Whenever you have to do something, it’s usually preferable to do the sexy version of something. Who wants to change clothes and climb a ladder to clean gutters when you could just as easily change into that razor sharp dress shirt you got for Christmas and walk up the street for an afternoon cocktail? Who wants to sit down to eat your mom’s cheeseburger casserole if there was an option for surf and turf to be had? It seems that for every option life throws us there is a sexy version and an entirely un-sexy one to compare it to.
When it comes to presentations, this rule also applies. A sexy presentation might be the product launch of a sleek, new high-tech gadget or the unveiling of a prototype vehicle that is set to revolutionize urban transportation. However, the most un-sexy presentation we can think of is the “educational” presentation.
While every presentation is about sharing ideas, the educational presentation is usually designed to deliver a bundle of specific, specialized knowledge or to pass on a necessary skill set to a group of people who are usually listening to you because they’ve been told that they have to. Did a vision of 10th grade social studies class just slog through your mind? This is not entirely a bad thing.
First of all, if the thought of delivering an educational presentation fills you with the special kind of nausea only a 15-year-old can feel, congratulations! This is exactly the way your audience will be feeling the day of your presentation. Now that you know this, you can take the necessary steps to shake up your presentation and your audience.
When it comes to educational presentations, high school teachers wrote the book. Let’s take a look at some of their techniques and see how we might be able to apply them in the professional environment.
Who is Your Audience
When presenting to a room of teenage boys and girls, knowing your audience is crucial. Of course, this is an important component of any successful presentation. When asked to teach information to what may be a captive audience, knowing exactly who you are talking to is really everything. You’ve got one shot to gain their trust and engage their attention. Speak their language and gain instant cred!
Dynamic Visuals
Although it’s easy to hit a high school class with a presentation that’s more dynamic than the one the American history teacher’s been doing for the last 20 years, it’s a bit harder to surprise an audience in the professional world. Building on your understanding of your audience, create a look for your pres that’s both reassuringly familiar as well refreshingly full of surprises.
Media and Message
When it comes to incorporating various media into your presentation you must continue to consider meeting your audience where they are. While any audience might be willing to sit still through a short video, only a younger audience equipped with smart phones would be able to get excited about your Twitter Q&A session. Incorporating various media can be great for capturing an audience’s attention, just make sure you make the right match.
In the end, the key is to personalize your educational presentation to your specific audience. Breakdown the traditional assumptions of the pedagogical model and create a dynamic dialog you can all enjoy.
