May 17th, 2010
In this three-part series, we’ll explore the finer points of crafting a powerful presentation. During part one, we cover the basics – but don’t be fooled by the simplicity of these tips! All the best presentations have these characteristics in common.
1. Less is more.
Let’s face it – we live in the age of Twitter communication, where anything longer than a sentence starts to lose our interest. We’re constantly being bombarded with information at every turn, so it pays to keep things brief. Sound bites rule! Of course you’ll want to have supporting information to back up any bold declarations you make, but there is something to be said for brevity. Don’t be afraid to end early…nail this presentation and you just might get invited back to speak in more detail on your chosen topic!
2. Keep it relevant.
The lecture format is passé. Keep the mood fresh and engaging, invite questions and audience participation, and if you have a longer presentation, incorporate an activity or exercise that gets people involved while driving home a key point. Use current references and analogies, don’t be afraid to weave in pop culture references if you can make it relate to your key point (assuming this is a match for your audience).
3. Be enthusiastic.
Odds are, you can fondly remember a teacher from your grade school days and you may remember things that he or she taught you – even if you didn’t particularly like the subject itself! Likeable people keep us interested and engaged, and enthusiasm is contagious. Bring your own passion into your presentation and your audience will sit up and take notice — even if the very same material would have bored them on paper.
Be sure to stop back by for the next installment, when we’ll explore some specific tips for keeping your presentation interesting and impactful. In the meantime, if you’re ready to rent an LCD projector for your talk, click here to get started.
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