A digital presentation used to succeed by virtue of its simply not being a hand-written document. Nowadays, it’s not enough to simply project a PowerPoint document. With all of the fancy presentation software around, how do you ensure that the time you invest in creating a presentation will actually produce beneficial results? In some ways, the answer is to ignore the software and concentrate on making yourself more dynamic. Where is your Elvis signature hip swing? Talk about return on investment. The man came up with one move that left millions of teenage girls around the world in tears of ecstasy for years.
A Little Less Action, a Little More Conversation Please
No, that’s not how the song goes, but when presenting, you need to reverse the King’s original sentiment. Leave the action to Vegas, babies; your presentation wants for conversation. When designing slides, choose clean and simple layouts that your audience can easily decipher. Also take a stand against the rampant animation abuse that exists – bouncing words are actually difficult to read. Your slides should support what you’re saying, not distract the audience. Thinking about how you are going to reach your audience through your own words and conversational demeanor is a better investment of your time. People enjoy listening to and talking with other people. Case in point, you’d go out to dinner with another human, not a PowerPoint file.
Only Fools Rush In
You must lead your audience through your presentation. Just as you (well, most of you) wouldn’t read the last page of a novel first, your audience doesn’t want to see your conclusions on slide #1. If you rush to the end before you even begin, audience members will ask themselves, “Why should I sit through this presentation now?” A presentation is a means through which a presenter can engagingly lead a group through his thought process. Your audience is more likely to believe your conclusions, if they understand how you came to them.
It’s Now or Never
Try to present in 15 minutes or less because that’s about as long as any audience will really pay attention. Even if you’re super excited about the minutiae of your research, don’t include every detail that might relate to your topic – cover the essentials. If you think a slide might not be necessary, throw it out. Since you should always set aside time for discussion, address less important items then and refer back to any supporting slides.
Suspicious Minds
What most people think of as a “presentation,” is only a piece of a larger whole. An entire presentation includes introducing yourself, saying what you planned to say, answering questions and making your exit. So don’t forget to prepare yourself for the suspicious minds in an audience, especially if you’re asking people for money. During a presentation, you should also be comfortable with taking time to think about the unexpected or aggressive questions that require more diplomacy than you might have bargained for. Take a moment to understand the question and construct an intelligent answer. No one ever won a big client by merely answering faster than everyone else.
All of this is to say that you want the audience to be engaged with you, not your genius for creating visual aids. Sure, Elvis was a talented singer, but the world might not have noticed him if he hadn’t had such an exciting personality. So channel a little rock-and-roll during your next presentation and leave your audience genuinely disappointed that you’ve left the building.
