Why are presentations so important? It’s all in the name. Perception is everything, and the way you and your company present themselves – literally and figuratively – will determine your success in your field. A great presentation gives off a message. It says, “I know who I am, I know what I am doing, and you should probably be following my lead in this industry/buying my product or service as soon as possible.” A great presentation inspires confidence – building trust, relationships and success. A bad presentation is just as powerful, but – in this case – you come off like a confused, agitated, bore that people instinctively avoid.
Well, maybe not that bad, but you get the point.
The fact is you are probably an expert in your field, and if you marry that expertise to expert presentation techniques you’ll soon be developing a following of your own. Lucky for you, a great presentation can be as simple as “Once upon a time…”
Telling A Story
Have you ever heard a kid say, “Hey, Dad! Can you show me a presentation?” In order to be truly epic, your presentation has to be married to a compelling story. Otherwise – no matter how well you’ve prepared – your content is just…well…content. However, when you’ve woven your images, stats, text, and delivery around a passionate, captivating story, your audience will be hooked. The kind of creativity that a good story involves will make your PowerPoint presentations stand out from the pack, especially when they are paired to a great theme.
What’s Your Theme Song?
Once you have your story in place, it’s important to work up a one-word theme. This process may create a great title for your overall presentation, and it will certainly help you to focus on the primary message you are attempting to convey. “Flow”. “Energy”. “Heat”. Consider the possibilities and really get down to the essential spirit of your presentation. A strong theme will grab your audience’s attention and help you to keep your hard work free of confusion and clutter. Now that your story has a great theme, what about you?
Content, Content, Content…
It never hurts to get back to the basics, and when it comes to your presentation, there is nothing as fundamental as your content. Besides being the actual “filling” that your presentation is made up of, it is important to keep in mind a few of the important goals you should be satisfying as you put your content together. Your content needs to establish your expertise, while at the same time remaining clear and easily understood. Your content has to be tailor made for your audience, but it also has to allow you to connect to it in a passionate way that will allow you to motivate the room. Keep these points in mind and your next presentation design will nearly create itself!
Branding Doesn’t Have to Hurt
Like it or not, your presentation is largely about you. It’s the kiss of death to be focused on oneself during a presentation, however you are the one the audience will be focused on and the decisions you make about how you present yourself are what will determine their perception of you and your PowerPoint. Personal branding is crucial to your presentation. The way you present you can make or break you before you even approach the stage. Are you a brilliant expert? What does a brilliant expert wear? Are you more of the motivational, energetic coach type? What kind of jokes does that guy tell? Decide who you are, then be you!
Transparent is Anything but Invisible
Nowadays, we here the phrase “transparency” on the news all the time in regards to the Congress, the Senate and the White House. It seems everyone in Washington, D.C. is going on and on about the virtues of transparency. What’s so great about it? It inspires confidence. Regardless of your political beliefs, we all feel better when the people who are spending our money are keeping their decisions out there for everyone to see. The same goes for a great presentation. If you seem tense and defensive, people will automatically get the feeling that you are hiding something. On the other hand, if you are open and transparent, they will feel welcomed and they’ll want to be closer to you. When you are transparent, your shyness becomes endearing, and your nervousness becomes something everyone can laugh-off with you. Stay transparent if you really want to “pop-out” at your next presentation.
To Share or Not to Share – Is There a Question?
If you thought your presentation ended after the Q and A, you’re wrong. Today, your presentation can live on forever, being shared over the Internet. There are a number of sites out there that will allow you to share your amazing presentation with the world – literally – without spending a ton of time or money. Some people still freak out about the idea of sharing – as if they will lose some important secret, but in today’s networked economy sharing is the name of the game if you want to be visible to potential clients, colleagues, and collaborators.
Here are several resources for sharing your presentations:
There are a lot of steps to creating a great presentation, and it can seem daunting. Take it a little at a time and remember your fundamentals. Stay focused on your message and your audience. Keep it simple and clear.
You’ll be sharing your expertise with the rest of the world in no time!
