In today’s fast paced and competitive business environment, do you think the ability to perform your task is enough for you to succeed? You would agree with me when I say that it is definitely not enough. In addition to having the right skills to do the job, it is equally important to have the right presentation skills. Before we dwell into factors driving successful presentation, there are two key things which you need to keep in mind. First of all, you as a presenter need to very well understand your audience. The crux of all types of communication is your audience. Next utmost thing is that ‘YOU’ are the presentation, not the material.
Take your time to prepare very well for the presentation. This starts with knowing the material to be presented thoroughly. It is also important that the data being presented is accurate. This is very critical factor when it comes to business presentations. You might just lose out on that $2.5 million deal, if your projected return on investment of 30.5% misses out the decimal point and looks like 3.05% on your slide package. Always carry all the required materials which will come in handy. One of the worst things you do not want to do is to read the slides. You can carry notes to remind you of the key points which you intend to cover. You can also consider providing handouts to the audiences, if required. Logically organize all the topics you plan to cover. There should be a smooth transition when you switch between the topics. What could define the limit of oddity when you suddenly start talking about the soft drink to be launched by the company in between of explaining the benefits of the new mascara?
One good way to organize your presentation is by using the diamond approach which is depicted in the adjacent picture. You can start with explaining the purpose and end with a definite action plan.
Practice your presentation. You can start with practicing in front of the mirror followed by engaging your friends to see you presenting. It definitely helps to understand your weak points and gives you a chance to improve. Also, keep a check on the timing when you are presenting. Allocate appropriate time to each of the sections of your presentations.
Adding humor to your presentation is a very tricky option. You need to be very careful about what and who is being made fun of. Someone might get offended or people might not react to your jokes at all. The safest bet is to crack jokes on yourself.
With all these preparations done you are ready for the presentation. Arrive early at the venue and check to make sure that you have all the logistics in place like computer, power, AC, and lighting. Relax before you begin and be confident. Open the pitch with a warm welcome and start talking. Do not move around too much in the room as this might give them a feeling of watching a tennis match. Maintain positive eye-contact with your audience; this will help the audience to connect with you. Another way to engage audience is by asking questions. Ask relevant questions. It is always good to present your relevant personal experience in the form of a short story to the audience. Now don’t tell me that you do not have any interesting story to tell. Everyone has. If you do not have any, then that simply means that you haven’t really put your brain into thinking. Time your presentation well. Do not go beyond the stipulated time. However, being short is not a crime as no one is going to get annoyed with you for delivering short speech. An important point is that the audience should be able to take away the purpose of the presentation with them. Hence, it is important to summarize in the end and to nail the final points. Best presenters in the world were not the best during their first presentation. Nobody is born with the right presentation skills; however they are built over time with the right attitude and preparation.
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