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How to Crush Your Next Presentation

  • February 15 2016, 11:12 am

  • by Wes Sovis

  • General

Whether you're presenting a new idea to your boss, or a business proposal to a client, your delivery is crucial to the outcome of your pitch. There's an old saying that states, "It's ten percent what you're saying, and 90 percent how you say it." I couldn't agree more. A skilled presenter can make a Ken Burns documentary seem exciting, while a poor presenter can make discussing a Lamborghini dull and boring. We've put together a few tips to prevent you from being the latter.

Bring the Energy

Equally important to what you're saying out loud is what you're saying with your body language. Standing in front of, or removing all together, a podium keeps you from looking like you're cowering in fear. Be sure to make eye contact with as many people as possible in the audience - don't look at your feet or the ceiling. Your volume needs to be audible - when in doubt, pick it up a few decibles to make sure everyone has no trouble hearing you. Some people suggest starting with a joke. My advice is if you're going to start with a joke, make it relevant to the presentation. Oh, and make sure the joke will knock it out of the park. You're setting the tone of your presentation here, after all. You certainly don't want to start the presentation with a dud. 

Bring a Visual Aid

People learn by hearing, seeing, and reading about a concept, but we each have a manner in which we learn best. To cover everyone's learning needs, bring a visuals to outline the topics covered in the presentation. Use a variety of pieces to make your point on the presentation - graphs, tables, bullet points, etc. - to make sure the information you're presenting gets across to everyone in the room. By talking, providing print, and using visuals for attendees, everyone will be able to process the information you're providing in the way that allows them to learn best. Also, try to engage your audience; ask if the information provided is useful, ask if anyone has questions throughout the presentation, and move towards people in the room when they're speaking. Movement shows energy, energy shows enthusiasm - people like enthusiastic people!

Always Be Conscious of People's Time

There is no more valuable a commodity than time, so it's important that you be respectful of how you use people's time. Make sure you're prepared with a final version of your pitch or presentation. Showing up with a presentation that's only half complete tells attendees that this meeting wasn't worth your full investment, so why should it be worth of theirs? No matter how long your meeting is scheduled for, be sure to wrap it up on time. It's completely acceptable to ask if your attendees have a "hard stop" at the scheduled ending time. They may have nothing scheduled after, and can give you more time than you anticipated. But be sure to ask this at the beginning of the meeting, not when you're about to run over your allotted time. 

Leave the Energy in the Room

So you just had an awesome presentation - everyone is on the same page, they loved your enthusiasm, and they easily digested the information you provided. Now it's crucial to do two things: leave something that will remind them of the energy you've created well after you've left the room, and ask them to give you an actionable step. I like to leave a print out of the presentation provided, but it's important to make it look professional. It should be in color, and left in a large, high quality folder. Everyone loves a folder, and they'll think twice about tossing out your presentation if it's in something classy. Seriously! It works. I also like to ask what they need from me next - a formal proposal, another presentation with more information, recommendations from other clients, etc. To the best of your ability, try to leave the presentation with something to work on or provide that will move the process along. 

Is there anything we missed? If you have any tips or advice for an excellent presentation, you can post them to our Facebook page, or get in touch on Twitter.