Sunday 26 January 2014

5 Steps To Become A Better Presenter

Understand your audience: I once sat in the audience where a presenter was obviously delivering a “canned” presentation he had previously used. How did I know? He was giving a “retail sales 101” speech to an audience of highly skilled and experienced medical equipment sales professionals. And, oops, he also forgot to change the company name listed on several of his slides. Now that’s how to lose audience attention quickly!
For every presentation, your topic and discussion points must be relevant for the audience. Ask yourself: Who is my audience? Why are they here? What do they already know about my topic? What are the attendees’ goals and objectives? How many people will be there?
Once you have the answers to these types of questions, you can tailor your presentation to your audience. And if your presentation is part of a larger meeting with other presenters involved, don’t forget to determine how your presentation will relate to the overall meeting, the meeting theme (if there is one), and to the topics of the other presenters.

Know your objectives and your material: Is the objective of your presentation to educate or persuade your audience? For example, are you teaching project management techniques or trying to convince the executive team to give your department additional budget money for product innovation projects next year?
Whether you’re educating or trying to persuade, make sure you can answer these questions: What do I want my audience to know at the end of my presentation? What key points do I need to communicate? What actions do I want the audience to take when they leave?

Tell your “story” with flair: One of your presentation goals should be to inspire enthusiasm for your topic. To do this, be creative and think about ways you can involve the audience, such as through stories, humor, examples/statistics, and eye-catching visual aids. Many CEOs today have stopped using text heavy PowerPoint presentations and have adopted a style that includes lots of images for visual appeal.
Notes Carmine Gallo, author of The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs, “This style of delivering presentations is fresh, engaging, and ultimately far more effective than slide after slide of wordy bullet points.” Including stories can also be a great way to help people learn and better visualize information.

Test the logistics: Go see the room where you’ll present. Ensure everything works: Microphones, computer, projector(s), screen, etc. Is the seating adequate and appropriately set up? Will those sitting in the back be able to see you when you present? If needed, are flip charts or white boards and pens ready? If handing out documents, are they ready? Preparing for the worst is the best way to ensure your presentation will run smoothly.

Practice, practice, practice: Wowing the audience (and management) is a great way to get yourself noticed as you climb the proverbial career ladder. Take time to ensure you’ll do a great job by practicing. I like to rehearse out loud to see how my presentation sounds and then I practice in front of a mirror to make sure I look comfortable while I’m presenting. It’s also helpful to ask someone to listen to you and provide feedback.
The more time you spend preparing for presentations the better the results will be. Practice and preparation may not make your presentations perfect, but it will definitely get you noticed – in a good way!

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