- Talk ‘to’ your audience not ‘at’ your audience: Don’t get caught up in content and ‘download’ it to your audience. Present like you are having a “conversation with many individuals’ rather than “delivering toa crowd’.
- “Tell and show”, don’t “show and tell”: When you first show a slide and then talk about it, the slide takes the lead. Rather, end your earlier slide by raising a logical question/issue(addressed on your next slide) and then show the next. That way,youlead and the slide follows.
- Communicate to “express’ and not to ‘impress” Don’t stress about the right , tone, body language, vocabulary etc. Rather immerse yourself in the message, visualise what you are saying and express your thoughts with conviction and you will impress them anyway!
- Create a story not a slide deck:Don’t start making a power point presentation staring at a blank laptop screen. Rather start with a blank sheet of paper, asking yourself: why are you presenting? What do you want the audience to think /feel? What problems do you want to solve? And then build your slides to create a compelling story. Sharing personal experiences often helps.
- Use the ‘fishing bait” in the form of using the word “YOU (R)” at least 3 times in the first 5 sentences: (Your current situation, what you need, how this presentation will help you). This will ensure you ‘hook’ your audience. Researching your audience’s needs is a must-have.
A presentation is but a ‘present’ that you give your audience, of yourself and your thoughts. Put your thoughts, convictions and passion into it to make your ‘present’ memorable.