The Power Point presentation that you create for investors, senior managers or simply general audience, like customers is only a small part of a pantomime. Presentation is a complex procedure that takes a brilliant idea and hours of preparation. Through these five points, I’ll try to explain how to make a jaw dropping presentation that will leave the audience speechless.
Make Them Believe in What You Are Saying
In most cases, the audience is more interested in your topic if they know that you have credibility to say what you are saying. However, you definitely want to avoid giving them a lengthy introduction with your career achievements and brilliant moments. Focus rather on giving a presentation that starts with your credentials that are arrayed in a manner that will convince the audience that you are an expert on the topic. For example, you can tell a short story about your past that can be related to the topic, sharing the first-hand experience. Or you can simply reveal references that favor what you are about to say.
Reveal the Goal Early on
The audience is more likely to relate your speech to the purpose of the presentation if they know its goal from the beginning. This order also makes it easier to get the effect you want in the end, no matter whether it is funding, an initiative approval, buying hearts and minds, or drawing more attention to a cause. Revealing the goals early on also help you to stay focused on it, avoiding unnecessary episodes.
Feel Free to Use Supporting Material
If you managed to establish your credibility, you need to give credentials to what you are saying as well. Enrich the material you are presenting with information that gives it credibility and support. The info needn’t be contained in the presentation slides, but include in your speaking cards. For example if you are telling a story, make sure it includes statistics, pieces of reference research, or if you feel it is appropriate, even quote persons who are authority in the field.
Emphasize Separate Ideas with Strong Quotations or Visual Images
In order to achieve more impact, you may want to begin every separate topic or idea with a striking quotation or a full-screen high definition image that conveys the message what it is going to be about. You don’t have to give it a separate title, just say a few words about the topic and let the visual impact do its job. Even better you can slide in a short video. If your company deals with outdoor activities, for example, it might be a good idea to shoot a stunning 4k drone video. The visual material will draw the audience attention who will try to relate it to your topic, engaging them on many more levels than with just speech or text.
Be Prepared to Answer – and Ask Difficult Questions
Random question may arrive in the middle of your presentation, and not only in Q&A phase. You need to be prepared for all of them, especially those pointed to deconstruct your presentation and question your goals. Your audience is probably well-known to you, so try to figure out what would you ask if you were sitting there. You can even include some critical ones into slides and answer to them as they come by. In case that no one asks anything, prepare your own questions that you can answer later on. Focus them to achieving your goal and getting you message across.
Remember that you are the author of the presentation, and that you can influence everything that happens in its course. No one in the audience probably knows more about the topic and that may motivate them to try make holes in it. These five tips will hopefully make it watertight.
