Of the countless conference presentations you’ve seen, a few stood out. Right? What did those presenters know about distinguishing themselves from the rest?
At FR Presentations, we’ve specialized in strategic presentation development for over two decades. Over that time, we’ve worked with many top presenters at industry-leading companies on presentations that mattered.
Here we outline practices of successful presenters that will help you take your presentation from good to great and get the results you're after.
DEFINE YOUR COMMUNICATION OBJECTIVE
A great presentation is one that delivers for both you and your audience. To deliver, you must know where you’re going and why. What is your communication objective and how will you measure success? Know what you want from each presentation opportunity.
KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE
Your ability to deliver for, and connect with, an audience requires an understanding of the audience and an ability to calibrate your message and delivery to each audience.
Consider how much they know about the topic so you don't bore them with irrelevant information to them or that they already know.
To the extent possible, consider your audience's objective for attending, their level of subject knowledge and their preconceptions. What do they know about you and your company / subject, if anything? What content will be most valuable to them? How do they prefer to uptake information (by listening or asking questions)?
Once you have defined your, and your audience’s objectives, your presentation content and tone can be tailored to deliver.
START STRONG
One of the most important rules for delivering an effective presentation is a compelling open that captures your audience's attention and piques their curiosity.
Starting at the title slide before you utter your first word, your audience will have begun determining where you fall on their scale of someone worth their attention. Make it count. By the 2nd slide, their impression will largely be set based on what you’ve said, how you’ve said it, and the information design of your slides. Either you will have them or you won’t.
Top presenters leverage powerful and compelling visuals (photos, illustrations, infographics & charts) to generate interest because the brain processes visual information better. The use of animation and video is on the rise.
For the narrative, consider telling a very short story your audience will be able to relate to about the subject matter or how you came to be involved with it.
DEMONSTRATE PROFESSIONALISM
Both substance and form play a role in making a professional impression. Substance requires you to have information meriting your audience's time and attention and your command of the content. Command is reflected in your ability to get to the point.
Form entails confident delivery combined with a layout that speaks to precision and a commitment to quality. Your audience will form an impression based on the format of your slides, the quality of the graphics and photography, and the precision and consistency of the layout. They will view your message through that lens.
To gain credibility and stand out with sophisticated audiences, you must define what you and your audience want from the presentation, put your best foot forward, and demonstrate professionalism in both substance and form.
If you want to up your presentation game, get in touch.
