Presentation. All eyes are on you. Understand how your body reacts to stress. Check your posture, stance and hand gestures.
- Language. Keep it simple. Adjust your volume, pitch and pace to maintain interest.
- Exit. End well. Respect the time. Summarise the key points and set the scene for your next encounter.
How to avoid death by PowerPoint
Slabs of text. Meaningless animation. A frenzy of fonts. It’s a recipe for Death by PowerPoint! Visual aids can be useful, but it’s your story, not your bullet points, that will have your audience on the edge of their seats.
- Props. Select the right visual aids for your purpose. Slides, video, whiteboards or just you! Often, less is more.
- Always have a back-up plan. Technology can let you down. Have a Plan B!
- Tell a story. The right story, told with enough detail, can bring your presentation to life. Find a theme that works for your audience and your content.
- Charts and illustrations. Simplify complex information by using well-presented graphs, charts and infographics. Must be easy to read and make a point.
- Handouts. Make life easy for your audience by providing a summary handout that captures your key points. Don’t use slides as handouts. You want to keep their eyes on you, not on your notes.
If you’d like help to find your presentation PURPLE PATCH, contact cheryl@mulberryseed.me
