"Death by PowerPoint" is a phrase commonly thrown around in the business world when meetings are involved. One of the largest reasons for this is the fact that presenters rely too heavily on media for the presentation, rather than the knowledge they possess and are supposed to speak to rather than have the audience read. How does one go about creating a presentation that won’t bore the audience into a coma or have them itching for the next break in the presentation? By following some of these presentation tips, your next presentation can inspire confidence in your abilities and keep everyone awake and tuned in to what you have to say.
- Don’t rely too heavily on media. When using PowerPoint (or other visual aids), the general rule of thumb to follow is less is more. Make bullet points to give the audience a general idea of what you are discussing. Bullet points should be general, what you have to say should be specific. This ensures they are paying attention to what you have to say (the bulk of the important information), rather than what you have written on the slide. Display important figures or numbers when needed, but don’t go into too much detail on the slide -- or the audience will focus on the slide and not on you.
- Don’t read from the slides. Your audience thinks you are insulting their intelligence by reading directly from the slide and will become increasingly bored with the presentation if you continue to do so.
- Be prepared. Show up early enough before your presentation to test your media (computer, projector, sound); and always be prepared for glitches. A backup plan is always a good idea when preparing a presentation.
- Communicate effectively. Since your audience won’t be relying on the written words for all the information they need, they should be held captive by what you have to say. Mastering communication skills is important and can prove your abilities, gain respect, and demand attention from your target audience.
- Project your voice. This is especially important if you are in a large room or auditorium. The members in the back should be able to hear you clearly, but that doesn’t mean yelling. Project from your diaphragm rather than from your throat; protect your voice and help your words carry without deafening those close to you.
- Be authentic. Don’t plan out every last gesture and sentence you have. Your natural body language strengthens the point being made and gives nonverbal cues to the audience. Forced or planned gestures make you look false, and distracts the audience from what you are actually saying.
- Connect with your eyes. When you connect with your eyes during communication, your audience will feel engaged and involved. Relationships are built on trust, and trust is communicated through the eyes.
- Be concise. We’ve all sat through the long presentation or meeting that could have been summed up in 20-30 minutes. Be concise on each point and open the floor to questions at the end of, or appropriately throughout, the presentation.
- Use visual aids appropriately but sparingly. If you want to amplify a certain message in your presentation, pictures or other visual aids are a great tool to use. However, if you use too many, your audience will become too involved with the pictures and less on the message behind it. They have their place in each topic, so find a happy medium to gain attention, without losing attention.
You want to keep the attention of your audience throughout the entire presentation while giving them all of the information they need to understand all of your content. By following the above presentation tips, you are sure to accomplish that and prove you are an expert on the material provided. To learn more about being an effective communicator, contact Ty Boyd today.
