Just the words “business presentation” can make the liveliest employees groan. Sitting around, listening to someone talk for an hour isn’t always the most ideal way to spend time for a person with a to-do list.
This is important to remember when you’re the one behind the podium. Most guests are coming into the talk already anxious for it to be over — giving you the perfect opportunity to win them over with a refreshing and interesting presentation. Being a good speaker is important, but if you’re really looking to entice audiences with your topic, use these tips to level-up your PowerPoint game.
1. Reverse the process
Almost everything follows the general rule: introduction, body, conclusion. That doesn’t have to be the case for your presentation, though.
Get to the point right away. Let the audience know what the end game is, then dive into what you have to do to get there. Building up to a main point is great in the movies but doesn’t always work when it comes to presentations. Getting the main point across at the beginning will let audiences connect every idea to the topic as a whole.
2. Use one graphic element per slide
Just one photograph, embedded video or infographic will get your point across. Adding multiple will distract from the content, making the slide, and ultimately the presentation, hard to follow.
On a similar note, use images that are relevant to the topic. While the cute .gif of a puppy may initially grab an audience’s attention — cue the “aww” — what does it have to do with your presentation? The best way to determine if an image is suitable is to ask yourself, “If I asked a colleague, who has never seen this presentation, to step in for this slide, could they figure out the connection?”
3. Diagrams work better than bullet points
Experts have long wagged a finger at over-using bullet points in presentations. This is because those (seemingly) harmless circles make it harder to audiences to concentrate, making it more likely that they will not retain the information you are offering.
Switching to diagrams, flow charts and illustrations allows the brain to think about points more creatively and make connections quickly. Neuroscience studies have found that the mind prefers stories over bullet points, which is essentially what a visual aid does.
4. Write less, talk more
You only want to write down the main point of each idea, topic, or slide you are discussing. Adding a verbal explanation will keep audiences focused on what you’re actually saying, rather than hastily attempting to copy down an excessive number of notes that are laid out on a slide.
Studies have shown that, contrary to popular belief, multitasking is not real. While we may think we’re reading and listening at the same time, it’s really just our brains rapidly switching between the two, causing us to lose valuable pieces of information from both sources.
So, if you want to put a bunch of text on a slide, don’t talk. That won’t get you rave reviews on your presentation, though.
5. Keep branding consistent
Whether you’re pitching an idea, teaching a skill or selling a product, you want to keep the presentation consistent throughout. Without a coherent layout, the presentation will look tacky, unprofessional and will likely lose an audience’s interest. One tip is to use the format painter tool. It will help you keep colors, fonts and spacing consistent.
6. Make it interactive
When you’re done, make sure to leave time for a quick question and answer session.
Allotting time for a Q&A will not only allow your presentation to be interactive and engage the audience — it will also showcase you as an expert on the topic. It gives the audience the ability to understand your thought process as well as the opportunity to think about what it would be like to work with you.
Giving the audience the chance to ask questions opens up the floor for a deeper discussion of the topic, which leads to a deeper understanding for those you’re presenting to, which leads to a better presentation all-around.
7. Respect your audience’s time
You never want your audience to feel like the presentation is dragging on. They should leave feeling like the time they spent listening to you was more productive than anything else they would have done at work.
Being concise is important and ensuring you are, starts way before you ever give the presentation. It’s nearly impossible to make something perfect the first time around. When you finish putting together the presentation, be proud of yourself! Then cut 10% of it from the final product. Doing so will keep the presentation crisp and impactful.
Taking these simple tips into consideration will help create an interesting and impactful business presentation, leaving audiences inspired.
