How to give presentations? - Be heard!!
Presentations are an all important tool in selling and marketing. All marketers and sales people should master this all-important skill. They equip themselves with Powerpoint, video, slideshows, charts, handouts - all part of presentation tools. However, the general notion is, these tools are the most important in a presentation. Wrong. YOU are the focal of all presentations. You are the most important selling tool.
Have you ever experienced being in a meeting and it's boring and your mind starts wandering? Chances are the speaker is reading his notes with his head buried down, too many slides, long hand outs, monotonous speech, no contact with audience. Well just plain boring. I have and to be honest I abhorr sitting in boring presentations.
I'm not going into details on how to speak, let's leave that to the experts. But I will guide you on how to do impressive powerpoint:
1) Dont put too many words in a slide - Limit to not more than 7 words per sentence. You don't want the audience to try to read what's on the slide instead of listening to you. Instead, opt to just feature key words in your slide and you present from there
2) Put graphics instead of words - Yes, you can just put a picture instead of any words. It's more interesting. Chances are, the audience would look up and start listening to you. An easy example, if you're doing a presentation on health, you can just put the pic of an apple (An apple a day keeps the doctor away, in case some of you don't get it) You have an infinite option of relevant graphics to put on your slides. Key note: relevant graphics
3) Don't make your slides like a merry-go-round - One thing people like to do is to incorporate sounds and music to their slides. Well, to be honest they are tacky. But it all depends on which subject and field you're in. Come on, use your common sense to discern what's appropriate and what's not
4) Handouts - Popular practice to give the audience the handout in the beginning of the presentation. Wrong again. You will only encourage them to read instead of listening to you. Hand the handouts only AFTER the presentation. Remember you are the focal point
5) Don't be boring - Don't put too many slides in a presentation. People get bored really easily. So, capitalize on your selling with the knowledge of their short attentin span and don't bore them with too many slides.
6) Notes - Don't read your notes as you present. If the audience is going to be reading your notes while you present, why bother having a presentation at the first place? You can just mail them the notes and save each others' time
Here are just some of the points that I see frequently done wrongly in presentations. Make your presentations as creative and interesting as possible. Think out of the box. Don't be square but dare to challenge your audience. Go ahead and make great presentations from now on
Have you ever experienced being in a meeting and it's boring and your mind starts wandering? Chances are the speaker is reading his notes with his head buried down, too many slides, long hand outs, monotonous speech, no contact with audience. Well just plain boring. I have and to be honest I abhorr sitting in boring presentations.
I'm not going into details on how to speak, let's leave that to the experts. But I will guide you on how to do impressive powerpoint:
1) Dont put too many words in a slide - Limit to not more than 7 words per sentence. You don't want the audience to try to read what's on the slide instead of listening to you. Instead, opt to just feature key words in your slide and you present from there
2) Put graphics instead of words - Yes, you can just put a picture instead of any words. It's more interesting. Chances are, the audience would look up and start listening to you. An easy example, if you're doing a presentation on health, you can just put the pic of an apple (An apple a day keeps the doctor away, in case some of you don't get it) You have an infinite option of relevant graphics to put on your slides. Key note: relevant graphics
3) Don't make your slides like a merry-go-round - One thing people like to do is to incorporate sounds and music to their slides. Well, to be honest they are tacky. But it all depends on which subject and field you're in. Come on, use your common sense to discern what's appropriate and what's not
4) Handouts - Popular practice to give the audience the handout in the beginning of the presentation. Wrong again. You will only encourage them to read instead of listening to you. Hand the handouts only AFTER the presentation. Remember you are the focal point
5) Don't be boring - Don't put too many slides in a presentation. People get bored really easily. So, capitalize on your selling with the knowledge of their short attentin span and don't bore them with too many slides.
6) Notes - Don't read your notes as you present. If the audience is going to be reading your notes while you present, why bother having a presentation at the first place? You can just mail them the notes and save each others' time
Here are just some of the points that I see frequently done wrongly in presentations. Make your presentations as creative and interesting as possible. Think out of the box. Don't be square but dare to challenge your audience. Go ahead and make great presentations from now on
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