It’s a struggle to stand out from the crowd. If you are scheduled to present in a line up of speakers, how can make the most of your minutes? What goals will you have that can differentiate you? If you say you’ll deliver a presentation that is informative, moving, and polished, great. But that’s exactly what everyone else is doing.
Now, I’m not saying these aren’t great goals to have. They are. And that’s why everyone else also has them. It’s just that you are going to need something more if you want to stand out. So here are 3 ways you can differentiate yourself from other speakers.
1. Pick Up the Pace
If you are trying not to sound like everyone else, start by picking up your pace. Most speakers deliver their messages at a rate of about 100-150 words per minute. It’s a comfortable talking rate that matches everyday conversation rates pretty closely. However, if you look at the statistics of the most popular TED Talks, the rate of those speakers fall from about 150-200 words per minute. Quite a bit faster. If the speakers before you have all fallen into the 100-150 range, when you get up to speak, your faster pace will drive both the attention and energy of your audience.
2. Push the Graphics
Presenting is by and large still primarily a spoken medium. In other words, most speakers still focus mainly on the words he or she will say. But we are living in an increasingly visual world. We rely more heavily on things like videos and pictures to help us learn. So speakers who use more visuals during their presentations can differentiate themselves from others.
Now, that doesn’t mean that you should create a PowerPoint presentation with your three main points on it. We’ve all seen that to the point of exhaustion. Instead, use cutting edge programs like Tableau or Venngage to present data in a way that’s easier for your audience to understand and to remember. Just the slight shift from thinking about what you’ll say to thinking about what you’ll show can help you stand out. Check out some of our presentation graphic design work now.
3. Find and Highlight Your “One Thing”
Think about the things for which different brands are known. I can’t help but think of Chick-fil-A when I think about brand strategy. Besides their incredible food, they are known for having great customer service and for responding with their distinct “my pleasure.” That’s their “one thing.” In order to really set yourself apart from other presenters, you need know and highlight your one thing.
Branding expert and co-founder of ColorJar, Jeff Hoffman calls it your “golden purpose” and says to look for “the one thing you do so well that people recognize you for it.” So what is the one thing that you do better than everyone else when it comes to presenting? Are you an avid and entertaining storyteller? Then highlight this talent in your presentations. Are you someone who approaches each message with incredible and contagious energy? Play that up. Do you have the ability to make tough concepts clear, to make the audience laugh, or to be incredibly warm and approachable? Whatever your one thing is, write and develop presentations that highlight that.
No one enjoys a cookie cutter presentation. Thankfully, there are ways to stand out from the crowd.
Need help increasing your speaking rate, developing stunning presentation visuals, or identifying your one thing? We can help.
