Improving the credibility of your presentations is an ongoing task that involves constantly reevaluating the fundamental skills that separate the winners from the wanna-be’s when it comes to creating a fantastic PowerPoint presentation. You’ll find that by honing your basic skills, your credibility will rise accordingly. However, most of us let these skill-sets slide over time and our credibility suffers accordingly.
Credibility is key to engaging your audience. When you connect with your audience and they begin to follow you and your story, there is an implied contract of sorts, and trust comes into play. How will you ever get your audience to let down their guard, open their minds and allow you to take them on a journey if they don’t quite trust your credibility? If you have trouble establishing credibility, it is as if you have a lever with no fulcrum. In other words, no matter how strong your PowerPoint presentation is, if you can’t overcome doubts regarding your credibility, all your hard work will be for naught.
Credibility is something you have to establish quickly in a presentation. You establish it with the shoes you are wearing when you walk into the room and the first words that come out of your mouth once you take the stage. However, you must also maintain credibility as you make your way into your story, through your slides and passed your Q&A. Every step along the way offers obstacles and solutions alike. Stick to your fundamentals, brush up on your basics, and wow them at your next PowerPoint presentation.
Know Your Audience
We’ve all heard this a million times, but it is key for credibility. If you walk into a room full of old-school, conservative executives and start speaking to them like you are texting and Tweeting around with Generation Y’s, you will be in big trouble. Not knowing your audience will create misunderstandings which will lead to the questioning of your expertise and maybe even your IQ. Always know who you are speaking to, and where you want to take them.
Opening and Closing
The beginning and the end of your PowerPoint presentation are crucial when it comes to establishing your credibility. The opening sets the tone for the rest of your presentation and – when its done right – it can establish you as a trustworthy, engaging expert. The closing – when handled correctly – can be a coup de grace, the knockout punch that everyone will remember. Spend extra time on your opening and closing. Once you fine tune a great opening and a strong close, the rest of your presentation will find a momentum of its own.
Make Them Believe
Use the “3 V’s” to show your audience that you are expert to be trusted. Visually make your presentation something to see. This includes your slides, but also your body language and movement. Use your voice not only to pace the tempo of the presentation, but to create dynamic highs and lows as well. Make sure your verbiage is direct, simple, clear and specific enough to convey your message and tell your story without overwhelming your audience.
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