Presentation is just one of the ways to convey an idea, report data, and provide information. It is not just about giving lifeless facts and figures; it has a human element to it that gives each presentation its own personality.
Presentation is a communication process of transmitting the message from the presenter to the audience.
Today, presentation skills are required in every field. Whether you are an Executive or the Chairman of a big organization, you will have to make a presentation at one time or another. In order to deliver captivating presentations, a lot of input and work is needed.
Let us see how we can make effective presentations.
Many people ask themselves this very question.
You would agree that there have been times when you went to a presentation, or company meeting, only to walk away feeling that it was a total waste of time. It was not a great presentation.
A great presentation is a combination of the two elements; content creation and delivery.
There are two elements to a great presentation, content creation and delivery.
Content creation includes the research and organization of materials and designing the architecture of the sides and the graphical enhancements.
Delivery is how you voice your message. To make the presentation great, there must be synergy of these two elements. Each of these elements carry equal weight and importance. Your presentation will not be great unless you have both of these elements.
To create that great presentation, you must create your content, then design for that content, then create your delivery strategy and style. There are some key steps to keep in mind when creating your content.
First, you do your research. Then, group the information into logical categories. Finally, you create your outline. Too many times, the night before a meeting you are cramming information onto slides trying to create this great presentation. You may even be adding items to the presentation at the last minute. By doing the research, grouping your information and creating an outline, you won’t fall into these traps of last-minute presentation creation or editing.
Once you have your outline, now you’re ready to create your slides, add graphics, charts and add animation.
And finally, there’s the delivery. You need to know the logistics of your meeting and how to make the audience retain your message. Just because you are talking and someone else appears to be listening, does not mean there is knowledge being transferred from you to them.
You need to set clear objectives in the presentation as well as your expectations of your audience. They need to find value in being in this presentation. Your presentation needs to be such that what you present and how you present it causes a change in behavior of your audience. If you can get them to see it in a way that helps them embrace change, and increases morale and productivity, you have done your job.
You can start with who you are, where you are from and what are you going to do?
Example: My name is Paul. I am a sales manager. I am here today to present you with some innovative ways to boost our sales using digital marketing.
You must set the objective of the presentation and make the audience understand on what are key take-away for them.
Example: In this presentation, we will learn / address / understand / know / …
What are the existing practices? What are all the new innovative techniques we can apply? Why it is important…? How to implement…?
You need to clearly, concisely convey the points in a logical order.
You need to sum up all the points at the end and give the audience ‘call to action’.
You can also answer the following questions:
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