I am passionate about good presentation, whether it’s food , a magazine , architectural design , a dance sequence or even sloppy , untidy work colleagues!
Call me pedantic and a perfectionist – but when it’s not presented neatly or professionally, I start to switch off.
This passion extends further to business presentations as a whole – a subject which I lecture on frequently to young students and professionals.
Good presentations are powerful and convincing .They can influence your audience to buy into a concept, or a new way of thinking. A well prepared presentation connects with you and resonates in a way which makes you want to hear more. Conversely, a poor presentation can sink your business, your credibility and your opportunity to sell yourself. You only get one shot.
Research has shown that the content and words used in a presentation are far less impactful than the visual, physical presence and behavioural skills one uses to make an impression.
It seems to me that even at school level we are teaching the wrong competencies and skill sets when presenting to an audience. I say this largely because of the over-dependence young people have come to employ when using visual aids, under the guise of being technologically “savvy”. Over-reliance on slide content encourages the presenter to face the screen, cut themselves off and read off the information if they are poorly prepared.
It’s right that we should teach good presentation skills. It’s a crucial business tool and one which can result in personal brand success and career opportunities.
Here are some pointers and pitfalls to be aware of when presenting to your clients and customers – both from a behavioural and design perspective.
Your Presentation Checklist
Firstly, the elements of Presence
Your ability to build rapport , connect , chit-chat and appear confident.
Dress for success – you have a 1 minute impact window!
Never turn your back on the audience / delegates – your body language must be open & welcoming.
Eye contact with all participants – not the chosen few.
Speak clearly and loudly enough.
Poor Technology Habits: The Rules of Powerpoint
The 10/20/30 Rule : The magic number of slides is 10 ( when I get to slide 5 , you know I’m half-way) ; 20 Minutes for your presentation – the mind can only absorb what the seat can endure ; 30 point font – so people can read your slides from the back of the room.
Busy slides full of text are just boring and put the audience to sleep – Less is more.
Slides are not there as a crutch – you still need to know your content.
Reading the slides off just insults your audience – they can also read and probably quicker than you can present it – and they write you off.
When making a point – step back, facing the audience , towards the screen.
Talk to your audience, point for point – i.e take the time to build your slide transitions.
Slides are primarily used to : Focus audience attention; Reinforce verbal message; Stimulate interest; Illustrate hard to visualise factors ; Increase retention.
Make sure you stick to these basic rules of presentation in order to connect and convey your message in a professional and successful manner.
– Article courtesy of Russell Edwards, JEN X PEOPLE STRATEGIES