How to Deliver a Powerful Presentation

Including Top Tips on PowerPoint

Introduction

A badly designed PowerPoint presentation or lack of planning can make a good message get lost. Here are some simple steps you can take to make sure that you engage and educate your audience.

Follow these tips and you could be on the way to getting the kind of feedback that wins you new business and builds your reputation.

Your Target AudienceMake sure you understand your audience before you plan your presentation. Use the wrong language or pace and you could be at risk of either patronising your audience or going to fast. Consider your:

• Language – be mindful of jargon or phrases that may not be understood

• Pace – make sure it suits the level of expertise in the room

• Subject Matter – why should they care about this? Give them a reason

• Call to Action – provide links and resources for them to visit when they leave

• Feedback – ask them why they are here and what they want to know early on

PowerPoint StructureA PowerPoint presentation should:

• Be a prompt with bullet points - not a script

• You can have a full script in front of you rather than on the screen

• Help engage the audience with visual aids

• Use good imagery to convey your message or keep the audience interested

• Entertain the audience with interactive video

• Include an appropriate video if possible to help break up the impression that you are ‘talking at them’

• Include a good introduction, agenda, reminder for a break and opportunity for questions

• Explain what is going to happen, give them plenty of breaks so that they can fully focus and answer their questions

• Explain What’s Next…

• Finish your presentation explaining that you will email everyone with the presentation and an opportunity to provide feedback

Looking Good!

Professional DesignThere is a reason why companies spend a lot of money establishing their brand. It doesn’t matter what you say, if your audience is looking at a badly designed PowerPoint they simply won’t take you seriously. A consistent and professional PowerPoint design will help to convey the professionalism of your company or services and build your reputation.

Your design should:

• Be creative

• Be clean and simple

• Include your company logo

• Follow your company colours

• Include good quality images

Example PowerPoint Design

If you don’t have a designer on hand there are plenty of templates to choose from or resources online teaching you the basics of PowerPoint

I have provided an example of a simple PowerPoint template (right).

Include Breaks & Interaction

Keeping your audience engaged and interested is the biggest battle for any presenter. It is nothing personal, us humans just can’t focus on one person talking for too long and some say that our attention span lasts no more than five minutes! These are the ways you can avoid your audience whiting out on you and doodling on their notepad:

• Include a short break for refreshments mid way through the presentation

• And tell them they are going to have one in the agenda

• Have at least one interaction exercise

• i.e. they could speak to the person on their left about a given subject

• Encourage networking

• Have some networking time at the beginning of your presentation so that they all feel more comfortable in the surrounding

• Start the presentation with a white board shout out

• I.e. ask people to raise their hand and give you one question they want answered today

• This will help make them feel listened too and ensure that you answer those questions before they leave

Getting Feedback

As explained earlier, it is a good idea to send all attendees a follow up email with the presentation and a request for feedback. In the email you should:

• Thank them for attending

• Attach a PDF version of the presentation as promised

• Include a request for feedback using audience response systems

• These help to analyse your performance with easy to use feedback forms

Proof Read Your Presentation

There is nothing more embarrassing than someone pointing out a spelling error during your presentation.

In one swoop you have erased the effort and time you spent preparing it.

Ask a friend or colleague to look over it or practice the presentation on someone beforehand.

Review

Practice

Get Feedback

That’s It!

Follow these tips and you should be on your way to delivering powerful presentations. The last tip I would like to leave you with is…

Listening to your audience is the best way to improve your presentation skills. So get feedback and use it to get better at delivering powerful presentations.